The Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 191?-19??, 1919-08-13

that's quite old by this time
There was clatter upon Georges
plate. "What-what do you think
you're talking about?" he gasped.
Miss Fanny looked up innocently.
"AbOut the report of Lucy Morgan's
engagement to Fred Kinney"
George turned dumbly to his mother,
and Isabel shook her head reassur-
ingly. people are always starting
rumors," she said. II haven't paid
any attention to this one"
But you-you've heard it7" hel
stammered.
"Oh. one hears all sorts Of nonsense
dear. haven't the slightest idea
that it's true"
'Then you have heard itT q
George turned pale. 4
Eat your dinner, Georgia" hia
aunt said sweetly. "Food will do You
good. 1 didn't say knew this rum6P
was true. l only said I'd heard It."
Fanny, you're hard-hearted creas
ture," Isabel said gently. "You really
are. Don't pay any attention to her,
George. Fred Kinneys only a clerk
in his uncle's hardware place: ha
couldn't marry for ages-even If any
body would accept himr
George breathed unanimously, "T
don't care anything about 'agesT'
What's that got to do with itrt he
said, his thoughts appearing to be
somewhat disconnected. cages don't
mean anythingl I only want to know
II want to know want" He
stopped.
you must finish your dinner, dear"
his mother urged. Don't"
81 have finished. I've eaten all I
want. l don't want any more than I
wanted. / don't want-I-" He rose.
still incoherent. II prefer--I want
please excuse mel"
He left the room, and a moment
later the screens outside the open
front door were heard to slam.
Fanny You shouldn't"
isabel, don't reproach me. He did
have plenty of dinner, and I only told
the truth: everybody has been say.
ing"
I'VE don't actually know there
isn't" Miss Fanny insisted, giggling.
"We've never asked Lucy"
81 wouldn't ask her anything so alb.
surd!"
George would" Georges father re-
marked. that's what he's gone to
do"
Mr.. Mlnafer was not mistaken: that
was what his son had gone to do.
Lucy and her father were just rising
from their dinner table when the
stirred youth arrived at the front
door of the new house. 1t was a cot.
tage, however, rather than q house;
and Lucy had taken a free hand with
the architect, achieving results in
white and green outside and white
and blue inside to such effect of youth
and daintiness that her father com.
planned of too much springtime 70
The whole place, including his own
bedroom, was a young damsel's bou.
dOir, he said, so that nowhere could
he smoke cigar without feeling like
a ruffian. However, he was smoking
when George arrived, and he encour-
aged George to join him in the pas
time, but the caller, whose air was
both tense and preoccupied, declined
with something like agitation.
Il never smoke-that Is. I'm sci.
dOm-I mean, no, thanks" he said.
81 mean not at ALL I'd rather not"
Aren't you well, GeorgeY Eugene
asked, looking at him in perplexlty.
"Have you been overworklng at coll
lege? You do look rather pa"
II don't work." said George. Il
mean don't work. 1 think, but I
don't work. only work at the end
of the term. There isn't much to do"
Epgene's perplexity was little de,
creased, and a tlnkle Of the doorbelI
afforded him obvious relief. "1t's my
foreman" he said, looking at his
watch. "Pll take him out in the yard
to talk. This is no place for a fore.
man." And he departed, leaving the
"living room" to Lucy and George.
whats wrong, George?" she asked
softly.
What do you mean: What's
wrOngr What makes you think any.
things wrong with mel"
"YOu do look pale, as papa said
and it seemed to me that the way you