The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1919-09-18
CHAPTER vlII-continued.

St1UV En- u"~VUIsIlOC
-
In the matter Of GOODNESS George
met Lucy upon her w predeter-
mined ground; in fact, he was there
first, and at their next encounter
proved loftier and more formal than
she did. Their estrangement lasted
three weeks, and then disappeared
without any preliminary treaty: it
mad worn itself out and they forgot it.
The Major had taken a great fancy
TO her, insisting upon her presence
and her fathers at the Anderson fam
lily dinner at the Mansion every Sun
day evening. She knew how to flirt
with old people, he said, as she sat
next him al the table on II of these
Sunday occasions; and he had always
7iked her father, even when Eugene
was a "terror" long ago. ooh, yes,
he was! J" the Major laughed when she
demonstrated. "He came up here
with my son George and some others
for a serenade n night, and Eugene
stepped into q bass fiddle, and the
poor musicians just gave up! That
serenade was just before Isabel vas
m~arried-and don't you fret. Miss
Lucy: your father remembers it we'll
enough!" The old gentleman burst
into laughter, and shook his finger at
Eugene across the table. "The fact
is" the Major went on hilariously, II
believe if Eugene hadn't broken that
bass fiddle and given himself away
Isabel would lever have taken Will
bur! I shouldn't be surprised if that
was about all the reason that Wilbur
got her! What do you think, Will
hur?"
II shouldn't be surprised" said Will
i,ur placidy. "1f your notion is right
I'm glad Gene broke the fiddle: He
was giving me a hard run"
The Major always drank three
glasses Of champagne at his Sunday
dinner, and he was finishing the third.
A'What do you say about it, Isabel?
BY Jove!" he cried. pounding the
table, "she's blushing"
Eugene was as pink as Isabel, but
lie laughed without any sign of embar-
rassment other than his heightened
color. "There's another important
thing-that is, for me-" he said. ITS
the only thing that makes me forgive
shat bass viol for getting in my way"
"NWhat is it?" the Major asked.
Lucy" said Morgan gently.
Isabel gave him a quick glance, all
warm approval, and there was a muir.
~. - ess o-J1;1oc rorn6 tho fOh1Q
Summer glided by evenly and quick
~ enough, for the most part, and at
the end seemed to fly. On the last
night before George went back to be
Il junior his mother asked him conf
IDENTIFY If it had not been a happy
summer.
He hadn't thought about it, he an
swered. ooh, 1 suppose so. Why?'
Il just thought it would be nice to
Ilear you say So" she said, smiling.
AIt's seemed to me that it must have
been u happy summer for you-a real
summer Of roses and wine'-without
the wine. perhaps. Gather We roses
while We mayor was it primroses:
Time does really fly, or perhaps it's
like the sky-and smoke
George was puzzled. ut strikes me
you're getting mixed. I don't see
much resemblance between time and
the sky, or between things and smoke
wreaths; but I do see one reason you
like Lucy Morgan so much. she
talks that same kind OF Wlstful
moony way sometimes-I don't mean
TO say I mind it in either of you, be
cause I rather like to listen to 1t
and you've got a very good voice
mother. It's nice to listen to, no mat
ter how much smoke and sky, ant
so on, you talk. Sos Lucy's, for tina
matter; and I see why you're con
genial. She talks that way to hel
father, too; and he's right there will
! the same kind of CUFF. Well, It's al
right with me! I've got plenty tt
think about when people drool along!
She pressed his hand to her cheek
and a tear made a tiny warm streal
across one Of his knuckles.
"For heavens sake" he said
whats the matter? Isn't everything
all right?"
you're going away! I never cal
bear to see you go-that's the mos
of 1t. I'm q little bothered about you
father. too"
"Why?"
1T seems to me he looks SO bad
Everybody thinks so"
what nonsense!' George laughed
"He's been looking that way oil sum