Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-01-15

want to know abOut--these other peO-
pie You say you know of other peO-
pie who talk about this
81 presume they do"
"How manyT
"What?"
81 want to know how many other
people talk about it2"
"Dear, dear| she protested. How
should / know that"
Haven't you heard anybody men,
ton lt?"
II presume So"
"Well, how many have you heardY'
Mrs. Johnson was becoming moro
annoyed than apprehensive, and she
showed it. Really, this isn't a court
roOm," she said. "And I'm not a de-
PENDANT in libel suit, ether !"
The unfortunate young man lost
what remained of his balance. "You
may be r' he cried. II intend to know
just who's dared to say these things,
if l have to force my way into every
house in town, and I'm going to make
them take every word of it back |
mean TO know the name of every SLAM
derer that's spoken of this matter to
you and Of every tattler you've passed
it on to yourself. l mean to- know"
you'll know something pretty
quick" she said. rising with difficult
ty; and her voice was thick with the
sense of insult. you'll know that
you're out in the street. Please to
leave my housed"
George stiffened sharply. Then he
bowed, and strobe out of the door.
Three minutes later, disheveled and
perspirlng, but cold all over, he burst
into his Uncle Georges room at the
Majors without knocking. Anderson
was dressing.
"Good gracious, Georgie| he ex-
claimed, whats up?"
1--WE just come from Mrs. John
Son's-across the street." George pant
ed.
"YOu have your own tastes" was
AmbersOn's comment. "But curious as
they are you ought to do something
better with your hair, and button
your waistcoat to the right buttons
even for Mrs. johnson! What were
you doing over there"
"She told me to leave the house."
George said desperately. II went
there because Aunt Fanny told me the
whole town was talking about my
mother and that man Morgan-that
they say my mother is going to marry
him and that proves she was too fond
of him before my father died-she
said this Mrs. johnson was one that
talked about it, and went to her to
ask who were the others"
Amberson's jaw fell in dismay.
Don't tell me you did that y he said,
in low voice; and then, seeing it was
true, "Oh, now you have done itv'
"I've done it?" George cried. "What
do you mean: I've done it? And what
have done"
Anderson had collapsed into an
easy chair beside bis dressing tableh
the white evening tie Ne had beer
about to put on dangling from his
hand, which had fallen Imply on the
arm Of the chair. "By JOve!" he NUT
tered. THAT is too badw
George folded his arms bitterly.
"Will you kindly answer my question?
What have 1 done that wasn't honor
able and right? Do you think these
riffraff can go about bandying my
mothers name"
"They can now" said Anderson. II
don't know If they could before, but |
they certainly can now"
what do you mean by that?"
His uncle sighed profoundly, picked |
up his tie, and, preoccupied with de-
spondency, twisted the strip of white
lawn till it became unwearable. Mean
while, he tried to enlighten his nephew.
Gossip is never fatal, George" ne
said, until it is denied. Gossip goes
IN about every human being alive and
about all the dead that are alive
enough to be remembered, and yet
almost never does any harm until
some defender makes a controversy"
"See here" George said, II didn't
come to listen 10 any generalizlng dose
of philosophy! l ask you"
"You asked me what you've done,
and I'm telling you" Anderson gave