The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1919-11-14

in his room over his mistreatment of
her!
"Oh. my Lord |" he whispered; then,
with great effort addressed her in
reasonable tone: Look here, Aunt
Fanny; don't see what you're making
all this fuss about OF course know
I've teased you sometimes, but"
"Teased' me?" she walled
| 'Teased' me Oh, 1t does seem too
hard sometimes-this mean old life of
mine does seem too hard! l don't
think can stand it Honestly, don't
think l can! 1 came in here just to
show you / sympathized with you
just to say something pleasant to you,
and you treat me as if I were-oh, no,
you wouldn't treat servant the way
you treat me! You wouldn't treat any
| body in the world like this except old
Fanny"
"Oh. my Lord" George groaned.
Fanny spread out her small, soaked
handkerchief, and shook 1t In the air
to dry 1t little, crying as damply and
as wretchedly during this operation as
befOre-a sight which gave George a
curious shock to add to his other agi-
tations. 1t seemed so strange.
you're SO proud" she quavered,
land SO hard! 1 tell you / didn't mean
to speak of 1t to you, and 1 never.
never In the world would have told
you about 1t, nor have msde the faint
est reference to It, II hadn't seen that
somebody else had told you. or you'd
found out for yourself some way.
l."
: In despair of her intelligence. and
, in some doubt of his own. George
t struck the palms Of his hands together.
! "Somebody else had told me what?
5 I'd found what out for myseif?"
, "How people are talking about your
t mother"
r Except for the incidental teariness
:, of her voice, her tone was casual, as
h though she mentioned a subject pre-
o viously discussed and understood
for Fanny had no doubt that George
e cause, in his pride, he would not In
r. words admit that he knew what he
O knew
y "What did you sayY' he asked in
credulously.
;" "Of course understood what yor
We're doing" Fanny went on. drying hel
W handkerchief again. ''It puzzled Other
k people when you began to be rude tt
T. Eugene because they couldn't see how
lie you could treat him as you did wher
you were so interested in Lucy. Bu
1 remembered how you came to me
n that other time when there was 81
q &nll al
st you'd give Lucy up in a minute, if 4
ly came to a question of your mother.
ly reputation, because you said theI
to that"
Id Look here" George interrupted il
re a shaking voice. "Look here, II
like He stopped, unable to go on
r. his agitation was so great. His ches
IS heaved as from hard running. and hi.
We complexion. pallid at first, had be
I'D come notified; fiery splotches appear
'e, ing at his temples and cheeks. "Wha
ar do you mean by telling me-telling MT
there's talk about-about-" H,
m gulped, and began again: "What d,
to you mean by using such words al
l reputation? What do you mean
speaking of a question of my-m.
he mothers reputation?"
o. Fanny looked up at him woefull.
er over the handkerchief which she nov
.e, applied to her Redeemed nose. Goo
OF knows l am sorry for you, George
If she murmured. II wanted to say so
but it's only old Fanny, so whateve
IN she says-even when it's sympathy
to pick on her for II 7" She sobbed. TT
q only poor old lonely Fanny"
"You look herer' George said harsh
he ly. when spoke to my Uncl,
ng George after that rotten thing heart
Aunt Amelia say about my mother, h,
he said If there was any gossip 1t wal
IS about you! He said people might b,
n laughing about the way you ran afte
~ Morgan. but that was ALL"
Us Fanny lifted her hands, clenchet
re them and struck them upon her knees
es "Yes; it's always Fanny!' she sobbed
IN Ridiculous old Fanny-always, al
waysl"
Of 'You llsten!" George said "Aftel
st I'd talked to Uncle George saw you
IN and you said had a mean little mint
,b for thinking there might be truth IL