Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1919-11-14
There fell a moments silence.


Isabel gazed incredulously at
George, color slowly heightening upon
her cheeks and temples, while Fanny
watched him with quick eagerness.
her eyes alert and bright. But Eugene
seemed merely quizzical, as if not TAX
ing this brusquerie to himself. The
Major was seriously disturbed.
What did you say, George?' he
asked, though George had spoken but
too distinctly.
l said all automobiles were a
nuisance" George answered, repeating
not only the words but the tone in
which he had uttered them. And he
added: They'll never amount to any
thing but nuisance They had no
business to be invented"
The Major frowned. "Of course you
forget that Mr.. Morgan makes them,
and also did his share in inventing
them. II you weren't so thoughtless
ne might think you rather offensive"
THAT would be too bad" said
George coolly. II don't think / could
survive it."
Again there was q silence, while the
Major stared at his grandson, aghast.
But Eugene began to laugh cheerfully.
I'm not sure he's wrong about au-
tomobiles," he said. with all their
speed forward they may be step
backward In civilizatiOn-that is, in
spiritual civilization. But automobiles
have come. and they bring a greater
change in our life than most of us
suspect. They are going to alter war,
and they are going to alter peace.
think mems minds are going to be
changed in subtle ways because of au-
tomobiles; just how, though. could
hardly guess. Perhaps, ten or twenty
years from now, If we can see the In
ward change in men by that time. I
shouldn't be able to defend the gaso-
line engine, but would have to agree
with him that automobiles had no
business to be invented" He laughed
| gOod-naturedly and, looking at his
watch, apOlogized for having an en-
| gagement which made his departure
necessary when he would much prefer
to linger, and left them at the table.
Isabel turned wondering, hurt eyes
upon her son. George, dearl" she
said. "What did you meanY
"Just what said" he returned,
lighting one of the Majors cigars.
Isabeps hand, pale and slender, up
on the tablecloth, touched one Of the
fine silver candlesticks aimlessly; the
fingers were seen to tremble. "Oh, he
was hurt!" she murmured.
II don't see why he should be-"
George said. Il didn't say anything
about him. What made you think he
was hurt?"
Il know him p was all OF her reply,
half-whispered.
The Major stared hard at George
from under his white eyebrows. "You
didn't mean him., you say, George? /
suppose If we had clergyman as a
guest here you'd expect him not to be
offended, and to understand that your
remarks were neither personal nor un-
tactful II you said the church was a
nuisance and ought never to have been
invented. We seem to have new
kind of young people these days. It's
new style of counting pretty girl,
certainly, for young fellow to go de-
liberately out Of his way to try and
make an enemy Of her father by at
lacking his business BY Jove! That's
| new way to win q woman !"
George flushed angrily and seemed
about to- offer retort, but held his
l hwoA%h FOR uno1,oor.ks or5 %1.n~ A11a
his peace II was Isabel who respond
ed to the Major. "Oh, mol" she said.
Eugene would never be anybody's
enemy-he couldn't land last of all
Georgie's. I'm afraid he was hurt, but
don't fear his not having understood
that George spoke without thinking Of
what he was saying mean, without
realizing its bearing on Eugene"
well. we'll" said his grandfather
rising, "It wasn't very successful lit
tie dinner"
ThereupOn he altered his arm to his
daughter, who took it fondly, and they
left the room, Isabel assuring him that
all his little dinners were pleasant,
and that this one was no exception.
George did not move. and Fanny,
following the other two, came round
the table and paused close beside his
chair; but George remained posed in
great imperturbability, cigar between
teeth, eyes upon ceiling, and paid no
attention to her. Fanny waited until
the sound of Isabel's and the Majors
voices became inaudible In the hall.
Then she said quickly, and in low
voice so eager that it was unsteady:
George, you've struck just the
treatment to adopt; you're doing the
right thing!"
She hurried out, 'scurrying after the
others with faint rustling of her
black skirts, leaving George mystified
but injurious.
In truth, however, he was neither so
comfortable nor so imperturbable as
he appeared. He felt some gratif1ca-
ton; he had done a little to put the
man in his place-that man whose in
fiuence upon his daughter was precise
ly the same thing as a contemptuous
criticism of George ANDERSON Nina
fer, and of George Anderson Nina
fer's ideals of life" Lucy's going
away without a word was intended,
he supposed, as bit of punishment.
Well. he wasn't the sort of man that
people were allowed to punish; he
could demonstrate that to them
since they started it!