The Glenwood post., 1919-12-13

for the two weeks. ohe Was peoUl Of
her stalwart good-looking 600 ct the
hotel where they stayed, and 4 vas
meat and dYiak to her Whea she saw
how people stared at hin In the Lobby
and ON the big verandas-indSsA Aer
vanity In him was 90 dominant that
she was unaware Of their staring at
her with moro interest and an I'D.
miration friendlier than George
evoked.
Both of them felt constantly the dif.
ference between this Christmas time
and other Christmas times Of theirs
In all, 1t was 4 sorrowful holiday. But
when Isabel came East for Georges
commencement, in June, she brought
Lucy with her-and things began to
seem different especially when George
Anderson arrived with Lucy's father
on class day. Eugene had been in New
York, on business; Anderson easily
persuaded him to this outing; and they
made a cheerful party Of 1t. with the
new graduate Of course the hero and
center of it all.
His uncle was a fellow alumnus.
"Yonder was where roomed when /
was here" he said, pointing out one Of
the university buildings to Eugene. II
don't know whether George would let
my admirers place tablet to mark
the spot, or not. He owns all these
buildings now, you know"
"Didn't you, when you were here7
Like uncle, like nephew"
"Tm sure didn't haven't SO badly
at his age" Anderson said refiectively,
as they strolled on through the COM
mencement crowd.
Eugene laughed. you need only
three things to explain all that's good
and bad about Georgie."
.Three?"
"He's Isabers only child. He's an
Anderson. He's a boy"
swell, Mister Bones, of these three
things which are the good ones and
which are the bad ones7"
"All Of them," said Eugene.
George took no conspicuous part in
either the academic or the social cele-
brations of his class; he seemed to re-
gard both sets Of exercises with a tol-
Grant amusement, his own "crowd"
mot going in much for either Of those
sorts of things" as he explained to
Lucy. What his crowd had gone in for
remained ambiguous; some negligent
testimony indicating that, except for
an astonishing reliability which they
all seemed to have attained in matters
relating to musical comedy. they had
not gone in for anything. Certainly
the question one of them put to Lucy,
in response to Investigations Of hers,
seemed to point that way: "Don't you
think" he said, really, don't you
think that being things is rather better
than doing thingsr
He said "rahthuh bettuh" for rather
better" and seemed to do it deliberate
ly, with perfect knowledge Of what he
was doing. Later, Lucy Knocked him
to George, and George refused to
smile: he somewhat inclined to such
pronunciations, himself. This inclina.
tion was one Of the things that he had
acquired In the four years.
What else he had acquired, It might
have puzzled him to state, had any.
body asked him and required q direct
reply within reasonable space Of
time. He had learned how to pass ex.
aminations by "cramming;" that is, in
three or four days and nights he could
get into his head enough Of a selected
fragment Of some scientific Of philo-
sophical or literary or linguistic sub
ject to reply plausibly to six questions
out Of ten. He could retain the infor.
nation necessary for such a feat Just
long enough to give q successful per
formance; then 1t would evaporate ut.
terly from his brain, and leave him un.
disturbed. George. like his crowd"
not only preferred ''being things" to
doing things" but had contented him.
self with four years Of being thinssr
~ Q preparation for going on 'bsins
thinss." And when Lucy rather shyiy
pressed him for his friends probable
definition Of the ''things" 1t seemed %
superior and beautiful to be, 0eoesa
raised his eyebrows slightly. meaning
that she should have understood With.
out explanation; but he did explain:
SOh. family and all that-being q gen
tieman, suppose"
Lucy gave the horizon q long loek,
but offered no comment.
%
"Aunt Fanny doesn't look much bst
ter" George said to his mother, Q few
minutes after their arrival, on ths
night they got home. Doesn't she get
over It at ALI thought she'd feel
better when we turned over the insur.
ance to her-gave 1t to her absolutely.
without any strings to 1t. She looky
about thousand years oldi"
"She looks quite girlish, sometimes
though" his mother said.
"Has she looked that way much
since father"
"Not so much," Isabel said thought
fully. "But she will. as time goes on"
'Time'll have to hurry, then. 1t seems
n mo " noor0o Nhcoryoa ~