The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1919-11-07

Tn afraid poor Aunt Fanny might
think now fathers gone we won't want
her TO live with us any longer and be
cause always leased her so much she
might think I'd be for turning her out.
| I don't know where on earth she'd 60
or what she could live on IL we did do
something like this, and OF course we
never would do such q 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 IL the world
OF my treating her like that Tell her
everything Is to go on just as 1t al
ways has. Tell her to cheer up"
| 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
Wilbur's business: and Wiibur's bust
ness. after a period OF illness CORE
| 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 a miracle of
| precision" as Anderson said. They
'owned not penny and owed not a
| penny" he continued. explaining his
phrase. Its like the moment just be-
fore drowning: you're not under water
| and you're not out of 1t. All You know
Is that you're not dead yet"
He spoke philosophically, having his
prospects" from his father TO fall
|
prospects" nor philosophy. However,
legal survey of Wilbur's estate re
vealed the fact that his life insurance
was left clear of the wreck; and Isa-
| bel, with the cheerful consent of her
son, promptly turned this salvage over
to her sister-in-law. Invested, 1t would
yield something better than nine hun
dred dollars a year, and thus she was
assured of becoming neither a pauper
nor a dependent, but proved TO be, as
ANDERSON said adding his efforts to
the cheering up of Fanny. 'an heiress,
after all, In spite of rolling mills and
the devil"
The collegian did not return to his
home for the holidays. Instead, Isa-
bel joined him, and they went South
for the two weeks. She was proud of
her stalwart, good-looking son at the
hotel where they stayed. and 1t was
meat and drink to her when she saw
how people stared at him in the lobby
and on the big verandas--indeed, her
vanity In him was so dominant that
she was unaware OF their staring at
her with more interest and an ad-
miration friendlier than George
evoked.
Both OF them felt constantly the diff
ference between this Christmas time
and other Christmas times of theirs
In all, 1t was SOrrowful holiday. But
when Isabel came East for Georges
commencement, in June, she brought
Lucy with her-and things began to
seem different. especially when George
ANDERSON arrived with Lucy's father
on class day. Eugene had been In New
York. on business; Anderson easily
persuaded him to this outing; and they
made a cheerful party of it. with the
new graduate of course the hero and
center of Ii all.
His uncle was q fellow alumnus.
"Yonder was where / roomed when /
was here" he said pointing out one of
the university buildings to Eugene. Il
don't know whether George would let
my admirers place tablet to mark
the spot, or not. He owns all these
buildings now, you know"
Didn't you, when you were here?
Like uncle, like nephew"
I'm sure 1 didn't have 1t so badly
at his age" Anderson said reflectively,
as they strolled on through the COM
mencement crowd.
Eugene laughed "You need only
three things to explain all that's good
and bad about George"
"Three?"
"He's Isaoels only child. He's an
Anderson. He's a boy"
.Well, Mister Bones, OF these three
things which are the good ones and
which are the bad ones?''
'All of them," said Eugene.
George took no conspicuous part In
either the academic or the social cele-
brations of his class he seemed to re-
gard both sets of exercises with toll
Grant amusement, his own crowd"
mot going In much for either of those
sorts of things" as he explained to
Lucy. What his crowd had gone in for
remained ambiguous; some negligent