Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-09-11
mother to help your Is that what you

mother to help you? Is that what you
mean?"
Beyond a doubt that was what Miss
Fanny meant. She gave him a white
hot look. "YOu attend TO your own
affairs!' she whispered iercely, and
swept away.
George, dumfounded, returned to
his oom for meditation.
He had lived for years in the same
house with his Aunt Fanny, and it
now appeared that during all those
years he had been thus intimately as
sociating with O total stranger. Never
before had he met the passionate
lady with whom he had just held a
conversation in the hall. So she want
ed to get married! And wanted
Georges mother to help her with this
horseless-carriage widower!
"Well, 1 will be shot" he muttered
aloud. 81 well-I certainly will be
Shot" And he began to laugh.
Lord 'lmighty!"
But presently, at the thought of the
h0rseless-carriage widower's daugh-
ter, his grimness returned, and he re-
solved upon a line of conduct for the
evening. He would nod to her care
lessly when he first saw her; and
after that he would notice her no
more: he would not dance with her;
he would not favor her in the cotil-
lion-he would not go near her!
. He descended to dinner upon
the third urgent summons of the col
ored butler, having spent two hours
dressing-and r%ehearsing.
= = q " Q
The Hon. George Anderson was a
congressman who led cotillions-the
sort Of congressman an Anderson
would be. He did it negligently to-
night, yet with infallible dexterity,
now and then glancing humorously at
the spectators, people Of his own age.
George had carried out his re-
hearsed projects with precision. He
had given Miss Morgan a nod studied
into perfection during his lengthy tot
let before dinner. "Oh, yes, I do
seem to remember that curious little
outsiderI" this nod seemed to say.
Thereafter all cognizance of her evap-
Grated: the curious little outsider was
permitted no further existence worth
the struggle. Nevertheless she flashed
in the corner Of his eyes too often.
She seemed to be having a wonder
full time!"
An unbearable soreness accumulat-
ed in his chest: his dislike of the girl
and her conduct increased until he
thought of leaving this sickening As
sembly and going home to bed. That
would show her! But just then he
heard her laughing and decided that
1t wouldn't show her. So he remained,
When the young couples seated
themselves in chairs against the walls
round three sides Of the room for the
cotillion George joined a brazen-faced
group clustering about the doorway
youths with no partners, yet eligible
to be Scaled out" and favored. He
marked that his uncle placed the in
fernal Kinney and Miss Morgan, as
the leading couple, in the first chairs
| at the head of the line upon the Lead.
er's right; and this ~disloyalty On the
part of Uncle George was inexeusable
for in the family circle the nephew
had often expressed his opinion Of
Fred Kinney. In his bitterness George
uttered a significant m~onosyllable.
The music fiourished, w~hereGpor
Mr.. Kinney, Miss Morgan and six o
their neighbors rose and waited
knowingly. Mr.. Amberson's whist,
blew; then the eight young peopl,
went to the favor table and werv
given toys and trlnkets wherewith t
delight the new partners it was nov
their privilege to select.
George strolled with a bored air t
the tropical grove, where sat his cid
ers, and seated himself beside hi
Uncle Sydney. His mother leane
across Miss Fanny, raising her vote
over the music to speak TO him.
'Georgie, nobody will be able to Sc
you here. You'll not be favored. 70
ought to be where you can dance"
~Don't care to-" he returne,
"Borei"
-But you ought" She stoppe
and laughed, waving her fan to diret
his attention behind him. "Lool
Over your shoulder"
A He turned and discovered Mis-
Lucy Morgan in the act Of offerin
I him q purple toy balloon.
81 found you'll" she laughed.
George was startled. "Wellg
said.
would you rather sit It out2'
Lucy asked quickly as he did n