The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1920-01-29

In ais room over his mistreatment of
heri
"Oh. my Lord 90 he whispered; then,
with great effort. addressed her IN a
reasonable tone: Look here, Aunt
Fanny; don't sec ~hat you're making
all this fuss abOdt or course I know
I've teased you sometimes. but"
'Teased' meF' she walled.
Teased' met Oh. II does seem too
hard sometimes-thls mean old life OF
mine does seefp too hardi don't
think | can stand Il. Honestly, don't
think / cant / came In here Just to
show you I sympathIzed with you
just 10 say something pleasant 10 you.
and you treat me as IL I were-oh. no,
you wouldn't treat servant the way
you treat met You wouldn't treat any
body In the world like this except old
Fanbyi"
"Oh. my Lordi- George groaned.
Fanny spread out her small. soaked
handkerchief. and shook Il In the air
10 dry II little. crying as damply and
as wretchedly during this operation as
befWe-a sight which gave George
curious shock to add 70 his other agi-
tations. 1t seemed so strange.
You're so proud" she quavered.
'and so hard tell you didn't mean
to speak Of II to you. and I never.
never In the world would have told
you about II, nor have made the faint
est reference 20 II, II 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 whatl
I'd found what out for myselfr'
"Iiow people are talking about your
mother"
Except for the incidental teariness
! Of her voice. her tone was casual. Ms
though she mentioned subject pre-
yiously 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 sayT" he asked In
creddlously.
"Of course I understood what you
were doing" Fanny went on. drying her
handkerchief again. ut puzzled 'iher
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
| remembered how you came TO me.
that other time when there was 80
much talk about Isabel: and l.new
you'd give Lucy up Ia minute. II 1t
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" lie stopped. unable TO go on,
his agitation was so great. His chest
heaved as from hard running. and his
complexion, pallld at first, had be-
come notified; fiery splotches appear
ing at his temples and cheeks. "what
do you mean by telling me-telling me
there's talk about-about--" lie
gulped, and began again: "What do
you mean by using such words as
| 'reputatinT What do you mean.
speaking Of n question OF my--my
mothers reputntlon?"
Fanny looked up at him woefully
! over the handkerchief which she now
applied to her reddened nose. God
knows | am sorry for you. George
she murmured. Il wanted to say 80,
nut It's only old Fanny. so whatever
she snys-even when it's sympathy
pick on her for Il" She sobbed Its
only poor old lonely Fanny"
"You look hereH' George said harsh
ly. 'When ! spoke to my Uncle
George after that rotten thing | heard
Aunt Amelia say about my mother. he
said II there was any gossip 1t wns
about you He said people might be
laughing about the way you ran after
aiorgan. but that vas ALL"
Fanny lifted her hands. clenched
, them and struck them upon her knees.
"Yes; it's always Fannyi" she sobbed.
ridiculous old ganny-always. al
waysl"
"You llstepl" George said. "After
I'd talked 20 Uncle George saw you
and you said had mean little mind
for thinking there mlghi b truth IN