Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1919-10-17

never in the world would have told
you about 1t, non have made the faint
est reference to 1t, If hadn't seen that
somebody else had told you, or you'd
found out for yourself some way.
L"
In despair Of her intelligence, and
in some doubt of his own, George
struck the palms of his hands together
Somebody else had told me whatP
I'd found what out for MYSELF"
"How people are talking about your
mother"
Except for the incidental teariness
of her voice, her tone was casual, as
though she mentioned a subject pre-
viously discussed and understood;
for Fanny had no doubt that George
had only pretended to be mystifed be-
cause, in his pride, he would not in
words admit that he knew what he
knew.
"What did you say?" he asked In
credulously.
"0f course l understood what you
were doing" Fanny went on, drying her
handkerchief again. 1T puzzled other
people when you began to be rude to
Eugene, because they couldn't see how
you could treat him as you did when
you were so interested in Lucy But
l remembered how you came to me,
that other time when there was so
much talk about Isabel; and l knew
you'd give Lucy up in minute, if it
came to a question of your mothers
reputation, because you said then
that"
Look here" George interrupted in
shaking voice. Look here, I'd
like" He stopped, unable to go on,
his agitation was so great. His chest
heaved as from hard running, and his
complexion, pallid at first had be-
come notified; fiery splOtches appear
ing at his temples and cheeks. "What
do you mean by telling me-telling me
there's talk abOut-about-" He
gulped, and began again: what do
you mean by using such words as
'reputationY What do you mean,
speaking of a question of my-my
mothers reputatiOnY
Fanny looked up at him woefuly
over the handkerchief which she now
applied to her redeemed nose. "God
knows | am sorry for you, George"
she murmured. II wanted to say so,
but it's only old Fanny, so whatever
she Says-even when it's SYMPATHY
pick on her for it! !" She sobbed. Its
only poor old lonely Fanny"
You look here" George said harsh
ly. "When | spoke to my Uncle
George after that rotten thing | heard
Aunt Amelia say about my mother, he
said if there was any gossip it was
about you He said people might be
laughing about the way you ran after
Morgan, but that was all"
Fanny lifted her hands clenohed
] them and struck them upon her knees
Eyes it's always Fanny" she sobbed
Ridiculous old Fanny-always, al
ways"
"You listen - George said. "Aftor
I'd talked to Uncle George | saw you;
and You said | had mean little mind
for thinking there might be truth in
what Aunt Amelia said about people
talking You denied it. And that
wasn't the only time; you'd attacked
me before then, because / intimated
that Morgan might be coming here too
often. You made me believe that
mother let him come entirely on your
account, and now you say"
81 think he did" Fanny interrupted
desoately. 81 think he did come as
much to see me as anything-for a
while it looked like it. He did act a
good deal that way-and if Wilbur
hadn't died"
you told me there wasn't any
talk"
II didn't think there was much,
then Fanny protested. 81 didn't
know how much there was"
"Whatw
people don't come and tell such
things to a persons family, you know,
You don't suppose anybody was going
to say to George Anderson that his
sister was getting herself talked about,
do you? Or that they were going to
say much to me?'
"You told me-" said George, ferceIy,
that mother never saw him except
when she was chaperOning you"
"They weren't much alone together
then Fanny returned. Hardly ever,
before Wilbur died. Everybody knew
that he'd been engaged to her"
whats that?" George cried.
Everybody knows it, Don't you re-
member your grandfather speaking of
it at the Sunday dinner one night?"
"He didn't say they were engaged
or"
"Well they were Everybody knows
it; and she broke it off on account of
that serenade when Eugene didn't
know what he was doing. He drank
when he was young man, and she
wouldn't stand for it, but everybody
in this town knows that Isabel has