The Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 191?-19??, 1919-09-10

Anderson made no answer.

lawn nau Deen -mnrklng through
the. smoky windows, glowing strong
er for half an hour, whe9s both men
, started violently at a, sound In the
hall ; md the Major .sakup onsthe bed.
It was the voice OF tlie nurse speaking
TO Fanny Mlnafer. and the next mo
nient Fanny appeased~in the doorway
d making contorted sefIortsstO speak.
: ANDERSON saidsYeakly I'D oes s.ahs
waht usI-to Come mr.. ~
G Bat FANNY found ifeE voice, and ut
tered q long loud cry. She threw her
arms about George, and sobbed in an
/ agony OF loss and compassion:
Z ssShe loved gOu shegwailed: a'ShA
loved you She Igyed-yOu'.S on; how
she did love 'you 'sif4ss 's-@a >" s''i 81
: Isabel had sjustsleft them.
~a, st'v sSscs' ~
Major Anderson. renamed dry-1ee;yted
through the time that followed; he
knew that this separation from his
daughter would be short; that the.
separation which had preceded 1t was
the long one. He worked at his
ledgers no more under his old gas
drop-light, but would sit all evening
staring into the fire, In his bedroom,
and not speaking unless someone ask
| ed him question. He seemed almost
unaware of what went on around him..
and those who were with him thought
| him dazed by Isabers death, guessing
that he was lost In "reminiscences and
vague dreams. Probably his mind is
full of pictures OF his youth, or the
Civil war, and the days when he and
mother were young married people
and all of us children were jolly little
things-and the city was3a small town
with one cobbled street and the others
just dirt roads with board sidewalks"
This was George AmbersOn's conjec-
ture. and the others agreed; but they
were mistaken. The Major. WAS en-.
gagged In the sprofoundest thinking Of
his life. No business plans which had
ever absorbed him could compare in
mOmentOusness with the plans that
absorbed him now. for he had to plan.
how to enter the unknown country
where he was not even sure of being
recognized as an Amberscn-not sure
OF anything, except that Isabel would
help him If she could. The, Major was
occupied with the first really impOc
tant matter that had taken his atten-
ttions since he came home invalided, az
ter the Gettysburg campaign, and
went into business, and he realized
that everything which had worried
him or delighted him during this life
time between then and tOday-all his
buying and building and trading anG
banking-that 1t all was trltling anG
waste beside what concerned him now.
Meanwhile, the, life of the little be
reft group still forlornly centering up
on him began to pick up again, as life |
will, and to emerge from its own peri
cd of dazedness. 1t was not Isabel's |
father but her son who was really |
dazed
A month after her death he walked |
abruptly into Fanny's room, one night, |
and found her at her desk, eagerly |
adding columns of figures with which
she had covered several sheets Of pa. |
per.
George! You startled me."sI} ~ |
II beg, your pardon for not knock.
ing he said husxny. = didn't thlnkS''
She turned in her chair and looked
at him sOllcItOusly. "Slt down, George,
won't your" ~rs $50
mo. l just wanted
81 could hear you walking up and
down in your room" said Fanny. "You
were doing II, ever since dinner and
1t seems to me you're at IT almost
every evening. don't believe It's good
for yOu-and l know 1t would worry I
your mother terribly II She -" Fan
ny hesitated. rt
"See here" George said, breathing
fast. Il want to tell you once more thai
what l did was right How could /
have done anything else but what /
did dor"
"Oh, don't pretend to Judge" Fan
ny said soothlngly, for his voice and
gesture both partoOk of wildness. 81
know you think you did, George"
"sThlnk 1 didr" he echoed Violent
Iy. my God In heaven !" And he
began to walk up and down the floor.
"What else was there to do? What I
choice did have? Was there any
other way of stopping the talk?" He
stopped, close in front of her, gestic-
ulatlng, his voice harsh and loud
"Was there any other way on earth
of protecting her from the talk?"
Miss Fanny looked away. at died
down before long, think" she, said
uervously.
''That shows I was right, doesn't tit"
he cried. "If hadn't acted as l did,
that slanderous old Johnson woman
would have kept on with her SANDERS
shed still be-"
"No," Fanny interrupted. "She's
dead. She dropped dead with apoplexy
ona dav about civ ueaLs aftar won