Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1919-12-04

How fast do Mr.. Morgan's machines
go"
much too fast! It's very exhila
rating-but rather frightening; and
they do make a fearful uprOar. He
says, though, he thinks he sees a way
to get around the nOisiness in time"
II don't mind the noise," said
George. "Give me a horse for mine,
though, any day. l must get up a race
with one of these things; Pendennis1l
leave it one mile behind in a twO-mile
run. HOw's grandfather"
"He looks well, but he complains
sometimes of his heart"
George had taken off his coat. 81
don't like to hint to lady," he said,
"but 1 do want to dress before din
ner."
Don't be long; I've got to do a
lot of looking at you, dearI 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 liveliness 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 a
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. II haven't paid
any attention to this one"
But you-you've heard it?' he
stammered.
"Oh, one hears all sorts of nonsense,
dear. I haven't the slightest idea
that it's true"
"Then you have heard itm
George turned pale.
Eat your dinner, George" his
aunt said sweetly. "Food will do you
good. l didn't say knew this rumor
was true. only said I'd heard it,"
Fanny, you're a 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 uncles hardware place: he
couldn't marry for ages-even if any
body would accept him!"
George breathed unanimously. 81
don't care anything about 'agesp
What's that got to do with itY" he
said, his thoughts appearing to be
somewhat disconnected. cages don't
mean anything! only want to know
i want to know / want" He
stopped. /
"You must finish your dinner, DEAR"
his mother urged. Don't"
Il have finished. I've eaten all l
want. l don't want any more than I
wanted. I don't want-I-" He rose.
still incoherent. II 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 I only told
the truth: everybody has been say
ing"
I'VE 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.. Minafer was not mistaken: that
was what his son had gone to do.
Lucy and her father were just rising
from their dinner table when the
stirred youth arrived at the front
door Of the new house. It was a 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 -pringtime ~
The whole place, including his own
bedroom, was a young damsePs bou
doir he said, so that nowhere could
he smoke a cigar without feeling like
4 rufiian. 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
with something like agitation.
81 never smoEe-that is. Tn sell
lom-I mean, no, thanks" he said.
I 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