Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1919-11-21

Withdrew. Evidently Isabel had gone
to the door. Then a murmur was
heard. and George Amberson's voice,
quick and serious: II 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 time all that George could
hear was the indistinct sound OF his
uncIe's voice: what he was saying
could not be surmised. though the
troubled brotheriiness of his tone was
evident. He seemed 20 be explaining
something at considerable length, and
there were moments when he paused,
ana 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. no!'
1t was a cry of protest, as If some
thing her brother told her must be un-
true. or, If it were true. the fact he
stated must be undone: and 1t was a
sound of sheer pain.
Another sound of pain, close 10
George, followed it; this was a vehe-
ment smiling which broke out just
above him, and. looking mp, he saw
Fanny Minafer on the landing. lem
ing over the banisters aud applying
her handkerchief TO her eyes and
nose.
I can guess what that was about"
she whispered huskily, Hes Just
told her what you did to Euganew
George gave her dark look over
HIS shoulder. 'sYou 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 theref'' she
whispered huskily: "You don't"
let go of mer'
But she chung to him savagely. "No,
you don't, George Minaferi You'll
keep away from therel You will~
"You let go Of"
81 won'tl Yon come hack here !
You'll come upstairs and let them
alone; that's what your do" And
with such passionate determination
did she clutch and tug, never losing
a grip of him somewhere, though
George tried as much as he could,
without hurting her, 90 wrench away
with such utter forgetfulness of her
maiden dignity did she assault him,
that she forced him, stumbling up
ward, to the landing.
"0f oil the ridiculous" he began
furiously; but she spared one hand
from its grasp of his sleeve ana
clapped it oyer his mouth.
'Hush upI" Never for an instant In
this grotesque struggle did Fanny
raise her voice above husky whisper.
"Hush upi It's indecent-like squab-
bling outside the door of an operating
room Go on to the top OF the stairs
so on"
And when George had most unwlll-
ingly obeyed, she planted herself in
mis- way, on the top step. 'There r
she said. ''The idea of your going In
there nowI / never heard of such a
thingl" And with the sudden depart
ure of the nervous vigor she had
shown so amazingly. she began to cry
again. II was an awful fool. Do you
suppose / dreamed you'd go making
everything into such a tragedy Do
your
II 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 grleyous
agitation. do you dream l thought
you'd 60 making such "a fool Of your
self at Mrs. Johnson's7 Oh, saw her
this mornings She wouldn't talk to
me- but / met George Anderson on my
! way back, and he told me what you'd
done over there And do you dream
! thought you'd do what you've done
here this afternoon to Eugene7 Oh,
/ knew that, tool OF course he went
to George ANDERSON about 1t, and
that's why George is here. He's got
to tell Isabel the whole thing now.
and you wanted to go in there inter-
ferlng-God knows whati You stay
here and let her brother tell her; he's
got some consideration FOR herr
II suppose you think ] haven't r.
George said, and at that Fanny laugh.
ed witheringly.
you, Considerate Of anybodyp
I'm considerate Of her good name !"
he said holly. SIT seems to me that's
about the first thing to be considerate
Of, in being considerate Of person
And look here; 1t strikes me you're
taking a pretty different tack from
what you did yesterday afternoo7F
Fa ~ wrung her hands. II did Fl
terrible thingl" she lamented. "Now
that it's done and too late. I know
what it wasI 1 didn't have sense
cough just to let things go on.
/