The Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 191?-19??, 1919-07-30
CHAPTER II.

Another citizen said an eloquent
thing about Miss Isabel Amberson's
looks. This was Mrs. Henry Franklin
Foster, the foremost literary authority
and intellectual leader of the com
munity-fOg both the daily newspa-
pers thus described Mrs. Foster when
she founded the .WOmen's Tennyson
club; and her word uponl art, letters
and the drama was accepted more as
law than as opinion. Naturally when
Hazel Kirke" finally reached town,
after its long triumph in larger places,
many people waited to hear what
Mrs. Henry franklin Foster thought
of it before they felt warranted in ex-
pressing any estimate Of the play. In
fact some Of them waited In the lobby
Of the theater as they came out and
formed an inqulrlng group about her.
\ 81 didn't see the play" she in
formed them.
what Why, we saw you, right in
the middle of the fourth rowl"
yes" she said smiling, "but 1 was
sitting just behind Isabel ANDERSON.
| couldn't look at anything except her
wavy brown hair and the wonderful
hack of her neck"
The ineligible young men of the
town (they were all ineligible) were
unable to content themselves with the
view that had so charmed Mrs. Henry
Franklin Foster; they spent their time
struggling to keep Miss Amberson's.
face turned toward them. She turned
ii most often, observers said, toward
two: one excelling in the general
struggle by his sparkle, and the other
by that winning if not winsome old
trait, persistence. The sparkling gen
tleman lied germans" with her, and
sent sonnets. to her with his IbOu-
quets-sOnnets lacking neither music
nor wit. He was generous, poor, we'll
dressed. and his amazing persuasive
ness was one reason why he was al
ways in debt. No one doubted that
he would be able to persuade Isabel,
but he unfortunately Joined too merry
party one night, and during a moon
light serenade upon the lawn before
The Anderson mansion, was easily
identified from the windows as the
person who stepped through the bass |
viol and had to be assisted to a wait
ing carriage. One Of Miss Amberson's
brothers was among the serenaders,
and when the party had dispersed re-
NAMED propped against the front
door In state of helpless liveliness:
the Major going down in a dressing
gown and slippers to bring him in, and
scOlding mildly, while imperfectly con-
ealing strong impulses to laughter
Miss Anderson also laughed at this
brother the next day, but for the
sutton 1t was a different matter: she
refused to see him when he called to
apologize. "YOu seem to care great
Zeal about bass violsp' he wrote her
Il promise never to break another"
She made no response 10 the note nm
ess it was an answer. two weeks
alter, when her engagement was an.
bounced. She took the persistent one
Wilbur Minafer, no breaker of bass
viols or of hearts, no serenader at all
A few people, who always foresaw
everything, claimed that they were NOT
surprised, because though Wilbur Min
fer might not be an Apollo, as it
we're" he was "a steady young bust
ness man and a good church goer,"
md Isabel Anderson was pretty SEN
5ible-for such snowy girl" But
he engagement astounded the young
people, and most of their fathers and
too; and as a topic If sun
planted literature at the next meet
Ing Of the "Women's Tennyson club"
wilbur Minaferr' a member cried.
her infection seeming to imply that
crime was explained by his
surname. wilbur Mlnaferl It's the