Bogalusa enterprise and American. (Bogalusa, La.) 1918-19??, 1919-12-18

in his room over MS mlStreatment or
herI
ooh, my Lord r. he whispered; then,
with a great effort, addressed her in a
reasonable tone: "Look here, Aunt
Fanny; don't see what you're making
all this fuss about. OF course know
I've teased you sometimes, but"
"Teased' me?" she walled.
'Teased' mel Oh, it does seem too
hard sometimes-this mean old life of
mine does seem too hard! l don't
think ] can stand it! Honestly, / don't
think / can! I came in here just to
show you 1 sympathized with you
just to say something pleasant to you,
and you treat me as if were-Oh, no,
you wouldn't treat servant the way
you treat mel You wouldn't treat any
body in the world like this except old
Fanny"
"Oh, my LordI" George groaned.
Fanny spread out her small, soaked
handkerchief, and shook it in the air
to dry it little, crying as damply and
as wretchedly during this operation as
before-a sight which gave George a
curious shock to add to his other agi-
tations, 1t seemed so strange.
you're so proud" she Quavered,
land so hard tell you didn't mean
to speak of it to you, and never,
never in the world would have told
you about it, nor have made the faint
est reference to it, If hadn't seen that
somebody else had told you, or you'd
found out for yourself some way.
T."
In despair Of her intelligence, and
in some doubt of his own, George
struck the palms of his hands together.
Somebody else had told me what2
I'd found what out for myselff'
"How people are talking about your
mother"
Except for the incidenta, teariness
of her voice, her tone was casual, as
though she mentioned a subject pre-
viously discussed and understood /;
for Fanny had no doubt that George
had only pretended to be mystified be-
cause, in his pride, he would not in
words admit that he knew what he
knew.
"What did you sayq" he asked In
credulously.
"Of course I understood what you
were doing" Fanny went on, drying her
handkerchief again. "It puzzled other
people when you began to be rude to
Eugene, because they couldn't see how
you could treat him as you did when
you were so interested in Lucy. But
I remembered how you came to me,
that other time when there was so
much talk about Isabel; and / knew
you'd give Lucy up in a minute, if ii
came to a question Of your mothers
reputation, because you said then
| that"
'Look here" George interrupted in
shaking voice. 'LoOk here, I'd
like" He stopped, unable to go on
his agitation was SO great. His chest
heaved as from hard running, and his
complexion, pallid at first, had be
come notified; fiery splotches appear
ing at his temples and cheeks. "What
do you mean by telling me-telling me
there's talk about-about-" He
gulped, and began again: "What dc
you mean by using such words a:
reputation? What do you mean
speaking Of q question Of my-my
mothers reputation
Fanny looked up at him wOefully
! over the handkerchief which she nov
applied to her Redeemed nose. "Got
knows am sorry for you, George
she murmured. II wanted to say so
but it's only old Fanny, SO whatever
she says-even when It's sympathy
pick on her for 1t !" She sobbed. "IfI
only poor old lonely Fanny"
"You look here" George said harsh
". "When 1 spoke to my Uncle
George after that rotten thing heard
Aunt Amelia say about my mother, h
said If there was any gossip it wal
about you'll He said people might b
laughing about the way you ran aftel
Morgan, but that was all"
Fanny lifted her hands, clenchet
them and struck them upon her knees
"Yes; its always Fanny! I" she sobbed
'RidicuIous old Fanny-always, al
ways!"
"You listen" George said. "Afte
I'd talked to Uncle George I saw you
and you said / had mean little mt1'
for thinking there might be truth u