The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1919-11-21

george, color SLOWLY heighTen,Hs upon
her cheeks and temples. while Fanny
watched him with q quick eagerness,
her eyes alert ard bright. But Eugene
seemed merely quizzical, as if not TAX
ing this brIIsGuerie TO himself. The
Major was seriously disturbed
what did you say. Georgef" he
asked. though George had spoken but
too distinctly.
II said all automobiles were
nuisance" George answered, repeating
not only the words but the tone In
which he had uttered them. And he
added: They'll never amount TO any
thing but a 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 inventing
them. If you weren't so thoughtIess
he might think you rather offensive"
That would be too bad" said
George coolly. Il don't think / could
! survive it."
Again there was silence, while the
Major stared at his grandson. aghast
But Eugene began to laugh cheerfuily
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 a greater
change in our life than most OF us
suspect They are going to alter war,
and they are going to alter peace. 1
| think mems minds are going to be
y chm nuaI In Of
temobiles; just how, though, l could
hardly guess. Perhaps, ten or twenty
years from now, if we can see the in
ward change in men by that time. |
| 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 | 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 Inurmured.
Il don't see why he should be-"
George said. Il didn't say anything
about him. What made you think he
was hurt?"
Il know him." 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, George?
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 I'M
! tactful if you said the church was
| nuisance and ought never to- have been
invented. We seem TO have a new
kind of young people these days. It's
a new style OF counting a pretty girl
certainly. for Il young fellow TO go de-
liberately out of his way TO try and
make an enemy of her father by at
lacking his business BY Jovei That's
a new way to win Il womanl"
| George flushed angrily and seemed
| about to- offer a retort, but held his
| breath for a moment; and then held
| his peace. 1t was Isabel who respond
| ed TO the Major. 'Oh, nor she said.
Eugene would never be anybody's
enemy-he couldn't and last of all
Georges. I'm afraid he was hurt, but
| don't fear his not having understood
that George spoke without thinking of
what he was saying mean. without
realizing its bearing on Eugene"
We'll. we'll" said his grandfather,
rising, 1T wasn't very successful lit
tie dinnerl''
Thereupon he offered his arm TO his
daughter. who took 1t fondly, and they
| left the room. Isabel assuring him that
all his little dinners were pleasant,
and that this one was no exception.
| George did not move, and Fanny.
| following the other two, came round
| the table and paused close beside his
| chair; but George remained posed In
great imperturbability. cigar between
| teeth, eyes upon ceiling. and paid no
attention TO her. Fanny waited until
the sound of ISabel's and the Majors
voices became inaudibie in the hall
Then she said quickly, and in low
voice so eager that it was unsteady:
George. you've struck just the
treatment to adopt; you're doing the
right thingp'
She hurried out, scurrying after the
others with a faint rustling of her
black skirts, leaving George mystified
but injurious.
In truth. however, he was neither so
comfortable nor so imperturbable as
he appeared. He felt some gratifica-
ton he had done a little to put the
man in his place-that man whose in
fluence upon his daughter was precise
ly the same thing as contemptuous
criticism of George Anderson Nina
fer, and of George Anderson Nina
fer's ideals of life" Lucy's going
away without a word was intended,
he supposed, as a bit of punishment.
Well. he wasn't the sort of man that
people were allowed to punish; he
could demonstrate that to them
since they started 1t!
Isabel came to Georges door that