Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1920-01-29
cordial smile on her face to- the very

last; and now, as he looked back,
emphasized her friendly by
waving her small hand to him cheer.
lily, though perhaps with the slightest
hint of ~preoccupation, as if she had
begun to think of the errand that
brought her down town.
Lucy remained where she was until
he was out of sight. Then she went
slowly into the drug store which had
struck George as a possible source of
stimulant for himself.
"Please let me have a few drops of
aromatic spirits of ammonia in a glass
of water" she said, with the utmost
composure.
eyes, ma'am" said the impression.
able clerk, who had been looking at
her through the display window as she
stood Oh the orner
But a moment later, as he turned
from the shelves of glass jars against
the wall, with the potion she had ask
ed for in his hand, he uttered an ex-
clamation: "For goshes' sake, Miss r.
And, describing this adventure to his
fellow boarders, that evening, "Sagged
pretty nea to the counter, she was"
he said "'F I hadn't been a bright,
quick, ready-for-auything young fella
she'd "a fummixed plum! L was
watchin' her out the window-talkin'
to some young siety 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 u place and took n good look
at me. I reckon 1t must be the truth
what some you town wags say about
my face"
At that hour the heroine of the
susceptible clerks romance was en-
gagged in Frightening the rosy little
coal fire under the white m~antelpiece
in her pretty white and blue boudoir.
-Four photographs all framed in decor
ous plain silver went to the anthra-
cites fierce Observation-Disclosures and
all-and three packets Of letters 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.
1t was not Eugene who told her
what had happened at Isabel's 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 letting 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
a tribute to George; 'The worst of it
is, he thinks he's been such a hero,
and Isabel does, too. and that makes
him more than twice as awful. It's
beer the same all his life; everything
he did was noble and perfect. He had
a domineering nature to begin with,
ana h let it go on, and fostered it
till it absolutely ruled her. l never
saw a palmer case of a 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
thing-so manly and protective-go-
ing to Mrs. Johnson. And so heroic
doing what his principles made him
even though he knew what it would
cost him with YOU. And all the while
it's almost killing her-What he said
to your father! She's always been
lofty enough, 50 to speak, and had the
greatest idea of the Ambersons being
superior to the rest Of the world, and
all That, but ~rudeneSS, or anything like
a scene or any bad mannerS-thcy
always just made her sick, But she
could never see what Georges man
ners were-oh, its been q terrible
adulation! . . It's going to be a task
FOR me, living in that big house, all
alone: you must come and see HE
l mean after they've gone, Of course.
III go crazy if / don't see something
Of people. I'm sure you'll come as
offer as you can. l know you too well
to think you'll be sensitive about CON-
ing there, or being reminded of
George. Thank heaven you're too we'll
%balaIced," Miss Fanny concluded,
with a profound fervor, you're too
well-balanced to let anything affect
you deeply about that-that monkey"
The four photographs and the paint
ed Florentine box went to their crema-
ton within the same hour that Miss
Fanny spoke; and a little later Lucy
called her father in, as he passed her
door, and pointed to the blackened area
on the undeIside of the mantelpiece,
and to the burnt heap upon the coal,
where some metallic shapes still re-
tanned outline. She aung her arms
about his neck in passionate SYM
pathy, telling him that she knew what
had happened to him; and presently
he began to comfort her and managed
nmInr ruSSnI lnupb