Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-12-02
CHAPTER xvIII-continued.

ed Tor In his hand, he uttered an eX-
clamation: For goshes' sake, Miss!'
And, describing this adventure to his
fellow boarders, that evening, "Sagged
pretty near to the counter, she was"
he said "'F l hadn't been a bright,
quick, ready-for-anything young fella
she'd "a fiummixed plum! / was
watchin' her out the window-talkin'
to some young s'iety fella, and she
was all right then. She was all right
when she came in the store, too. Yes,
sir; the prettiest girl that ever walk
ed in our place and took one good look
at me. reckon it must be the truth
what some you town wags say about
my facet"
At that hour the heroine of the
susceptible clerks romance was en-
gagged in Frightening the rosy little
coal fire under the white mantelpiece
In her pretty white and blue boudOir.
Four photographs all framed in decor
Gus plain silver went to the anthra-
cites fierce observation-disclosures and
all-and three packets of letters and
notes in a charming Florentine treas
ure box of painted wood; nor was the
box, any more than the silver frames,
spared this rousing finish. Thrown
heartily upon live coal, the fine wood
sparkled forth in stars, then burst in
to an alarming blaze which scorched
the white mantelpiece, but Lucy stood
and looked on without moving.
1t was not Eugene who told her
what had happened at IsabePs door.
When she got home, she found Fanny
Minafer waiting for her-a secret eX-
cursiOn of Fannys for the purpose, pre-
sumably, of "letting out" again; be-
cause that was what she did. She told
Lucy everything Except her own Ia
recent miseries) and concluded with
a tribute to George; ''The worst of it
is, he thinks he's been such hero,
and Isabel does, too. and that makes
him more than twice as awful. It's
been the same all his life; everything
he did was noble and perfect. He had
a dOnnineering nature to begin with,
and she let it go on, and fOStered it
till it absolutely ruled her. I never
saw a palmer case of a persons fault
making them pay for having it! She
goes about, overseeing the packing
and praising George and pretending to
be perfectly cheerful about what he's
done. She pretends he did such a fine
thing-sO manly and prOtective-go-
ing to Mrs. Johnson. And so heroic
doing what his principles made him
even though he knew what it would
cost him with you! And all the while
it's almost killing her-what he said
to your father! She's always been
lofty enough, so to speak, and had the
greatest idea of the Ambersons being
superior to the rest of the world, and
all that, but rudeness, or anything like
a scene or any bad manners-they
always just made her sick But she
could never see what Georges man.
ners were-oh, it's been a terrible
edulation! &. It's going TO be task
for me, living in that big house, all
alone; you must come and see me
/ mean after they've gone, of course.
I'll go crazy if 1 don't see something
of people. I'm sure you'll come as
often as you can. know you too well
to think you'll be sensitive about COM
ing there, or being reminded of
George. Thank heaven you're too WELL
balanced" Miss Fanny concluded,
with a profound fervor, you're too
well-balanced 10 let anything affect
you deeply about that-that monkey"
The four Photographs and the paint
ed FlOrentine box went to their crema-
ton within the same hour that Miss
Fanny spoke; and little later Lucy
called her father in, as he passed her
door, and pointed to the blackened area
on the underSide of the mantelpiece,
and to the burnt heap upon the coal,
where some metallic shapes still re-
tanned outline. She flung her arms
about his neck in passionate SYM
pathy. telling him that she knew what
had happened to him; and presently
he began to comfort her and managed
an embarrassed laugh.
w eli. We'll nG Sulu. L WAS lOO
old for such foolishness to be getting
into my head, anyhow"
mo, mol" she Sobbed. "And If you
knew how 1 desplse myself for-for
ever having thought one instant about
oh, Miss Fanny called him the right
name: that monkey! He !"
There, 1 think agree with you"
Eugene said grimly, and in his eyes
there was a steady light of anger that
was to last. ayes 1 think 1 agree with
you about thatI"
There's only one thing to do with
such a person." she said vehemently.
That's to put him out of our thoughts
iorever-fOreverI -
And yet, the next day. at six o'clock.
which was the hour, Fanny had told
ler. when George and his mother were
o leave upon their long journey, Lucy
touched that scorched place on her
nantel with her hand just as the little
pock above 1t struck. Then. after this
Nd. unconscious gesture, she went to
: window and stood between the cur
N1AAhos AtNHAnS Jul lIS COIQ NO
vember dusk; and in spite of every
reasoning and reasonable power within
her. pain of loneliness struck through
her heart The dim street below her
window, the dark houses across the
way. the vague air itself-all looked
empty. and cold and (most of alb I'M
interesting. Something more sombre
than November dusk took the color
from them and gave them that air of
desertion.
The light OF her fire. pickering up
behind her. showed suddenly flying
group OF tiny snowflakes nearing the
window-pane; and for an instant she
felt the sensation OF being dragged
through a snow-drift under a broken
cutter. with a boys arms about her
an arrogant. handsome. too-conquering