The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1919-08-02

"WelI. look how he says I'm older
than q boy eleven years old"
"That's true" said Isabel. He
does. But isn't some Of II true.
GeorgieT'
Georrie felt himself 10 be In diff
1culty here. and he was silent.
George. did you say what he says
you did?'
(which onef'
ibid you tell him toto Did you
say. Go 10 h--T"
George looked worried for a mo-
ment longer; then he frightened. lis
ten here, mamma: grandpa wouldn't
wipe his shoe on that ole story teller,
would hep
George, you mustn't"
Il mean: none OF the Ambersons
wouldn't have anything TO do with
him. would they? He doesn't even
know you. does he. mamma7"
.That hasn't anything to do with IT,"
"Yes. il hasi mean: none of the
Anderson family go TO see him, and
they never have him come In their
house; they wouldn't ask him to- and
prob'ly wouldn't even let him"
'That isn't what were talking
about"
II bet" said George emphatlcalIy.
IL bet II he wanted 10 see any Of 'em.
he'd haf 10 go around 10 the side
door r.
mo. dear. they"
Eyes, they would. mammal SO what
does 1t matter II say somep'm' to
him he didn't like7 That kind o.
people. don't see why you can't say
anything you want to TO emf
"No. George And you haven't an
swered me whether you said that
dreadful thing he says you did"
well" said George Anyway,
he said somep'm' TO me that made me
mad" And upon this point he offered
no further details; he would not ex-
plain to his mother that what had
made him "mad" was Mr.. Smiths
hasty condemnation of herself "Your
mother ought 10 be ashamed" and
"A woman that lets a bad boy like
you" George did not even con-
slider excusing himself by quoting
these insolences.
Isabel stroked his head. "They
were terrible words for you to use,
dear. From his letter he doesn't seem
very tactful person. but"
Hes just riffrafr," said George.
"You mustn't say So" his mother
gently agreed. where did you learn
those bad words he speaks Off Where
did you hear anyone use them7"
"Well, I've heard 'em serreval
places. l guess Uncle George Amber
son was the first I ever heard say 'em.
Uncle George Anderson said 'em to
papa once. Papa didn't like IL. but
Uncle George was just laughin' at
papa, an then he said 'em while he
was laughin.'"
THAT was wrong Of him." she said,
but almost instinctively ne detected
the lack OF conviction In her tone. II
was Isabel's great failing that what
ever an Anderson did seemed right 10
her. especially II the ANDERSON was
either her brother George or her son
George. you must promise me-" she
said feebly. never TO use those bad
words again.
II promise not to-" he said prompt
Iy-and he whispered an immediate
codicil under his breath: unless get
mad at somebody This satisfied
code according to which, in his own
sincere belief. he never told lies.
That's good boy" she said. and
he ran out to the yard, his punishment
over.
AS an Anderson he was already a
public character. and the story of his
adventure In the Rev. Malloch Smiths
front yard became town topic. Many
people glanced at him with great dis
taste thereafter, when they CHANGED
to encounter him, which meant moth
ing to George, because he innocently
believed most grown people TO be nee
essarily cross looking as n normal phe-
nomenon resulting from the adult
state; and he failed TO comprehend
that the distasteful glances had any
personal bearing upon himself II he
had perceived such bearing he would
have been affected only 40 far. prob
ably. as to mutter. "Riffrafrw Pos
sibly he would have shouted IL; and
certainly most people believed story
that went round the town Just after
Mrs. Amberson's funeral, when Geor-
gle was eleven. George was reported
10 have differed with the undertaken
about the seating OF the family; his
indignant voice had become audible:
swell. who Is the most important per-
son nt my own grandmother's fu-
nernll" And later he had projected
his head from the window Of the fore
most mourners' carriage. as the under
takcr happened to pass.
"Riffrnffw
There were people-grown people
they were-who expressed themselves
longingly: they did hone to live TO zee