Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-09-23

George breathed more deeply than
usual, and, turning his face from
the lovely companion whom he had
just made his confdant, gazed out at
the dancers with an expression In
which there was both sternness and a
contempt for the squalid lives of the
unyachted Midlanders before him.
However, among them he marked his
mother, and his somber grandeur re-
Taxed momentarily; a more genial
light came into his eyes.
Isabel was dancing with the queer
looking duck; and it was to be noted
that the lively gentleman's gait was
more sedate than 1t had been with
Miss Fanny Minafer, but not less dex-
ferrous and authoritative. He saw
George and the beautiful Lucy on the
stairway and nodded to them. George
waved his hand vaguely: he had a
momentary return of that inexplicable
uneasiness and resentment which had
troubled him downstairs.
How lovely your mother isl" Lucy
said.
81 think she is" he agreed gently.
"She's the gracefulest woman in that
ballroom. How wonderfully they dance
together!"
"Who?"
"Your mother and-and the queer
looking duck" said Lucy. 'Tm going
TO dance with him pretty soon."
81 don't care-so long as you don't
give him one of the numbers that
belong TO me-"
'Pll try to remember" she said,
and thoughtfully lifted to her face
the bouquet of violets and lilies, a
gesture which George noted without
approval.
Look here! Who sent you those
flowers you keep maxim such fuss
over?"
"He did"
"Who's hep"
"The queer-looking duck"
George feared no such rival; he
laughed loudly. 81 s'pOse he's some
old widOwer!" he said, the object
thus described seeming ignominious
enough to a person of eighteen, with
out additional characterization.
Lucy became serious at once. "Yes,
he is a widower,' she said. 81 ought
to have told you before; he's my IA
ther."
George stopped laughing abruptly.
"Well, that's a horse on me. If I'd
known he was your father of course
l wouldn't have made fun of him. I'm
sorry"
Nobody could make fun of him."
she said quietly.
"Why couldn't they?"
at wouldn't make him funny: it
would only make themselves silly"
Upon this George had a CLEAN of
intelligence. swell, Pm not going to
make myself silly any more, then; l
don't want to take chances like that
with you. But / thought he was the
Sharon girls uncle. He came with
them"
'Yes," she said; I'm always late
to everything: l wouldn't let them
wait for me. We're visiting the
Sharons."
'About time knew thati You for
get my being so fresh about your IA
Their, will you? OF course he's a dis
inguished-looking man. in a way"
Lucy was still serious. "In a
wayT" she repeated. you mean.
not in your way, don't you?"
George was perplexed. slow do
you mean: not In my way?"
People often say in a way and
rather distinguished looking or
rather so-and-so, or rather anything,
to show that they're superior, don't
they. It's a kind of snob slang, /
think. OF course people don't always
say rather or in a way to be su-
perior."
81 should say mott I use both of
'em great deal myself" said George.
Zone thing don't see, though:
What's the use of a man being six
feet three? Men that size can't
handle themselves as well as a man
about five feet eleven and a half can"
George was a straightforward SOUL
at least. "See here!' he said. Are
you engaged to anybodyT
"No."
Not wholly Modified, he shrugged
his shoulders. "You seem to know a
good many people! Do you live in
New York;?
mo. We don't live anywhere"
"What do you mean: you don't live
anywhereT
We've lived all over" she answered.