Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-10-14


lot of looking at you, dear" She
kissed him and ran away, singing.
But his Aunt Fanny was not so
fond; and at the dinner table there
came a spark of livellness, into her
eyes when George patronizingly asked
her what was the news in her own
particular line of sport"
"Well. what's the gossip? You
usually hear pretty much everything
that goes ON around the hooks and
crannies in this town, hear. What's
the last from the gossips' corner.
auntie?"
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. 81 haven't paid
any attention to this one"
But you-you've heard it?" he
stammered.
"Oh, one hears all sorts of nonsense,
dear. 1 haven't the slightest idea
that it's true"
''Then you have heard It'll"
George turned pale.
Eat your dinner, Georgia" 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 clerk
in his uncle's hardware place: he
couldn't marry for ages-even if any
body would accept himl'
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. ages don't
mean anythingI l only want to know
Il want to know / want" He
stopped.
"You must finish your dinner dear"
his mother urged. Don't"
II have finished. I've eaten all !
want. don't want any more than /
| wanted. / don't want-I-" He rose,
still incoherent. 81 prefer-I want
| please excuse mel"
He left the room, and 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"
"we don't actually know there
isn't" Miss Fanny insisted, giggling.
We've never asked Lucy"
Il wouldn't ask her anything so abb
surd !"
George would" Georges father re-
marked. ''That's what he's gone to
| do
Mr.. Minsfer was not mistaken: that
was what his son had gone to do.
Lrcy and her father were just rising
from their dinner table when the
stirred youth arrived at the front
door of the new house. 1t was 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 p
The whole place, including his own
bedroom, was a young damsefs bou-
| doir, he said, so that nowhere could
he smoke a 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
WIFI aShSolAOhs
81 never smoke-that is. I'm sell
! dom-I mean, no, thanks" he said.
II 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"
81 don't work" said George. 81
mean 1 don't work. l 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. Its my
foreman" he said, looking at his
watch. "rll take him out In the yard
TO talk. This is no place for a fore
man." And he departed, leaving the
Giving room" to Lucy and George.
whats wrong, George?" she asked
softly.
what do you mean: whats
wrongT What makes you think any
things wrong with me?"
"You do look pale. as papa said,
/ anu ~ cNCAnC0 " AnC lAtut AhC way NOu
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 it p
Lucy protested, laughing at his dra-
matte intensity. "of course 1 am
Do tell me what's the matter with
you, Georger ~
II will !" he exclaimed. 81 was a
boy when saw you last. see that
now, though 1 didn't then. Well, I'm
not boy any longer. I'm a man. and
man has a right to demand q totally
different treatment"
II don't seem TO be able TO Under
stand you at all, George. Why
shouldn't boy be treated Just as
well as a manr'
George seemed to find himself at a