Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-01-15
hem" Isabel unused. what did

she laughed; and then, stlll standing
in the doorway, she noticed the big
silver frame upon the table beside
him" Gracious, Georgie!" she exclaim.
ed. you have been investingw and
as she came across the room FOR a
closer view, rs it's it Lucy?" she
asked half timidly, half archly. But
the next instant she saw whose like
ness was thus set forth in elcgiac
splcndor--and She was silent, except
Cor q long, iust-audible "Ohr
He neither looked up nor moved.
"1hat was nice OF you, Georgia"
she said in low voice presently. II
ought to have had Il framed, myself,
ih,n I #lre it to you."
lie said nothing and, standing be.
,ide him, she out her hand gcrtly uu-
IN his shoulder, then as gently with
irew it, ana went out Of the room.
But she did not go Upstairs: lie heard
the faint rustic OF her Ceee8 in the
hall, and then the sound OF her foot
steps in the reception room" After
! time, silence succeeded even these
slight tokens OF her presence; where
anon George rose and vert warily in
70 the hall, taking care 70 make no
lOso, and he obtainrd an rhlique view
Of hcr through the open double doors
Of the reception room" sine was sit
ting in the chair which hc had occu-
.)ied so long; and she was looking
cut of the window oXpectaatly-a Iii
lie troubled
He went back to the lihr'yy, waited
an intcrminable half hour. then re-
turned nolseIessly to the same position
in the hall where ne could see her
She was still sitting patiently by the
window.
Waiting for that man, was she?
Wen, It m'ght be quite o long wait
And lie grim George silently assembled
the stairs to his own room. and began
to pace his suffering floor.
He left his door open, however, and
when ne heard the front door bell
ring by and by, he went half way
down The stairs ana stood TO listen.
He WIGS not much afraid that Nor
gan would rcturn but be wished to
make sure.
Mary appeared in the hail below
him. but, after a glance toward the
front of the house, turned back, and
withdrew Evidently Isabel had gone
TO the door. Then a murmur was
heard. and George AmbersOn's voice,
quick and serious: II want to talk
TO YOU, Isabel" ... and another
mui'mur; then Isabel and her brother
passed the foot Of the broad, dark
stairway, but did not look up, and
remained unconscious of the watchful
presence above them.
For time all that George could
hear was the indistinct sound of his
uncle's voice: what he was saying
could not be surmised, though the
troubled brothcrlness Of his tone was
evident. He seemed to be explaining
something at considerable length, and
there were moments when he paused,
and George guessed that his mother
was speaking, but her voice must have
been very low, for it was entirely in
audible to him.
Suddenly he did hear her. Through
the heavy doors her cutlery came,
clear and loud:
ooh, now
It was a cry Of protest as II some
thing her brother told her must he I'M
true, or, if it were true, the fact he
stated must be undone; and it was
sound Of sheer pain.
Another sound of pain, close to
George, followed it; this was a vehe-
ment shifting which broke out just
above him, and, looking up, he saw
Fanny Minafer on the landing, lean
ing over the banisters and applying
her handkerchief to her eyes and
nose.
II can guess what that was about"
she whispered huskily. Hes just
told her what you did TO Eugene"
George gave her dark look over
his shoulder. you go on back to
your room!' he said; and he began to
descend the stairs; but Fanny, guess
ing his purpose, rushed down and
caught his arm, OBTAINING him.
you're not going in there?" she
whispered huskily: "YOu don't"
LET go Of mep
But she chung to him savagely mo,
you don't, George Minafer You'll
keep away from there! You will !"
"You let go Of"
81 WON'T You come back herel
You'll come upstairs and let them
alone; that's what you'll do" And
with such passionate determination
did she clutch and tug, never losing
a grip of him somewhere, though
George tried as much as he could,
without hurting her, to wrench away
with such utter fOrgetfulness of her
maiden dignity did she assault him,
that she forced him, stumbling up
ward, to the landing.
"Of all the ridiculous" he began
furiously; but she spared one hand
rhs GuIHIne That Does Not Affecf fhs Had