Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-10-07

derstand it, Mr. Morgan took your
mother and me with Lucy to see Mod
1eska in Twelfth Night yesterday eve
ming, and Lucy said she thought the duke
looked rather like you, only much more
democratic in his manner. Hoping that
You are finding college still as attractive
| as ever,
Affectionately.
AUNT FANNY.
George read one sentence III this
letter several times. Then he dropped
| the missive in his waste basket to
join the clipping, and strolled down
/ the corridor of his dormitory to bOr
row copy of Twelfth Night" Hav-
| ing secured one he returned to his
study and refreshed his memory of
the play-but received no enlighten-
ment that enabled him to comprehend
| Lucy's strange remark. However, he
| found himself impelled in the direc-
ton of correspondence, and presently
wrote a letter-not a reply to his
| Aunt Fanny.
! Dear Lucy: No doubt you will be sur
prised at hearing from me so soon again,
| especially as this makes two in answer
|
| back to the old place 1 hear you have
been making comments about me at the
| theater that some actor was more demo-
| cratic in his manners than | am, which
| do not understand. You know my theory
| of life because l explained it to you on
our first drive together, when told you
/ would not talk to every body about
| things 1 feel like the way / spoke to you
! of my theory of life believe those who
4 are able should have true theory of life,
and 1 developed my theory of life long,
| long ago.
Well. here 1 sit smoking my faithful
briar pipe, indulging in the fragrance of
my tabac as 1 look out on the campus
| from my rnany-paned window, and things
are different with me from the way they
were way back in freshman year. can
see now how boyish in many ways 1 was
then. / believe what has changed me as
much as anything was my visit home at
| the time l met you. So l sit here with
my faithful briar and dream the old
dreams over as it were, dreaming of the
waltzes we waltzed together and of that
! last night before we parted, and you told
me the good news you Were going to live
| there, and I would find my friend waiting
for me when l get home next summer.
| / will be glad my friend will be waiting
for me. l am not capable of friendship
except for the very few, and, looking back
over my life, I remember there were times
when / doubted if l could feel a great
friendship for anybody--especially girls.
Here in the old place l do not believe in
being hail-fellow- well-met with every
Tom, Dick and Harry just because he
happens to be classmate any more than
/ do at home, where I have always been
careful who I was seen with, largely on
account of the family, but also because
my disposition ever since my boyhood has
been to encourage real intimacy from but
the few.
From several letters from my mother.
and one from Aunt Fanny l hear you are
seeing good deal of the family since /
left. hope sometimes you think of the
| member who is absent. l got a silver
frame for your photograph in New York,
and 1 keep it on my desk. 1t is the only
girls photograph l ever took the trouble
to have framed, though, as l told you
frankly. 1 have had any number of other
girls photographs. yet all were only pass
| ing fancies, and oftentimes 1 have ques-
| toned in years past If I was capable of
much friendship toward the feminine sex,
which l usually found shallow until our
| own friendship began. When I look at
your photograph 1 say to myself, "At
last, at last here is one that will not
prove shallow"
Friend, this is from your friend,
G. A. M.
Georges anticipations were not dis
appointed. When he came home in
June his friend was awaiting him; at
least she was so pleased TO see him
again that for a few minutes after
their frs. encounter she was little
breathless and a great deal glowing.
and quiet withal.
Lucy and her father were living at
the Anderson hotel, while Morgan got
his small machine shops built in a
western outskirt of the town; and
George grumbled about the shabbi-
ness and the old-fashioned look of the
hotel, though 1t was still the best in
| the place, of course" He remon-
strated with his grandfather, declar-
ing that the whole Anderson Estate
would be getting run down and out
! at heel if things weren't taken in
| hand pretty soon." He urged the
| general need of rebuilding, renovat-
ing, vanishing and lawsuits. But the
Major, declining to hear him out, in
| terrupted querulously, saying that he
had enough to bother him without any
advice from George; and retired to
his library, going so far as to lock
the door audibly.
Second childhood!" George NUT
tered, shaking his head; and he
| thought sadly that the Major had not
long to live. However, this surmise
/ depressed him for only moment or
so. OF course people couldn't be ex-
| pected to live forever, and 1t would
/ be a good thing to have someone in
charge of the Estate who wouldn't
let it get to looking so rusty that riff
raft dared to make fun of it. For
| George had lately undergone the an
noyance of calling upon the Morgans,
/ in the rather stuffy red velours and
/ gilt parlor of their apartment at the
hotel, one evening when Mr.. Fred
/ erick Kinney also was a caller, and
Mr.. Kinney had not been taetful. In
fact. though he adopted a humorous
tone of voice in expressing sympathy
for people who. through the city's
poverty in hotels. were obliged to
stay at the Anderson, Mr.. Kinney's
intention was interpreted by the
other visitor as not at all humorous.
but. on the contrary. personal and Of
/ fensive-
George rose abruptly. his face the
color of wrath. "Good night. Miss
Morgan. Good night, Mr.. Morgan.
shall take pleasure In calling at some
other time when a more courteous
sort Of people may be present"
Look hereI" the hot-headed Fred
burst out. Don't you try to make me
out a boor. George Minaferl | wasn't
limiting anything at you; simply for
got all about your grandfather own
ing this old building. Don't you try
to nut me in the light of boori
won't"