The Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 191?-19??, 1919-08-27

When she was chaper0ning yOu.Y
'They weren't much alone together
then Fanny returned. Hardly ever
before Wilbur died. Everybody knew
that he'd been engaged to her."
What's that?" George cried.
Everybody knows 1t. Don't you re
member your grandfather speaking OF
1t at the Sunday dinner one night?"
He didn't say they were engaged
or"
well, they were Everybody knows
it; and she broke it off on account of
that serenade when Eugene didn't
know what he was doing. He drank
when he was a young man, and she
wouldn't stand for 1t, but everybody
in this town knows that Isabel has
never really cared for any other man
10 her lifel Poor Wllburi He was
the only soul alive that didn't know
it'll"
Nightmare had descended upon the
unfortunate George; he leaned back
against the fOOtboard of his bed, gaz-
Ing wildly at his aunt. II believe I'm
going crazy" he said. "You mean
when you told me there wasn't any
talk, you told me a faIsehood?"
mo" Fanny gasped.
"You didw
Il tell you l didn't know how much
talk there was, and it wouldn't have
amounted to much IL Wilbur had
lived" And Fanny completed this
with a fatal admission: Il didn't want
you to Interfere"
George overlooked the admission;
his mind was not now occupied with
analysts. What do you mean," he
asked, when you say that if father
had lived, the talk wouldn't have
amounted to anythingT
"Things might have been-they
might have been different"
"Ym mean Morgan might have mar
ried you?"
Fanny gulped. 'No. Because
don't know that I'd have accepted
him" She had ceased to weep, ana
now she sat up stifly 81 certainly
didn't care enough about him to mar
ry him; | wouldn't have let myself
care that much until he showed that
he wished to marry me. I'm not that
sort of person" The poor lady paid
her vanity this piteous little tribute
"What mean is, if Wilbur hadn't died
people wouldn't have had 1t proved
before their very eyes that what
they'd been talking about was truew
"You say-you say that people be-
leye--" George shuddered, then
forced himself to continue, in sick
voice: "They believe my mother Is
Is in love with that man?
"Of course"
And because he comes here-and
they see her with him driving-and all
tlfat-they think they were right when
they said she was in--ln love with him
before-before my father dled?"
She looked at him gravely with her
eyes now dry between their redeemed
lids. "Why. George" she said, gently,
don't You know that's what they say?
You must know that everybody in,
town thinks they're going to be mar
ried very soon"
George uttered an incoherent cry;
and sections Of him appeared to
writhe. He was upon the verge of
actual nausea.
you know It'll" Fanny cried, getting
up. "You don't think I'd have spoken
Of it to you unless l was sure you
knew it" Her voice was wholly
genuine, as it had been throughout the
wretched interview. Somebody must
have told yOu2"
who told your" he said.
"WhatT
"WhO told you there was talk?
Where is this talk? Where does 1t
come from? Who does It'll"
"Why, 1 suppose pretty much every
body" she said. 81 know 1t must be
pretty general"
"WhO said so7"
what?
NSOA % olCPpCN NAOSC w hCAs AOO I
say people don't speak to a person Of !
gossip about that persons family.
Well, how did you hear it, then? How
lid you get hold of it? Answer mel"
why" Fanny hesitated.
''You answer me -
Il hardly think 1t would be fair to
live names"
Look here" said George. Zone Of
our most intimate friends is that
mother Of Charlie JOhnsOn's, for in
tance. Has she ever mentioned this
o your You say everybody is talking.
S she one2'
"Oh, she may have minated"
Pm asking you: Has she ever
pOken of it to your
She's very kind. discreet woman,
ieorge; but she may have intimat-
d."
George had a sudden Intuition, as
here fiickered into his mind the pic
ure of a street-crossing and two alb
'Orbed ladies almost run down by a
asst horse. "Ym and she have been
alking about it today !" he cried. "You