The Tomahawk., 1919-10-16


and without the emotion he had ex-
hibited during the recital to his uncle !:
Fanny was the one who showed agita-
ton during this interview, for she
grew fiery red, and her eyes dilated.
"What on earth do you want to bring
such trash to me forl'' she demanded,
breathing fast.
II merely wished to know two
things: whether it is your duty or
mine to speak to father Of what Aunt
Amelia" '~.~.
Fanny stamped her foot. ''You lit
tie fool!" she cried. 'You awful little
fool! Your fathers q sick man. and
you want to go troubling him with an
Anderson family row! It's just what
that cat would love you to do!'
"Well. L"
~Tell your father IL you likel It
will. only make him q little sicker to
think he's got son silly enough to
listen to such craziness!"
"Then you're sure there isn't any
talk?" 80: '-.-. .-s...ss-,. ~.
Fanny disdained a reply In words.
She made q kissing sound of utter con-
tempt and snapped her fingers. Then
she asked scornfully: "What's the
other thing you wanted to know?"
Georges pallor increased. "Whether
it mightn't be better, under the cir
cumstances," he said, ''if this family
were not SO intimate with the Morgan
family-at least for time. 1t might
be better"
Fanny stared at him incredulously.
'You mean you'd quit seeing Lucy?"
II hadn't thought of that side Of 1t,
but If such q thing were necessary on
account of talk about my mother, T.
+" He hesitated unhappily. II sug-
gested that If all of us-for time
perhaps only for a time-it might be
better If"
"See here" she interrupted. "We1l
settle this nonsense right now. II Eu-
gene Morgan comes to this house, for
instance, to see me, your mother can't
get up and leave the place the minute
he gets here, can she? What do you
want her to do: insult him? Or per-
haps you'd prefer she'd insult Lucy7
That would do Just as well. What is
1t you're up to, anyhow? Do you really
love your Aunt Amelia so much that
you want to please her? Or do you
really hate your Aunt Fanny SO much
that you want to-that you want to-"
She choked and sought for her hand
kerchief; suddenly she began to cry.
"Oh, see here" George said. II don't
hate you, Aunt Fanny. That's silly. I
don't" .
"You dol You dol You want to-
you want to destroy the only thing
that I-that I eyer" And. unable to
continue, she became inaudible In her
handkerchief. -.
George felt remorseful, and his own
troubles we're lightened: all at once 1t
became clear to him that he had been
worrying about nothing. He perceived
that his Aunt Amelia was indeed an
old cat, and that to give her scandal
Gus meanderings another thought
would be the height of folly. BY no
means insusceptible to such pathos IA
that now exposed before him. he did
not lack pity for Fanny, whose almost
spoken confession was lamentable:
and he was granted the vision to uD-
derstand that his mother also pitied
Fanny infinitely more than he did.
This seemed to explain everything.
He patted the unhappy lady awk-
wardly upon her shoulder. There.
there! I" he said. II didn't mean any
thing. OF course the only thing to do
about Aunt Amelia is to pay no atten-
ton to her. It's all right, Aunt Fanny.
Don't cry. feel q lot better now, N.Y.
self. Come on; I'll drive back there
with you. It's all over, and nothing's
the matter. Can't you cheer upf"
Fanny cheered up; and presently the
customarily hostile aunt and nephew
were driving out Anderson boulevard
amiably together In the hot sunshine.