The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1919-11-28

and you treat me as If were-oh, no,
| you wouldn't treat servant the way
you treat me You wouldn't treat any
body in the world like this except old
Fanny"
"Oh. my Lord" George groaned.
Fanny spread out her small, soaked
| handkerchief, end shook ii in the air
TO dry II little. crying as damply and
as wretchedly during this operation as
bef0e-a sight which gave George n
curious shock to add to his other agi-
tations, Ii seemed so strange
You're so proud" she quavered.
land so hard / tell you / didn't mean
TO speak of 1T to you, and l never,
never In the world would have told
you about II, nor have made the faint
est reference TO ii. 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 what?
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 mystified 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
"Of course I 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 / knew
you'd give Lucy up in a 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 ut first, had be-
come notified; fiery splotches appear
ing ut his temples anu cheeks. what
do you mean by telling me-teIling me
there's talk about-about-" He
prllnad md hapan auofp ssyNhot do
you mean by using such words as
reputation What do you mean,
speaking OF q question Of my-my
mothers reputationY'
Fanny looked up at him woefully
over the handkerchief which she now
applied to her redeemed nose ''God
knows / am sorry for you. George"
she murmured. 81 wanted to say so,
but it's only old Fanny. so whatever
she says-even when it's sympathy
pick on her for Ii y She sobbed. Its
only poor old lonely Fanny
you look herer George said harsh
IL. "When / spoke to my Uncle
George after that rotten thing heard
Aunt Amelia say about my mother. he
said If there was any gossip 1T was
about you He said people might be
laughing about the way you ran after
Morgan. but that was ALL"
Fanny lifted her hands. clenched
them and struck them upon her knees
Yes; It's always Fanny =" she sobbed
Ridiculous old Fanny-always. al
waysl"
"You listen! :" George said AFTER
I'd talked TO Uncle George l 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 1t. And that
wasn't the only time: you'd attacked
me before then. because I intimated
that Morgan might be coming here too
often. You made me believe that
mother let Aim come entirely on your
account. and now you say
II think ne did" Fanny interrupted
desolately. Il think ne did come Us
much to see me as anything-for q |
while II looked like It. He did act q |
good deal that way-and IL Wilbur |
hadn't died !
"You told me there wasn't any
talk"
Il didn't think there was much. |
then" Fanny protested. Il didn't |
know how much there was"
"What!"
People don't come and tell such |
things to 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 youl Or that they we're going to |
say much to me9
you told me-" said George. nercely. |
that mother never saw him except |
when she was ehapefoning You"
They weren't much alone together. |