The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1920-12-09
GEORGE ONLY
By NELLIE +. BROWN.

uic lhDle, was TeclllnX Lnelr duNcH
lures to her Aunt Hester, I'VE met
George W. He's really quite pleas
ant, auntie. Why don't you like him
You don't l know" Gas her aunt shook
her head deprecatingly), but he
stopped and spoke, and SO had to In
troduce WilP'-she looked with blush
toward the curiy-haIred young man be
side her-"and-and he wished us
great joy and so forth very nicely
didn't he, WHIP
WIN nodded and opened his mouth
to speak, but Muriel's was already
open, and she hurried on. "And then,
just little farther ON, we met George
Only"
why George Only?" inquired VIII,
as Muriel stopped to take cookie
from the pan Miss Hester held.
"Why-er-er everybody calls him
that" replied Muriel, everybody but
Aunt Hester, that is-she doesn't Ike
nicknames."
'Sairy Bennett told me that Aunt
Hester started it" she said. "She said
both of them used to be sweet on her,
but / don't really believe that. At
least she doesn't like George W., and,
Of course, she couldn't have liked
George Only"
''Why?" asked VIII again Hes not
20 awfully .homely."
He's homely enough" retorted Mu-
oil unt~ rIox orfP .
and as graceful as a scarecrow. Tn
just marrying you for your good
looks" she added teesingly.
Meanwhile Hester, gray-haired, an
gular and work-worn, but with some
thing still fine and strong In her face,
was methodically cutting round after
round of cookies, with unnecessarily
severe thumps of the cutter. 1t always
made her furious-only, Of course, she
dared not show it-when anybody said
George Only" And her thoughts
went back, as always, to the first time
she had said it. years ago, when she
was young like Muriel.
George Bates, George W., as he was
called to distinguish him from his
cousin, had come to call upon her,
bringing some peaches. She did not
like this George very well, but she was
young and the peaches were delicious,
so the call was fairly enjoyable. Her
mother was an invalid, deaf and queru-
lous.
who's here?" she had called from
her bedroom.
George Bates, mother" Hester had
shrieked; George W."
who's that goin' by? queried the
old lady from her window, later.
That's George-George Only" said
Hester, laughing and blushing little.
What Hester did not know was that
George w. had repeated her phrase to
his cousin, reversing the words-and
"Only George" had such a sighting
and-well, he'd no chance, any
way, against his sprucer and hand
somer cousin; so he had almost imme-
diately gone West before ever George
W. had had the grace to correct the
name; and when he returned and
heard George Only" on every tongue
he never guessed 1t was the name
Hester had given him, but thought 1t
merely a perversion of the original
slight.
And now he was alone In the world, |
as Hester would he when Muriel was
married-Muriel, for whom Hester had
refused George w. and many others,
gossip Said George w. had consoled /
himself with Julia Smith, but George.
Only had never looked. at another girl.
OF this George Only was thinking as
he came back over the road where he
had met Muriel and VIII only a short
time before. They were up on the hill
back of the house now. He could see
blue gown He looked little
wistfully at the kitchen door. Alas
the hill was stony, and one needed to
watch ones footing. He slipped on a
loose cobble and fell heavily, awkward
ly, his long legs twisting grotesQuely.
Men are not supple at f1fty-flve, though
they may be active and strong. as
George Only WAS. When he tried to
rise pain shot through his ankle, and
be felt sick and dizzy.
Hello, the housed" he called. "Hel-
10, helioI"
"Who IL It? What Is itr' cried Miss
Hester, rushing to the door. n
-It's-It's only George" replied the
man. with WY twist Of his mouth
Miss Hester hurried down the walk.
er-cheeks were pink, and she patted
her hair furtively, in spite Of her anxi-
ETY.. {
A glass Of water, calf to "the chill I
iren' on the hill, q half-dozen helping .
hands into the house, little first
i'd" VIII of for the doctor, Muriel
making a cup Of tea at her aunt's or
Ter, and Hester herself bending over
Ter unwilling guest why did you say {
only Georger" she asked abruptly.
"Whyr asked George Only in bis
urn. You gave me the name, didn't
out Only folks turned 1t round"
Hester laughed. with . little sob in !
Ter throat. who told you said Only i
seorger No, don't tell mel know. 1t t
- O@-~o Uor lin1 ehnf ffOhf =