The Tomahawk., 1919-10-30

ly. "There's no hope Of 1t, and al
ready the boarding house is marching
up National avenue. My relatives, the
Sharons, have sold their house and are
building in the country-at least, they
call it the country It will be city
in two or thfee years."
"Good gracious I" the Major e1-
claimed, affecting dismay. $50 your
little shops are going to ruin all your
old friends, Eugenew
"Unless my old friends take warn
ing in time, or abolish smoke and get
new kind of city government"
"Well, well!'' the Major laughed.
''You have enough faith in miracles,
Eugene-granting that trolleys and b.
cycles and automobiles are miracles.
So you think they're to change the
face of the land. do your
'They're already doing 1t, Major;
and it can't be stopped. Automo-
biles-"
At this point he was interrupted.
George was the interrupter. He had
said nothing since entering the dining
room, but now he spoke in lond and
peremptory voice, using the tone Of
one in authority who checks idle pratt
tie and settles matter forever.
Automobiles are useless nuis-
ance," he said.
There fell moments silence.
Isabel gazed incredulously at
George, color slowly heightening upon
her cheeks and temples, while Fanny
watched him with quick eagerness,
her eyes alert and bright. But Eugene
seemed merely quizzical, as If not talk
ing this brusquerie to himself. The
Major was seriously disturbed.
"What did you say, George?' he
asked, though George had spoken but
too distinctly.
II said all automobiles were 4
nuisance" George answered, repeating
not only the words but the tone in
which he had uttered them. And he
added; '"Theyll never amount to any
thing but nuisance. They had no
business to be invented"
The Major frowned. "Of course you
forget that Mr.. Morgan makes them,
and also did his share in inventfng
them. If you weren't so thoughtless
he might think you rather offensive"
''That would be too bad" sai3
George coolly. II don't, think I could
survive It,"
~ Again there was a silence, while the
Major stared at his grandson. aghast.
But Eugene began to laugh cheerfully.
I'm not sure he's wrong about au-
tomobiles," he said. ''With all their
speed forward they may be step
backward in civilization-that is, in
spiritual civilization. But automobiles
have come, and they bring greater
change in our life than most Of us
suspect. They are going to alter war,
and they are going to alter peace. I
think mems minds are going to be
changed in subtle ways because Of au-
tomobiles; Just how, though, I could
hardly guess. Perhaps, ten or twenty
years from now, If we can see the in.
ward change in men by that time, I
shouldn't be able to defend the gaso-
line engine, but would have to agree
with him that automobiles had no
business to be invented.'" He laughed
good-naturedly and, looking at his
watch, apologized for having an en-
gagement which made his departure
necessary when he would much prefer
to linger, and left them at the table.
Isabel turned wondering, hurt eyes
upon her son. "George. dear!" she
said, "What did you mean?"
"Just what I said," he returned,
lighting one Of the Majors cigars.
Isabel's hand, pale and slender, up
on the tablecloth, touched one Of the
fine silver candlesticks aimlessly; the
fingers were seen to tremble. "Oh, he
was hurt !" she murmured.
II don't see why he should be-"
George said. II didn't say anything
about him. What made you think he
was hurt7"
II know himr" was all Of her reply,
half-whispered.
The Major stared hard at George
from under his white eyebrows. "You
didn't mean him. you say, George7 I
suppose If we had a clergyman as a
guest here you'd expect him not to be
offended, and to understand that your
remarks were neither personal nor un-
tactful Il you said the church was a
nuisance and ought never to have been
invented. We seem to have q new
kind Of young people these days. It's
q new style Of courting a pretty girl,
certainly, for a young fellow to 60 de-
Nberately out Of his way to try and
make an enemy of her father by at
tacking his business BY Jovel That's
q new way to win q woman!"
, George flushed angrily and seemed
about to offer q retort, but held his
breath for q moment; and then held
his peace. It was Isabel who respond
ed to the Major. "Oh, not" she said.
Eugene would never be anybedy's
enemy-he couldn't i-and last Of all
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