The Tomahawk., 1919-11-13

80 s!5:!;;5! ! S;:l!::!!; 81: :
CHAPTER XV-Contlnued.
4 49,
".Pm not sure, George. When I was
1our age I was like you in many ways,
Especially in not being very cool
headed, so I can't say. Youth can't be
trusted for much, except asserting
itself and fighting and making love" "
/ "Indeedr George snorted. MAY I
ask what you think I ought to have
done?"
"Nothing."
".NothingT" George echoed, mock
ing bitterly. II suppose you think I
mean to let my mothers good name"
''Your mothers good namew Am
berson cut him off impatiently. "No-
body has good name in a bad mouth.
Nobody has good name in silly
mouth. either. Well, your mothers
name was In some silly mouths, and
all you've done was to go and have
d scene with the worst old woman gos-
sip in the town-a scene that's going
to make her into a partisan against
your mother, whereas she was a mere
prattler before. Don't you suppose
she'll be all over town with this to-
morrow And she'll see to It that
everybody who's hinted anything
about poor Isabel will know that
you're on the warpath; and that will
put them on the defensive and make
them vicious. The story will grow as
It spreads and"
George unfolded his arms to strike
his right fist into his left palm. But
do you suppose I'm going to tolerate
such things2' he shouted. "What do
you suppose I'll be doingT' -
''You can do absolutely nothing" !"
said ANDERSON. "Nothing Of any use.
The more you do the more harm you'll
d."
you'll seel I'm going to stop this
thing If have to force my way into
every house on National avenue and
Anderson Boulevard"
His uncle laughed rather sourly but
made no other comment.
'Well, what do you propose to do?"
George demanded. "Do you propose
to sit there"
eyes,"
"-and let this riffrafc handy my
mothers good name back and forth
among them7 Is that what you pro-
pose to do?"
Its all I can do," Anderson re-
turned. TITS all any of us can do
now: Just sit still and hope that the
thing may die down in time in spite
of your stirring up that awful old
woman" -, ...t
George drew long breath, then ad-
vanced and stood close before his
uncle. 'Didn't you understand me
when told you that people are say
ing my mother means to marry this
man7' ..
Eyes, understood you.'
"You say that my going over there
has made matters worse" George went
on. 'H0w about 1t IL such a-such an
y6nspeakable marriage did take placer
DO You think that would make people
believe they'd been wrong In saying
you know what they say"
NO." said Anderson deliberately !;
81 don't believe it weuld. But it
wouldn't hurt Isabel and Eugene, If
they never heard of it; and IL they did
hear Of it, then they could take their
choice between placating gossip or liv-
ing for their own happiness. If they
have decided to marry"
George almost staggered. Good
heaven - he gasped. 'You speak of 1t
calmlyl'
Anderson looked up at him inquir-
lngly. "Why shouldn't they marry if
they want tor he asked. ITS their
own affair. 1 don't see anything pre-
cisely monstrous about two people get
ting married when they're both free
and care about each other. What's
the matter with their marrying?"
1T would be monstrous!" George
shouted. "Monstrous even If this hor-
rible thing hadn't happened, but now
in the face of this-oh, that you can
sit there and even speak Of It! Your
own sisterl Oh" He became inco-
hcrent, swinging away from Anderson
and making for the door, wildly ges-
turing. t-.s
'For heavens sake don't be so the
atrical r. said his uncle, and then, see
ing that George was leaving the room !:
''Come back here. You mustn't speak
TO your mother Of this!'
Don't tend to-" George said indis-
'tinctly, and he plunged into the big,
sdimly lit hall. He went home and got
q hat and overcoat without seeing
either his mother or Fanny. Then he
left word that he would be out for
dinner and hurried away from the
house.
he walked the dark streets Of Am
Nerson addition for an hour, then went
downtoWn and got coffee at q restau-
rant. After that he walked through
the lighted parts of the town until ten