The diamond drill., 1919-09-20

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 II he
had not been making an unmanly dis
play of himself. "Tm all right again.
mother" he said awkwardiy. "non't
worry about me: you'd better 20, lie
down, or something; you look pretty
pale,v sA'ssasss...--- ...----~
! Isabel did look pretty pale, but not
Rhastly pale, as Fanny did. Fanny's
grief was overwhelming she stayed I'm
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
Ing that In these quiet interviews he
had appeared to her as tinged with
heroism-she had shown, rather than
said. how brave she thought him.
When he went back to college. what
came most wildly TO Georges mind.
during retrospections. was the despair
ing face OF his Aunt Fanny. Again and
again he thought OF it; he could not
avoid it's haunting. Her grief had been
40 silent, yet Il had so amazed him.
George felt more and more compass
lsion for this ancient antagonist OF his,
and he wrote to his mother about her:
"rm afraid poor Aunt Fanny might
,fhink now fathers gone we won't want
her to live with US any longer and be-
icause always teased her so much she
Knight think I'D be for turning her out.
IL don't know where on earth she'd 20
tor what she could live on IL we did do
.somethIng like this. and OF course we
never would do such thing, but I'm
pretty sure she had something OF the
kind on her mind. She didn't say any
thing. but the way she looked Is what
makes me think SO. Honestly. to me
she looked just scared sick. You tell
her there isn't any danger In the world
of my treating her like that Tell her
Everything IL to 20 on just az II al
ways hns. Tell her to cheer upi"
Isabel did more for Fanny than tell
ing her TO cheer up. Everything that
Fanny Inherited from her father, old
Aleck MInafer. had been invested In
lwilbur's business; and wIlbur's busi-
ness. after a period OF Illness corre-
spending In dates TO the illness OF VIII
bur's body, had died just before VIII.
bur did. George Anderson and Fanny
were both wiped out TO miracle OF
precision" as ANDERSON said. They
"owned not a penny and owed not a
penny" he continued. explaining his
phrase. IT'S like the moment just be-
fore drowning: you're not under water
and you're not out Of II. All you know
is that you're not dead yet"
lie spoke phIlosophIcalIy, having HIS
prospects" from his father 10 fall
back upon; but Fanny had neither
f''prospects" nor philosophy. However.
In legal survey OF wilbur's estate re-
.vealed the fact that his life Insurance
iwns left clear OF the wreck and Isa-
bel, with the cheerful consent OF her
lson. promptly turned this salvage over
lfo her sister.In-law. Invested. u would
yield something better than nine hum
sdrcd dollars year. and thus she was
nssured of becoming neither a pauper
nor dependent. but proved 20 be, as
Anderson said, adding his efforts TO
.ths ehttrlns up of Fanny IAN heIress,
~ and