The Elbert County tribune., 1919-12-12

but not with great cheerfuness.
Wen survive. Georgie-you will, es-
pecially. For my part I'm Il little too
old and too accustomed to fall back
on somebody else for supplies to start
big fight with life; I'll be content
with just surviving, and can do 1t on
an eighteen-hundred-do con-
sulship. An ex-congressman can al
ways be pretty sure of getting some
such job, and / hear from Washing
ton the matters about settled. So
much for mel But you-of course
you've had poor training for making
! your own way, but you're only boy
after all. and the stun of the old stock
is in you. It'll come out and do some.
thing. I'll never forgive myself about
that deed; II would have given ycu
something substantial to start with.
Still, you have little tiny bit. and
you'll have little tiny salary, too;
and of course your Aunt Fanny's here.
and she's got something YOU can fall
back on II you get too pinched, until I
can begin to send you a dribble now
and then"
Georges little tiny bit" was six
hundred dollars which had come to
him from the sale of his mothers fur
niture; and the little tiny salary"
was eight dollars week which old
Frank Bronson was to pay him for
services as clerk and student-at-
law. George had accepted haughtlly,
and thereby removed a burden from
his uncle's mind.
ANDERSON himself, however, had not
even a tiny Bit" though he got his
consular appointment. and to take him
to his post he found 1t necessary to
borrow two hundred of his nephew's
six hundred dollars. at makes me
sick, George" he said. But I'd bet
ter get there and get that salary start
ed. OF course Eugene would do any
thing in the world, and the fact is he
wanted to, but I felt that-ah--under
the circumstances-"
Never !" George exclaimed, growing
red. al can't imagine one of the fam
ily-" He paused, not finding II
necessary to explain that "the fam
lily" shouldn't turn a man from the
door and then accept favors from hin.
II wish you'd take more"
ANDERSON declined. zone thing I'll
say for you, young George; you have
MT stingy bone in your body. That's
the ANDERSON stock In you-and l like
It'll"
He added something to this praise
of his nephew on the day he left for
Washington. he was not to return,
but to set forth from the capital on
the long journey to his post. George
went with him to the station. and
their farewell was heightened by the
trains being several minutes late.
II may not see you again, George"
ANDERSON said, and his voice was n
little husky as he set kind hand on
the young mans shoulder. TITS quite
probable that from this time on we'll
only know each other by letter-until
you're notified as my next of kin that
there's an old valise to be forwarded
to you, and perhaps some dusty curios
from the consulate inantelplece. Well,
It's an odd way for us to be saying
good bye; one wouldn't have thought
1t, even a few years ago, but here we
are, two gentlemen OF elegant appear
ance in q state of bustitude. We can't
we? Life and money both behave like
loose quicksilver in a nest of cracks.
And when they're gone we can't tell
where-or what the devil we did with
'em But 1 believe I'll say now-while
there Isn't much time left for either
; of us to get embarrassed about i'll
believe I'll say that I've always been
fond of you. We all spoiled you ter
ribly when you were a little boy aud
let you grow up en- prince-and !
: must say you took to It'll But you've
received n pretty heavy jolt, and 1
had enough of your disposition, myself.
at your age, to understand little of
what cocksure youth has to go through
inside when 1t finds that it can make
terrible mistakes. Well. with my train
coming into the shed. you'll forgive
me for saying that there have been
times when l thought you ought to be
hanged--but I've always been fond
of you, and now / like you And just
for a last word; there may be some
body else in this town who's always
felt about you like that--fond of you.
/ mean, no matter how much 1t SEEM
ed you ought to be hanged. You might
try Hello, ! must run. I'll send
back the money as fast as they pay
me-so, good bye and God bless you.
Georgiei"
He passed through the gates. waved
his hat cheerily from the other side
of the iron screen, and was lost from
sight in the hurrying crowd. And ms
he disappeared. an unexpected poign.
ant loneliness fell upon his nephew so
heavily and so suddenly that he had
no energy to recoil from the shock. II
seemed to him that the last fragment
fer. Il ltsad