The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1919-12-05


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again. and turned toward the interior
/ cf the room.
''Why. George :"
She came. leaned over from behind
him. and there was a faint. exquisite
osior as from Distant apple blossoms
as she kissed his cheek. Dear. !
waited lunch alInost an hour fer yor,
but YOU didn't come. Dia you lunch
out somewhere2"
Yes" He lid not look up from the
booi,
Did sou have plenty TO eat?'
"Yes."
a tinkling beli was audible. AMI She
moved TO The doorway into the hall.
I'm going out driving. dear. -
She interrupted herself to address the
housemaid. who was passing through
the hail: II think it's Mr. Morgan.
Mary. Tell him I'll be there at once"
Yes, ma'am.'
Mary returned. "'Twas a peddler.
ma am"
Another one?" Isabel said. sur
prised. Il thought you said II was a
peddler when the bell rang little
while ago"
Mister George said II was, maam !;
he went to the door," Mary informed
her, disappearing.
There seem to be great many of
them" Isabel unused. what did
yours want to sell. George?"
''ae didn't say"
you must have cut him off short ="
she laughed; and then. still standing
in the doorway, she noticed the big
silver frame upon the table beside
him. Gracious, Georgie," she exclaim-
ed. You have been investing and
as she came across the room for a
closer view, as it's 1t Lucy?" she
asked half timidly. half archly But
the next instant she saw whose like
ness was thus set forth in elegiac
splendor-and she was silent. except
for a long, just-audible "Oh,"
He neither looked up nor moved
THAT was nice of you, Georgia"
she said, in a low voice presently. 81
ought to have had ii framed, myself,
when 1 gave it to you"
He said nothing, and. standing be-
on his shoulder, then as gently with
drew 1t, and went out OF the room.
But she did not go upstairs; he heard
the faint rustic of her dress In the
hall, and then the sound of her foot
steps in the reception room" After
time, silence succeeded even these
slight tokens Of her presence; where
upon George rose and went warily in
to the hall, taking care to make no
noise, and he obtained an oblique view
of her through the open double doors
of the reception room" She was sit
ting in the chair which ne had occu-
pied so long; and she was looking
out of the window eXpectantly-a lit
tie troubled.
He went back to the library. waited
an interminable half hour, then re-
turned noiseless1y to the same position
in the hall, where he could see her.
She was still sitting patiently by the
window.
Waiting for that man, was she?
Well. it might be quite {; long wait.
And the grim George silently assembled
the stairs to his own room, and began
to pace his suffering floor.
He left his door open, however, and
when he heard the front door bell
ring. by and by. he went half way
down the stairs and stood TO listen.
He was not much afraid that Nor
gan would return, but he wished TO
make sure.
Mary appeared in the hall below
him. but, after a glance toward the
front of the house, turned back, and
withdrew Evidently Isabel had gone
TO the door. Then a murmur was
heard, and George Ambersons voice.
quick and serious: II want to talk
TO you, Isabel" and another
murnur: then Isabel and her brother
passed the foot of the broad, dark
stairway, but did not look up. and
presence above them.
For a time all that George could
hear was the indistinct sound of his
uncle's voice: what he was saying
could not be surmised. though the
troubled brOtherliness of his tone was
evident He seemed to be explaining
at considerable length, and
there were moments when he paused,
and George guessed that his mother
was speaking. but her voice must have
been very low. for 1t was entirely in
audible to him.
Suddenly he did hear her. Through
the heavy doors her outcry came.
clear and loud:
"Oh, nor
1t was cry Of protest. as If some
thing her brother told her must be I'M
true, or, if 1t were true, the fact he
stated must be undone; and it was |
sound of sheer pain
Another sound of pain, close to |
George, followed it; this was a vehe- |
ment shifting which broke out just |
above him. and. looking up. he saw |
Fanny Minafer on the landing lean |
ing ever the banisters and applying |
her handkerchief to her eyes and |
nose.
81 can guess what that was about"
she whispered huskily. Hes just |
told her what you did to Eugene"
George gave her dark look over
his shoulder. "You go on back to /
FOUR room.'' he said; and he began to