Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1919-12-26
CHAPTER xvlII-contInued.

from the SnelveS OF glass Jars against
the wall, with the potion she had ask
ed for in his hand, he uttered an ex-
clamation! For goshes' sake, Miss y
And, describing this adventure to his
fellow boa rders. that evening, "Sagged
pretty near to the counter, she was"
he said "'F 1 hadn't been n bright,
quick, ready-for-anythng young fella
she'd "a hummixed plumb / was
watchin' her out the window-talkin'
to some young s'iety fella. and she
was all right then. She was all right
when she came in the store, too. Yes,
sir; the prettiest girl that ever walk
ed In our place and took one good look
at me. / reckon 1t must be the truth
what some you town ways say about
my face"
At that hour the heroine of the
susceptible clerks romance was en-
gagged in Frightening the rosy little
coal fire under the white mantelpiece
In her pretty white and blue boudoir.
-Four photographs all framed In decor
Gus plain silver went to the anthra-
cites fierce estruction-frames and
Rll-and three packets of letters and
notes in charming Florentine treas
ure box of painted wood; nor was the
box, any more than the silver frames,
spared this rousing finish. Thrown
heartily upon live coal, the fine wood
sparkled forth in stars, then burst In
to an alarming blaze which scorched
the white mantelpiece, but Lucy stood
and looked on without moving.
1t was not Eugene who told her
what had happened at Isabel's door.
When she got home, she found Fanny
M!nafer waiting for her-a secret ex-
cursion of Fannys for the purpose, pre-
sumably, of letting out" again; be-
cause that was what she did. She told
Lucy everything Except her own la
inevitable part in the production of the
recent miseries) and concluded with
a tribute to George; THE worst of it
Is, he thinks he's been such a hero,
and Isabel does too. and that makes
him more than twice as awful It's
been the same all his life; everything
he did was noble and perfect. He had
domineering nature to begin with,
and she let it go on, and fostered it
till 1t absolutely ruled her. / never
saw palmer case of persons fault
( making them pay for having 1t She
goes about, overseeing the packing
and praising George and pretending TO
be perfectly cheerful about what he's
done. She pretends he did such a fine
fhing-so manly and protective-go-
Ing to Mrs. johnson. And so heroic
Going what his principles made him
even though he knew what it would
cost him with you And all the while
it's almost killing her-what he said
to your fatherl She's always been
lofty enough, so to speak, and had the
greatest idea of the Ambersons being
superior to the rest of the world, and
all that, but rudeness, or anything like
scene or any bad manners-they
always just made her sick ! But she
gould never see what Georges man
0ers were-oh, it's been terrible
adulation It's going to be task
for me, living in that big house, all
alone; you must come and see me
L mean after they've gone, of course.
I'll go crazy If don't see something
Of people. I'm sure you'll come as
often as you can know you too we'll
70 think you'll be sensitive about COM
ing there, or being reminded of
George. Thank heaven you're too we'll
balanced" Miss Fanny concluded,
with profound fervor, you're too
well-balnnced to let anything affect
sou deeply about that-that monkey"
The four photographs and the paint
I'd Florentine box went to their crema-
shaH within the same hour that Miss
Fanny spoke; and little later Lucy
/ called her father in, as he passed her
door, and pointed to the blackened area
yyD the underside of the mantelpiece,
and to the burnt heap upon the coal,
where some metallic shapes still re-
1ai1ed outline. She flung her arms
about his neck in passionate SYM
nathy, telling him that she knew what
trad happened to him. and presently
he began to comfort her and managed
an embarrassed laugh.
well, we'll" he said. 81 was too
cid for such foolishness to be getting
into my head, anyhow"
"No, mol" she sobbed. "And If you
knew how despise myself for--for
ever having thought one instant about
--oh, Miss Fanny called him the right
name: that monkey! He is !"
There, I think agree with you,"'
Eugene said grimly, and in his eyes
there was a steady light of anger that
was to last. Eyes think agree with
Fou about that"
There's only one thing to do with
ouch person" she said vehemently.
.tThat's to put him out of our thoughts
: sOrever-foreverl"