Bogalusa enterprise and American. (Bogalusa, La.) 1918-19??, 1919-12-18


him, but, after a glance toward the
front of the house, turned back, and
withdrew. Evidently Isabel had gone
to the door. Then q murmur was
heard, and George Amberson's voice,
quick and serious: II want to talk
to you, Isabel' 80. 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 could
hear was the indistinct sound of his
uncle's voice: what he was saying
could not be sur1nised, 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 cutlery came,
clear and loud:
"Oh, nol''
It was cry Of protest, as If som(-
thing her brother told her must be I'M
true, or, If it were true, the fact he
stated must be undone; and II; was a
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.
ST can guess what that was about, !"
she whispered huskily. Hes just
told her what you did to Eugene!"
George gave her a dark look over
his shoulder. "You go on back to
your room!" he said; and he began to
descend the stairs; but Fanny, guess
ing his purpose, rushed down and
caught his arm, OBTAINING him.
you're not going in there?" she
whispered huskily: "You don't
let go Of mer'
But she chung to him savagely. "No.
you don't, George Minafer! You'll
keep away from there! You will ]"
'You let go Of"
81 won'tl You come back here
You'll come upstairs and let them
alone; that's what you'll do" And
with such passionate determination
did she clutch and tug, never losing
grip of him somewhere, though
George tried as much as he could,
without hurting her, to wrench away
with such utter forgetfulness of her
maiden dignity did she assault him,
that she forced him, stumbling up
ward, to the landing.
"Of all the ridiculous" he began
Ifuriously; but she spared one hand
from its grasp of his sleeve and
clapped it over his mouth.
"Hush upl" Never for an instant In
this grotesque struggle did Fanny
raise her voice above husky whisper
Flush up! It's indecent-like SQUAD
bling outside the door of an operating
room! Go on to the top Of the stairs
go onw
Ard when George had most unwilI
ingIy 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 0
thingI" And with the sudden depart
ure of the nervous vigor she hae
shown so amazingly, she began to CRY
again. 81 was an awful fool. Do yOV
suppose dreamed you'd go making
everything into such q tragedy Dc
your
81 don't care what you dreamed
George muttered.
But Fanny went on, always taking
care to keep her voice from getting
too loud, In spite of her most grievou'
agitation. ''Do you dream / though
you'd go making such fool Of your
self at Mrs. Johnson's? Oh, saw hel
this morning! She wouldn't talk t.
me, but met George Anderson on m!
way back, and he told me what yOu't
done over there! And do you dream
thought you'd do what you've dom
here this afternoon to Eugene? oh
knew that, tool OF course he wen
to George ANDERSON about it, ant
that's why George is here. He's go
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 herr
81 suppose you think haven'tf
George said, and at that Fanny laugh
ed witheringly.
"You! Considerable of anybody"
"Tm considerate Of her good name |!
he said hotIy. ''It seems to me that
about the first thing to be considerat'
Of in being considerate of a person
And look here; it strikes me YOUR
taking a pretty different tack from
what you did yesterday afternoon
Fanny wrung her hands. Il did
terrible thing!' she lamented. "Nov
that It's done and too late, know