The Connecticut labor press., 1919-11-29
CHAPTER xEtii-continued.

nut moment laCer, as ne turned from the shelves of glass jars against the wall, with the potion she had ask
 ed foK ir his hand, he uttered an ex- clamatiOn: For goshes' sake, Miss !'' And, describing this adventure to his fellow boarderS, that evening, "SaggeG pretty near to the counter, she was" he said IF hadn't been bright, quick, ready-fOr-anything young fella she'd "a flummixed plum I was watchin' her out. the window-talkfn' to- some young s'iety fella. and she was all right then. She was all right when she came in the store, too. Yes, sir: the prettiest girl that ever walk ed in our place and took one good look at me. reckon it must be the truth what some you town wags say about my facer"
 At that hour the heroine of the susceptible clerks romance was en- gagged in brightening the rosy little coal fire under the white mantelpiece in her pretty white and blue boudoir. Four photographs all framed in decor Ous plain silver went to the anthra- cites fierce destruction-frames and
 
 notes in a charming Florentine treas ure box of painted wood; nor was the box, any more than the silver frames, spared this rousing finish. Thrown heartily upon live coal, the fine wood sparkled forth in stars, then burst in- to an alarming blaze which scOrched the white mantelpiece, but Lucy stood and looked on without moving.
 It was not Eugene who told her what had happened at Isabels door. When she got home, she found Fanny Minafer waiting for her-a secret ex- cUrsion of Fanny's for the purpose, pre- sumably, of ''letttng out" again; be cause that was what she did. She told Lucy everything (except her own la- mentable part in the production of the recent miseries) and concluded with d tribute to George; "The worst of ir is, he thinks he's been such a hero. and Isabel does, too. and that makes him more than twice as awful. It's been the same all his life; everything he did was noble and perfect. He had a domineering nature to begin with, and she let it go on, and fOstered 1t till It absolutely ruled her. I never saw a palmer case of persons fault making them pay for having it! She goes about, overseeing the packing and praiSing George and pretending to be perfectly cheerful about what he's done. She pretends he did such a fine thAng-so manly and protective-go- ing to Mrs. Johnson. And so heroic doing what his principles made him ! 7--even though he knew what it wouI0 ] cost him with you And all the wh1lA at's almost killing her-what he said i Go your father! She's always been lofty enough, so to speak, and had the greatest idea of the AmbersOns being | superior to the rest of the world, aEd | all that, but rudeness, or anything like . scene, or any bad manners-they | always just made her sickl But she could never see what Georges man. | ners were-oh, it's been a terrible a6ulation! .. It's going to be task for me, living in that big house, all alone; you must come and see me I mean after they've gone, of course. S'n go crazy if I don't see something of people. I'm sure you'll come as often as you can. know you too well to think you'll De sensitive about com Sag there, or being reminded of George. Thank heaven you're too we'll balanced" Misn Fanny concluded, with a profound fervor. you're too well-balanced tA let anything affect you deeply about tbat-that monkey!
 The four photographs and the paint cd Florentine box went to their crema- &Ion within the same hour that Mss Fanny spoke; and little later Lucy called her father in, as he passed her door, and pointed to the blackened aTea on the underside of the mantelpieCe, and to the burnt heap upon the coaL where some metallic shapes still re- eafned outline. She flung her arfhs | &bcut his neck in passionate sym- pathy, telling him that she knew what l had happened to Dim; and presently | he began to comfort her and managed l an embarrassed iaush.
 ''Well, we'll" he said. 'I was too | old for such foolishness to be getting | into my head, anyhow"
 "No, no!' she sObbed. And If you l GETs4w how I despise myself for-for | ~7CA AASlfIAlS5 OuC l1oldhl dDOuL oh, Miss Fanny called him the right 1 aame: that monkey! He is!''
 There, think agree with you," Eugene said grimly, and in his eyes 0ere was a steady light of anger that was to last. "Yes think agree with | FOu about that!"
 "There's only one thing to do with | EQch a person." she said vehemently. i 'sThat's to put him out of our thoughts Eorever-fOrever!
 And yet, the next day, at six o'clock, which was the hUar, Fanny had told | Bser, when George and his mother were to leave upon their long Journey, Lucy touched that scorched place on her Enantel with her hand just as the little clock above 1t struck. Then, after this cdd, unconscious gesture, she went to 6 window and stood between the cur tRins, looking out into the cold No dusk; and in spite of every and reasonable power within her, a pain of loneliness struck through | her heart. The dim street below her window, the dark houses across the way the vague air itself-all looked empty and cold and (mOst of all un- Something more sombra than November dusk took the color I,o+ aiN !