Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1919-10-24
The
Magnificent AmberSOnS
Continued from page twol

why she ordered you out or ner mouse
when you pinned her down that she'd
been gossiplng. 1 suppose it's true
that the whole town lot of others,
that Is, do share in the gossip. In this
town, naturally, anything about any
Anderson has always been a stone
dropped into the center of a pond,
and lie would send the ripples as
far as truth would. You can be sure
that for many years there's been more
gossip In this place about the Amber
sons than about any other family. 1
dare say 1t isn't so much so now as
1t used to be, because the town got
too big long ago, but it's the truth
that the more prominent you are the
more gossip there Is about you, and
the more people would like to pull you
down. Well, they can't do it as long
as you refuse to know what gossip
there is about you. But the minute
you notice 1t it's got YOU I'm not
speaking Of certain kinds of SANDER
that sometimes people have got to take
to the courts; I'm talking of the
wretChed buzzing the Mrs. JohnsOns
do-the thing you seem to have such
horror Of-peOple 'talklng'-the kind
Of thing that has aSsailed your mother.
People who have repeated a SANDER
either get ashamed or forget it, If
they're let alone. People will forget
almost any SANDER except one that's
been fought"
"Is that all?' George asked.
II suppose So" his uncle murmured
sadly.
"Wal, then, may ask what you'd
have done in my placer"
I'm not sure, George. When l was
your age 1 was like you in many ways,
especially in not being very cool
headed, so can't say. Youth can't be
trusted for much, except asserting
itself and fighting and making love-"
Indeed" George snorted. MAY
ask what you think l ought to have
dOne?"
Nothing"
NothingT" George echoed, mock
ing bitterly 81 suppose you think l
mean to let my mothers good name"
your mothers good namer AM
berson cut him off impatiently. mo
body has a good name in a bad mouth
Nobody has a good name in a silly
mouth, either. Well, your mothers
name was in some silly mouths, and
all you've done was to go and have
a scene with the worst old woman Cos.
sip in the tOWn-a scene that's going
to make her into a partisan against
your mother, whereas she was a mere
prattler before. Don't you suppose
she'll be all over town with this to-
morrow? And she'll see to it that
everybody who's limited anything
about poor Isabel will know that
you're on the warpath; and that will
put them on the defensive and make
them vicious. The story will grow as
it spreads and"
George unfOlded his arms to strike
his right fist into his left palm. But
do you suppose I'm going to tolerate
such things?' he shouted. what do
you suppose I'll be dOlng?"
"You can do absolutely nothing"
said ANDERSON. Nothing of any use.
The more you do the more harm you'll
do"
you'll see! I'm going to stop this
thing if have to force my way into
every house on National avenue and
Anderson boulevard !"
His uncle laughed rather sourly but
made no other comment.
well, what do you propose to dor
George demanded. do you propose
to sit there"
Eyes"
and let this riffraff handy my
mothers good name back and forth
among them? Is that what you pro-
pose to do?"
ITS all l can do" Anderson re-
turned. ITS all any of US can do
now: just sit still and hope that the
thing may die down in time in spite
of your stirring up that awful old
woman"
George drew a long breath. then ad-
vanced and stood close before his
uncle. Didn't you understand me
when l told you that people are say
ing my mother means to marry this
manW
eyes, l understood you"
"You say that my going over there
has made matters worse" George went
on. How about it if such a-such an
unspeakable marriage did take place?
Do you think that would make people
believe they'd been wrong in saying
you know what they say"
mo" said ANDERSON deliberately /;
II don't believe 1t would. But 1t
wouldn't hurt Isabel and Eugene If
they never heard of it; and If they did