The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-09-25
WHAT"

George in a shocked anxiety. Mis-,
Fanny had already mounted to tn,
rear seat, and George, after helping
Lucy Morgan to climb up beside hi!
aunt, was following. Isabel saw tina
his shoes were light things of paten'
leather, and that snow was clinginl
to them. She made q little rusf
toward him, and, as one of his fee
rested on the iron step of the machine
In mounting, she began to clean tht
sno from his shoe with her almost
aerial lace handkerchief. you muslin,
catch cold !" she cried.
stop that" George shouted, ant
~furiously withdrew his foot. "Fol
heavens sake get in! You're stand
ing in the snow yourself. Get in"
Isabel consented, turning to Morgan
whose habitual expression of appre
hensiveness vas somewhat accents
ated. He climbed up after her, George
Anderson having gone to the other
side. you're the same Isabel / used
to know!" he said in a low voice
you're a divinely ridiculous woman
cam /, Eugene?" she said, not dis,
pleased. "Divinely' and ridiculous
just cOunterbalancc each other, don't
they? Plus one and minus one equal
nothing; so you mean Tn nothing In
PARTICULAR"
mo" he answered, Juggling at q
lever. THAT doesn't seem to be pre-.
cisely what l meant. There!" This
exclamation referred to the subterra.
mean machinery, for dismaying sounds
came from beneath the floor, and the
vehicle plunged, then rolled noisily
forward.
Behold" George Anderson ex.
claimed. "She does move! 1t must
be another accident"
"'Accident?'" Morgan shouted over
the din. "No! She breathes, she
Stirs; she seems to feel a thrill Of life
along her KEEL" And he began to
sing 1.-The Star Spangled Banner"
ANDERSON Joined him Justify, and
sang on when Morgan stopped. His
nephew, behind, was gloomy. He had
overheard his mothers conversation
with the inventor: it seemed curious
to him that this Morgan. of whom he
had never heard until last night
should be using the name Isabel" sc
easily and George felt that 1t was moi
just the thing for his mother to cal
Morgan Eugene; ;" the resentment OF
the previous night came upon George
again. Meanwhile his mother and
Morgan continued their talk but he
could no longer hear what they said
the noise Of the car and his uncle's
songfui mood prevented. He marked
how animated Isabel seemed; it was
not strange to see his mother so gay
but 1t was strange that a nan n OF
the family should be the u OF
her gayety. And George sat frOwning
Lucy turned to him. "YOu tried to
swing underneath me and break the
fall for me when we went over" she
said. 81 knew you were doing that
and-it was nice of you"
wasn't any fall to speak Of" he
returned brusquely. Couldn't have
hurt either Of u.s."
"Still it was friendly Of you-and
awfully quick. too. I'll not-Ill not
forget it,"
Her voice had a sound Of genuine
ness, very pleasant, and George be
gan to forget his annoyance with hel
father. This annoyance Of his had not
been alleviated by the circumstance
that neither Of the seats Of the ole
sewing machine was designed fol
three people, but when his neighboi
spoke thus gratefully he no longer
minded the crowding-in fact, II
pleased him so much that he began to
wish the old sewing machine would &C
even slower. George presently ad'
dressed Lucy hurriedly, almost trem
ulously, speaking close to her ear:
81 forgot to tell you something
you're pretty nice! / thought so the
first second / saw you last night. I'll
come for you tonight and take you tt
the Assembly at the Anderson hotel
You're going, aren't your
yes, Dut In going WIFI papa am
the Sharons. I'll see you there
"Well, We'll dance the cotiliion to
gether, anyhow"
"I'm afraid not. I promised Mr.
Kinney"
"Whatr" Georges tone was
shocked, as at incredible news. "Well
you could break that engagement,
guess, If you wanted TO! Girls always
can get out of things when they want
to. Won't your"
81 don't think So"
"Why notT
Because I promised him. Several
days ago" 2
"See here!" said the stricken George
"If you're going to decline to dance
that cotillion with me simply because
you've promised a-a-a miserable
red-headed outsider like Fred Kinney
why we might as well quitI"
"Quit whatT
"You know perfectly well what
mean," he said huskily.
81 don't"
swell, you ought to |"
"But / don't at all"
Goor0o thorouOhIv hurt and MT 4