Cleveland County herald., 1919-11-13

and without the emotion he had ex- hibited during the recital to his uncle {: Fanny was the one who showed agita- tion during this interview, for she grew fiery red, and her eyes dilated. What on earth do you want to bring such trash to me fOr?" she demanded, breathing fast.
 'I merely wished to know two things: whether it is your duty or mine to speak to father of what Aunt Ameia-'
 Fanny stamped her foot You lit tie fool !" she cried. You awful little fool! Your fathers sick man, and you want to go troubling him with an Anderson family row! It's just what that cat would love you to do!'
 "Well, T."
 "Tell your father if you like! It will only make him little sicker to think he's got a son silly enough to listen to such craZiness !'
 "Then you're sure there isn't any talk?"
 Fanny disdained a reply in words. She made a hissing sound of utter con tempt and snapped her fingers. Then she asked scornfully: What's the other thing you wanted to know?'
 Georges pallor increased. Whether it mightn't be better, under the cfr- cumstances," he said, If this family were not so intimate with the Morgan family-at least for time. It might be better"
 Fanny stared at him incredulously. "You mean you'd quit seeing Lucy?"
 q hadn't thOughs of that side of it, but if such thing were necessary on account of talk about my mother, l. T." He hesitated unhappily. q sug- gested that if all of us-for a time perhaps only for time-it might be better if"
 "See here" she interrupted. Well settle this nonsense right now. If Eu- gene Morgan comes to this house, for instance, to see me, your mother can't get up and leave the place the minute he gets here, can she? What do you want her to do: insult him? Or per haps you'd prefer she'd insult Lucy? That would do just as well. What is it you're up to, anyhow? Do you really love your Aunt Amelia so much that you want to please her? Or do you really hate your Aunt Fanny so much that you want to-that you want to-"
 She choked and sought for her hand kerchief; suddenly she began to cry.
 "Oh, see here," George said. q don't hate you, Aunt Fanny. That's silly. don't"
 You do! You do You want to- you want to destroy the only thing that I-that I ever" And unable to continue, she became inaudible in her handkerchief.
 George felt remorseful, and his own troubles we're frightened all at once it became clear to him that he had been worrying about nothing. He perceived that his Aunt Amelia was indeed an old cat, and that to give her scandal ous meanderings another thought would be the height of folly. By no means insusceptible to such pathos as that now exposed before him, he did not lack pity for Fanny, whose almost spoken confession was lamentable; and he was granted the vision to un- derstand that his mother also pitied Fanny infinitely more than he did. This seemed to explain everything.
 He patted the unhappy lady awk- wardly upon her shoulder. There, there! p he said. 'I didn't mean any thing. Of course the only thing to do about Aunt Amelia is to pay no atten- tion to her. It's all right, Aunt Fanny. Don't cry. I feel lot better now, my self Come on; I'll drive back there with you. It's all over and nothing's s the matter. Can't you cheer up?"
 Fanny cheered up; and presently the customarily hostile aunt and nephew were driving out Anderson boulevard amiably together in the hot sunshine.