Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1919-11-20

for years that this town isn't really fit
to live in-for a gentleman Sydney
says-and it is getting rather big and
dirty. So they've sold their house and
decided to go abroad to live perma-
nently; there's a villa near Florence
they've often talked of buying. And
they want father to let them have their
share Of the estate now, instead Of
waiting for him to leave it to them in
his will"
"Well, suppose that's fair enough"
George said. "That is, in case he in
tended to leave them a certain amount
in his WILL"
"Of course that's understood,
George. Father explained his will to
us long ago; a third to them, and a u
third to Brother George, and a third
to u.s.
Her son made a simple calculation
in his mind. Uncle George was a
bachelor, and probably would never
marry; Sydney and Amelia were child
less. The Majors only grandchild ap-
peared to remain the eventual heir of
the entire property, no matter if the
Major did turn over to Sydney a third
of it now. "Well, 1 suppose it's grand
fathers own affair. He can do it or
not, just as he likes. I don't see why
he'd mind much"
"He seemed rather confused and
panied about it." Isabel said. II think
they oughtn't to urge it. George says
that the estate won't stand taking out
the third that Sydney wants, and that
Sydney and Amelia are behaving like a
couple of pigs. I'm on Georges side,
whether he's right or wrong; 1 always
was from the time we were children !;
me about it, I'm afraid. They've
stopped speaking to George entirely.
Poor father! Family rows at his time
of life" 5.
An hour after lunch, George strolled
over to his grandfather's, intending to
apply for further information, as a
party r%ightfully interested.
He did not carry out this intention,
however. Going into the big house by
a side entrance, he was informed that
the Major vas upstairs in his bedroom,
that his sons Sydney and George were
both with him, and that a serious
argument was in progress.
George went to the foot of the great
| stairway. He could hear angry voices
Overhead-thOse of his two ncles-
and a plaintive murmur, as if the
Major tried to keep the peace.
Such sounds were far from encour-
aging to callers, and George decided
not to go upstairs until this interview
was over. He turned from the STAIR
way, and going quietly into the library,
picked up a magazine-but he did not
open it, for his attention was instant
ly arrested by his Aunt Amelia's voice,
speaking in the next room. The door
was open and George heard her dis
tinctly.
isabel does? Isabel" she exclaimed,
her tone high and shrewish. "You
needn't tell me anything about Isabel
Minafer, l guess, my dear old Frank
Bronson! l know her a little better
than you do, don't you think?"
George heard the voice of Mr.. Bron-
son replying-a voice familiar to him
as that of his grandfather's attorney
in-chief and chief intimate as we'll. He
was a contemporary of the Majors, be-
ing over seventy, and they had been
through three years of the war in the
same regiment.
II doubt your knowing Isabel" he
said stifly. "You speak Of her as you
do because she sides with her brother
George, instead of with you and. Sgd.
ney."
"Pootw Aunt Amelia was evidently
in a passion. "You know what's been
going on over there, well enough.
Frank Bronson! / thought you were
a man of the world: don't tell me
you're blind! For nearly two years
Isabel's been pretending to chaperone
Fanny Minafer with Eugene, and all
the time she's been dragging that poor
fool Fanny around to chaperone her
and Eugene! Under the circumstances
she knows people will get to thinking
Fanny's a pretty slim kind Of chap
erone. and Isabel wants to please
George because she thinks there'll be
less talk if she can keep her own
brother around, seeming to approve
Talk! Shed better look out! The
whole town will be talking, the first
thing she knows! She"
Amelia stopped. and stared at the
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