Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-10-23

@RR~A-4 -
him. but, after a glance toward the
front of the house, turned back, and
withdrew. Evidently Isabel had gone
to the door. Then a murmur was
heard, and George Amberson's voice,
quick and serious: 81 want to talk
to you, Isabel" and another
murmur; then Isabel and her brother
passed the foot of the broad. dark
stairway, but did not look up, and
remained unconscious of the watchful
presence above them.
For a time all that George ccnld
hear was the indistinct sound q his
uncle's voice: what he was saying
could not be surmised, though the
troubled brotherliness of his tone was
evident. He seemed to be explaining
something at considerable length, and
there were moments when he paused,
and George guessed that his mother
was speaking, but her voice must have
been very low, for it was entirely in
audible to him.
Suddenly he did hear her. Through
the heavy doors her outcry came,
clear and loud:
"Oh, mol"
1t was a cry of protest, as If some
thing her brother told her must be I'M
true, or, If it were true, the fact he
stated must be undone; and it was q
sound of sheer pain.
Another sound Of pain, close to
George, followed it; this was a vehe-
ment shifting which broke out just
above him, and, looking up, he saw
Fanny Minafer on the landing, lean
ing over the banisters and applying
her handkerchief to her eyes and
nose.
IT can guess what that was about"
she whispered huskily. "He's just
told her what you did to Eugene!"
George gave her a dark look over
his shoulder. "You go on back to
J your room" he said; and he began to
!, descend the stairs; but Fanny, guess
ing his purpose, rushed down and
J caught his arm, OBTAINING him.
"You're not going in therew she
: whispered huskily: "You don't"
"Let go Of mew
But she chung to him savagely. mo,
you don't, George Minafer! You'll
: keep away from there! You will"
"You let go Of"
II won't! You come back here /!
You'll come upstairs and let them
] alone; that's what you'll do" And
t with such passionate determination
did she clutch and tug, lever losing
t a grip Of him somewhere, though
George tried as much as he could,
without hurting her, to wrench away
with such utter f~orgetfulness Of her
| maiden dignity did she assault him,
, that she forced him, stumbling up
J ward, to the landing.
"Of all the ridiculous" he began
/, ~furiously; but she spared n hand
! from its grasp of his sleeve and
clapped it oyer his mouth.
Flush upw Never for an instant in
this grotesque struggle did Fanny
raise her voice above a husky whisper
"Hush up! It's indecent-like SQUAD
, bling outside the door of an operating
rooml Go on to the top Of the stairs
, so on !"
And when George had most unwill'
ingly obeyed, she planted herself In
his way, on the top step. "There!'
) she said. "The idea of your going in
there now! I never heard Of such O
thingl" And with the sudden depart.
ure Of the v vigor she had
shown so amazingly, she began to cry
again. II was an awful fool. Do you
: suppose I dreamed you'd go making
everything into such a tragedy? Dc
your
!, II don't care what you dreamed
George muttered.
a But Fanny went on, always taking
. care to keep her voice from getting
: too loud, in spite Of her most grievous
agitation. "Do you dream / though
you'd 60 making such a fool of your
self at Mrs. Johnson's? Oh, I saw hel
3 this morningi She wouldn't talk t,
9 me, but I met George Anderson on m!
way back, and he told me what you't
! done over therel And do you dream
: thought you'd do what you've dom
. here this afternoon to Eugene? Oh
I knew that, too! OF course he wen
: to George Anderson about it, ant
! that's why George is here. He's 60
to tell Isabel the whole thing now
and you wanted to go in there inter
fering-God knows what! You sta,
/. here and let her brother tell her he
got some consideration for her!"
2 II suppose you think ! haven't
George said, and at that Fanny laugh
ed witheringly.
!. "Youl Considerable Of anybody"
: "Tm ~considerate Of her good name !
\ he said holly. 1T seems to me that
about the first thing to be considerat
% of, In being ~considerate of a person
T. And look here; it strikes me your
ar taking a pretty different tack fror
,e what you did yesterday a%fternoonW
Fanny wrung her hands. II did
terrible thing" she lamented. "NoN
10 that it's done and too late, / know
w what 1t was! / didn't have sens
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