The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-08-30

ml00le-nSeu peOpic anu AHc souhS
people into his house the manager
makes his romance rs young as he
con. Youth will indeed be served, and
it's profound instinct Is to be not only
scornfully amused but vaguely an
gered by middle-aged romance. So.
standing beside his mother, George
was disturbed by Il sudden impression.
coming upon him out of nowhere, so
far as he could detect, that her eyes
were brilliant, that she was graceful
and youthful--in Il word that she was
Economically lovely.
He had one Of those curious moments
that seem TO have neither a cause nor
any connection with actual things.
There was nothing in either her looks
or her manner to explain Georges un-
comfortable feeling; and yet il in
creased. becoming suddenly a vague
resentment. as If she had done some
thing unmotherly to him.
The fantastic moment passed; and
even while 1t lasted he was doing his
duty. greeting two pretty girls with
whom he had grown up, as people say,
and WARMLY assuring them that he re-
membered them very well-an assur-
Gin anyh Jdy but George Mlnafer!"
1t seemed unnecessary. since he had
spent many hours with them no longer
than the preceding August. TheE had
with them their parents and an uncle
from out Of town; and George negll-
gently gave the parents the same as
surance he had given the daughters
but murmured another form Of greet
| ing TO the Out-Of-tOwn uncle. whom
he had never seen before. This per
son George abSently took note of as
"queer-Iooking duck" Undergradu-
| ates had not yet adopted bird" II
was a period previous TO that in which
n sophomore would have thought of
the Sharon girls uncle as a queer
looking bird" or. perhaps. a funny
| face bird" In Georges time every hui
man male was to be defined at pleas
IRE as n duck" but duck" was not
spoken with admiring affection. as in
its former feminine use to signify n
"dear"-on the contrary, "duck" i'm
piled the speakers personal detach-
ment and humorous superiority. An
indifferent amusement was what
George felt when his mother, with
gentle emphasis. interrupted his in
terchange of cOurtesies with the
nieces 10 present him to the queer
looking duck, their uncle. This EN-.
phasis of Isabers. though slight. en-.
abled George TO perceive that she con
sidered the Queer-looking duck a per
son of some importance but II was
far from enabling him to understand
why. The duck parted his thick ant
lOugish black hair on the side; his
tie was forgetful-looking thing. ant
his coat, though it fitted q good
enough middle-aged figure. no produce
of this year. or of last year either
Observing only his questionable hair
his preoccupied tie and his old coat
the Olympic George set him down "a:
completed his portrait took no inter
est in him.
The Sharon girls passed on, takinl
the Queer-lOOking duck with them. ant
George became pink with mOrtifica
ton as his mother called his attention
to q white-bearded guest waiting t,
shake his hand. This was George.
great-uncle. old John Minafer: it wa!
old Johns boast that IN spite Of hi!
connection by marriage with the Am
be-sons he never mad worn and neve
would wear q swaller-tail coat. Mem
bers of his family had exerted thei
influence uselessly at eighty-nin,
conservative people seldom form rad
ical new habits, and old John wore hi
Sunday suit" of black broadclOth T.
the Anderson ball. The coat wa
square, with skirts to the knees; OLE
John called 1t prince Albert" ant
was well enough pleased with 1t, Blu
: his great-nephew considered 1t tn
next thing to an insult.
The large room had filed, and S,
had the broad hall and the rooms ol
the other side Of the hall, where Their
were tables for whist. The importe'