The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-12-25
CHAPTER VIIl-contInued.

8
In the matter OF coolness George
met Lucy upon her own predeter-
mined ground; In fact, he was there
first. and at their next encounter
she did. Their estrangement lasted
three weeks. and then disappeared
without any preliminary treaty: It
had worn itself out and they forgot II.
The Major had taken great fancy
to her. insisting upon her presence
and her fathers at the Anderson fam
fly dinner at the Mansion every Sun
day evening. She knew how to filrt
with old people, he said. as she sat
next him at the table on one OF these
Sunday occasions; and he lad always
liked her father, even when Eugene
was terror" long ago. "Oh, yes.
he was" I" the Major laughed when she
demonstrated. "He came up here
with my son George ana some others
for serenade one night, and Eugene
stepped into a bass fiddle, and the
poor musicians just gave upi That
serenade was Just before Isabel was
married-and don't you fret, Miss
Lucy: your father remembers 1t well
enoughl" The old gentleman burst
into laughter, and shook his finger at
Eugene across the table. "The fact
is," the Major went on hilariously. 81
believe II Eugene hadn't broken that
bass fiddle and given himself away
s.t.
bur I shouldn't be surprised II that
was about all the reason that Wilbur
got herl What do you think. VIII
burr
II shouldn't be surprised" said Will
bur placldy. "If your notion is right
I'm glad Gene broke the fiddle. He
was giving me a hard run!"
The Major always drank three
glasses Of champagne at his Sunday
dinner, and he was finishing the third.
"What do you say about 1t, Isabelp
BY Jovel" he cried. pounding the
table, shes blushlngl"
Eugene was as pink as Isabel, but
be laughed without any sign Of embar-
rassment other than his heightened
color. There's another important
thing--that is, for me-" he said. "It's
the only thing that makes me forgive
that bass viol for getting In my way"
"Whnt is it?" the Major asked.
Lucy" said Morgan gently.
Isabel gave him quick glance, all
warm approval, and there was n mur.
mur OF friendliness round the table.
Summer glidcd by evenly and quick.
ly enough, for the most part. and at
the end seemed TO fly. On the last
night before George went back to be
a junior his mother asked him conf
IDENTIFY II It had not been happy
summer.
He hadn't thought about It. he an.
swered. "Oh. ! suppose so. Whyf"
II just thought II would be nice to
hear you say so." she said, smiling.
ITS seemed to me that II must have
been a happy summer for you--a real
summer of roses and wlne'-without
the wine. perhaps. Gather ye roses
while ye mayor was II primrosesf
Time does really fly. or perhaps it's
like the sky-and smoke"
George was puzzled. "It strikes me
you're getting mixed. l don't see
much resemblance between time and
the sky, or between things and smoke
wreaths; but l do see one reason you
like Lucy Morgan so much. She
talks that same kind OF wistful.
moony way sometlmes-I don't mean
to say l mind 1t In either OF you, be-
cause i rather like TO listen TO n.
and you've got very good voice.
mother. It's nice to listen to, no mat.
ter how much smoke and sky, and
80 on. you talk. Sos Lucy's, for that
matter; and see why you're con-
genial. She talks that way to her
father. too; and he's right there with
the same kind Of gun. Wen, it's all
right with me-! I've got plenty to
think about when people drool along I"
She pressed his hand to her cheek.
and tear made a tiny warm streak
across one OF his knuckles.
"For heavens sake!" he said
Whats the matterf Isn't everything
all rightT
you're going awayl never can
bear to see you go-that's the most
Of 1t. I'm little bothered about your
father. to0."
"WhyT
ut seems to me he looks SO bad.
Everybody thinks so."
"what nonsenseW George laughed.
Hes been looking that way all sum-