The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-01-22

alone, Georger' And as he released
the wrist he had seized to help her she
uttered the dismal prophecy which for
days she had been matching against
her hopes: "You're going to leave
me-in the lurchv'
"Why no. Aunt Fanny" he protest
ed. AT first I'd have been something
of burden on you. I'm to get eight
dollars week; about thirty-twO
month. The rents thirty-six dollars a
month, and the table d'hOte dinner
runs up to over twenty-five dollars
apiece, so with my half Of the rent
Ieighteen dollars-Pd have less than
nothing left ont of my salary to pay
my share Of the groceries for all the
breakfasts and Iunchc0ns. You see
you'd not only be doing all the house
work and cooking but you'd be paying
more of the expenses than l would"
She stared at him with such a for
lorn blankness as he had never seen.
l"rd be paying" she said feebly. "Pd
be paying"
Certainly you would. You'd be
using more Of your money than"
my money! Fanny's cnin dropped
upon her thin chest and she laughed
miserably. 1--WE rJt twenty-eight dol
lars. That's ALL"
"You mean until the interest is due
againT
II mean that's ALL" Fanny said. II
mean that's all there Is. There won't
be any more interest because there
isn't any principal"
"Why you told"
| She shook her head. mo. 1 haven't
told you anything"
"Then 1t was Uncle George. He
told me you had enough to fall back
on. That's just what he said: to fall
back on He said you'd lost more
than you should in the headlight COM
pany. but he'd insisted that you should
hold out enough to live on, and you'd
very wisely followed his advice"
Il know" she said weakly. IT told
him so. He didn't know, or else he'd
forgotten how much Wilbur's insur-
ance amounted to, and I-oh, it seemed
such d sure way to make d real for
tune out of little-and l thought /
could do something for you, George,
IL you ever came to need it-and 1t all
looked so bright just thought I'd put
1t all in. dld-every cent except my
last interest payment-and it's gone."
"GOod Lord |" George began to
pace up and down the worn planks Of
the bare floor. "Why on earth did
you wait till now to tell such thing
as this?"
81 couldn't till l had to-" she said
piteously. 1t wouldn't do any good
not any good on earth." She got out
her lace handkerchief and began to
cry. Nothing does any good, guess,
In this old world Oh, how tired Of
this old world l am! I didn't know
what to do. l just tried to go ahead
and be as practical as could, and ar
range some way for us to live. Oh,
l knew you didn't want me, George
i can see that much! You don't sup
pose want to thrust myself on you,
do you? 1t isn't very pleasant to be
thrusting yourself on person you
know doesn't want yOu-but l knew
you oughtn't to be left all alone In
the world; 1t isn't good. knew your
mother'd want me to watch over you
and try to have something like home
for you'll knew she'd want me to do
what / tried to do" Fanny's tears
were bitter now, and her voice, hoarse
and wet, was tragically sincere. "Oh
and now-you don't want-you want
you want to leave me in the lurch
You"
"Oh. my Lord!" He went to her
anl lifted her. "For G0d's sake get
upl Come. let's take the coffee into
the ether room and see what's 10 be
DONE"
He got her to her feet; she leaned
upon him, already somewhat comfort
ed, and, with his arm about her, he
conducted her to the dining room and
seated her in one of the two kitchen
chairs which had been placed at the
rough table. "There!" he said, "get
over It'll" Fanny's spirits revived ap-
preciaL'y: she looked up with plain
tive eagerness. II had bought all my
fall clothes, George, she said; "and ]
paid every bill l owed, 1 don't owe q
cent for clothes, Gc,rge."
'Thr's good" he said wanly, and he
had ii moment of physical dizzin SIS
that decided him to sit down quickly.
For an instant 1t seemed to him that
he was not Fanny's nephew, but mar
ried to her. He passed his pale hand
over his paler forehead. swell, let's
see where we stand" he said feebly.
! Lets see If we can afford this place
you've selected"
Fanny continued to brighten. 'Tm
sure it's the most practical plan we
could possibly have worked out,
George--and 1t Is a comfort to be
among nice people. think we'll both
enjoy 1t, because the truth Is we've
been keeping too much to ourselves
for long while. 1t isn't good for
people"
II was thinking about the money,
Aunt Fanny. The rent Is thirty-six
dollars q month: the dinner is twenty
two and q half for each Of n. and