The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1919-10-24

they may be Ambersons, but they're
vulgar I'm afraid almost agree with
him. At least, think they were in
considerate.
"We plan to stay six weeks If the
place agrees with him. 1t does really
seem to already! He's just called in
the door to say he's waiting. Don't
smoke too much, darling boy.
"Devotedly, your mother,
ISABEL"
But she did not keep her husband
there for the six weeks she ANTICIPATED.
She did not keep him anywhere that
long. Three weeks after writing this
letter, she telegraphed suddenly to
George that they were leaving for
home at once; and four days later,
when he and friend came whistling
into his study, from lunch at the club,
he found another telegram upon his
desk.
He read it twice before he compre-
hended it's import.
Papa left US at ten this morning,
dearest.
MOTHER"
Thes friend saw the change in his
face. ''Not bad news?"
George lifted utterly dumfounded
eyes from the yellow paper.
"My father" he said weakly. "She
says-she says he's dead. I've got to
go home"
His Uncle George and the
Major met him at the station when he
arrived-the first time the Major had
ever come to meet his grandson. The
old gentleman sat in his closed car
riage (Which still needed panty at the
entrance to the station, but he got out
and advanced to grasp Georges hand
TREMENDOUSLY, when the latter appeared.
"Poor fellow!" he said, and patted him
repeatedly upon the shoulder. "Poor
fellow! Poor Georgie!"
George noticed that the Majors
tremulousness did not disappear, as
they drove up the street, and that he
seemed much feebler than during the
summer. Principally, however, George
was concerned with his own emotion,
or rather, with his lack of emotion +;
and the anxious sympathy of his grand
father and his uncle made him feel
hypocritical. He was not grief-strick-
en-; but he felt that he ought to be,
and, with a secret shame, concealed
his callouSneSs beneath an affectation
of solemnity.
But when he was taken into, the
room where lay what was left of Will.
bur Minafer, George had no longer to
pretend; his grief was sufficient. 1t
needed only the sight. of that forever
inert Semblance of the quiet man who
had been always so quiet part of his
sons life-so quiet a part that George
had seldom been consciously aware
that his father was indeed a part of
his life. AS the figure lay there, its
very quietness was what was most life
like; and suddenly it struck George
hard. And in that unexpected, racking
grief Of his son, Wilbur Minafer be-
canse more wildly Georges father
than he had ever been in life.
When George left the room, his arm
was about his black-robed mother, his
shoulders were still shaken with sobs.
He leaned upon his mother; she gently
comforted him; and presently he re-
covered his composure and became
self-conscious enough to wonder if he
had not been making an unmanly dis
play of himself. 'I'm all right again,
mother" he said awkwardly. 'Don't
worry about me: you'd better go lie
down, or something; you look pretty
pale"
Isabel did look pretty pale, but not
CHASTITY pale, as Fanny did. Fanny's
grief was overwhelming she stayed in
her room, and George did not see her
until the next day, few minutes be-
fore the funeral, when her haggard
face appalled, him.
The annoyance gave way before a
recollection of the sweet mournfulness
of his mothers face, as she had said
good-by to him at the station, and of
how lovely she looked in her mourning.
He thought Of Lucy, whom he had seen
only twice, and he could not help feel