River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1919-11-27
particular line or sport"


the last from the gossips' corner,
auntie?v
Fanny dropped her eyes, but
movement of her lower lip betokened
tendency to laugh as she replied,
There hasn't been much gossip lately
except the report that Lucy Morgan
and Fred Kinney are engaged and
that's quite old by this time"
There was a clatter upon Georges
plate. "What-what do you think
you're talking about?' he gasped.
Miss Fanny looked up innocently.
about the report of Lucy Morgan's
engagement to Fred Kinney"
George turned dumbly to his mother
and Isabel shook her head reassur-
ingly. People are always starting
rumors," she said. II haven't paid
any attention to this one.'
but you-you've heard it," he
stammered
''Oh, one hears all sorts of nonsense,
dear. / haven't the slightest idea
that it's true.''
'0Then you have heard it!''
George turned pale.
Eat your dinner, George" his
aunt said sweetly food will do you
good. | didn't say knew this rumor
was true. only said I'd heard it,"
Fanny, you're hard-hearted crea-
ture,' Isabel said gently. "You really
are. Don't pay any attention to her,
George. Fred Kinney's only a clerk
in his uncle's hardware place: he
couldn't marry for ages-even if any,
body would accept him!''
George breathed unanimously. 81
don't care anything about ages =
What's that got to do with it?'' he
said, his thoughts appearing to be
somewhat disconnected. cages, don't
mean anything! only want to know
II want to know I want" He
stopped.
"You must finish your dinner, DEAR"
his mother urged Don't
II have finished. I've eaten all I
want. l don't want any more than
wanted I don't want-I-" He rose,
still incoherent. Il prefer-I want
please excuse me!
He left the room, and a moment
later the screens outside the open
front door were heard to slam.
Fanny! You shouldn't"
Isabel, don't reproach me. He did
have plenty of dinner, and only told
the truth: everybody has been say
ing
1--WE don't actually know there
isn't" Miss Fanny insisted, giggling.
We've never asked Lucy
II wouldn't ask her anything SO abb
surd!"
George would Georges father re-
marked. That's what he's gone to
do
Mr.. Minafer was not mistaken: that
was. what his son had gone to do.
Lucy and her father were just rising
from their dinner table when the
stirred youth arrived at the front
door Of the new house. It was a cot
tage, however, rather than a house:
and Lucy had taken a free hand with
the architect, achieving results in
white and green outside and white
and blue inside to such effect of youth
and daintiness that her father COM
planned of too much springtime ~
Ihe whole place, including his own
bedroom, was young damsels bou-
DOR, he said, SO that nowhere could
he smoke cigar without feeling like
a ruffian. However, he was smoking
when George arrived, and he encour-
aged George to join him in the pas
time, but the caller, whose air was
both tense and preoccupied, declined
with something like agitation.
Il never smOke-that is. Tn sell
dom-I mean, no, thanks" he said.
L mean not at all. I'd rather not"
Aren't you well, George?" Eugene
asked, looking at him in perplexity.
Have you been overworking at col
lege? You do look rather pa"
II don't work." said George. sT
mean don't work. I think, but /
don't work. I only work at the end
Of the term. There isn't much to do"
Eugene's perplexity was little de-
creased, and a tinkle of the doorbell
afforded him obvious relief. "It's my
foreman" he said, looking at his
watch. It'll take him out in the yard
to talk. This is no place for fore
man." And he departed, leaving the
living room" to Lucy and George.
whats wrong, George?" she asked
softly.
What dc you mean: whats
wrong? What makes you think any
things wrong with me?'
you do look pale, as papa said,
and it seemed to me that the way you
talked sounded-well, a little con-
fused"
"See. here" George stepped close
to her. Are you glad to see me?"
you needn't be SO fierce about 1t -
Lucy protested, laughing at his dra-
matte intensity. "Of course / am
Do tell me what's the matter with
you, Georgel"
Il will" he exclaimed. 81 was a