Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-10-16

III HIS rOuIH ONer HIS OF
her!
ooh, my Lord" he whispered; then,
with a great effort, addressed her in a
reasonable tone: "Look here, Aunt
Fanny; | don't see what you're making
all this fuss about. OF course / know
I've leased you sometimes, but"
""Teased' mel" she walled.
'Teased' me! Oh, 1t does seem too
hard sometimes-this mean old life of
mine does seem too hardi I don't
think l can stand it! Honestly, I don't
think 1 can! 1 came in here just to
show you 1 sympathized with you
just to say something pleasant to you,
and you treat me as if | Were-oh, no,
you wouldn't treat a servant the way
you treat me! You wouldn't treat any
body in the world like this except old
Fanny!"
"Oh, my Lord!" George groaned.
Fanny spread out her small, soaked
handkerchief, and shook it in the air
to dry it a little, crying Is damply and
as w%retchedly during this operation as
bef0re-a sight which gave George a
curious shock to add to his other agi-
t%ations, it seemed so strange.
you're so proud" she quavered,
"and so hard! tell you I didn't mean
to speak of it to you, and 1 never,
never in the world would have told
you about it, nor have made the faint
est reference to it, if I hadn't seen that
somebody else had told you, or you'd
found out for yourself some way.
/"
In despair of her intelligence, and
in some doubt Of his own, George
struck the palms of his hands together.
Somebody else had told me what?
I'd found what out for myselfT
"How people are talking about your
| mother"
Except for the incidental teariness
| Of her voice, her tone was casual, as
though she mentioned a subject pre-
viously discussed and understood;
for Fanny had no doubt that George
had only pretended to be mystiied be-
cause, in his pride, he would not In
words admit that he knew what he
knew.
"What did you say?" he asked In
credulously.
"Of course I understood what you
were doing" Fanny went on, drying her
handkerchief again. 1T puzzled other
people when you began to be rude to
Eugene, because they couldn't see how
you could treat him as you did when
you were so interested in Lucy. But
1 remembered how you came to me,
that other time when there was so
much talk about Isabel; and / knew
you'd give Lucy up in a minute, if it
came to a question of your mothers
reputation, because you said then
that"
Look here" George interrupted in
a shaking voice. "Look here, I'd
like" He stopped, unable to go on
his agitation was so great. His chest
heaved as from hard running, and his
complexion, pallid at first, had be
come notified; fiery splotches appear
ing at his temples and cheeks. "Whai
do you mean by telling me-telling mi
there's talk about-about- HI
gulped, and began again: "What d.
you mean by using such words al
'reputationY What do you mean
speaking of a question Of my-m.
!, mothers reputation"
Fanny looked up at him woefull,
: over the handkerchief which she nov
, applied to her Redeemed nose. GO
knows / am sorry for you, George
she murmured. Il wanted to say sc
but it's only old Fanny, so whateve
she says-even when it's sympathy
pick on her for I'll" She sobbed. 1T
a only poor old lonely Fanny!"
"You look here" George said harsh
e ly. "When / spoke to my Uncl
g George after that rotten thing ] hear
Aunt Amelia say about my mother, h
e said If there was any gossip 1t wa
about you'll He said people might b
laughing about the way you ran afte
u Morgan, but that was all"
Fanny lifted her hands, clenche
them and struck them upon her knee
"Yes; it's always Fanny" she sobbe'
n "RIdlculous old Fanny-always. a
waysw
Il "You listen !" George said. "Afts
It I'd talked to Uncle George I saw you
n and you said / had q mean little min
b for thinking there might be truth