Cheyenne record., 1920-01-08

IAN ~ 1S0oo4y
,'Xss. mother"
She did not tpeak again for tine:
then. sAre you sute you didn't-dId1t
catch cold ld-coming homer
"Tm, Ill right. mother.
That's good. IT'S swset-lt's
sweee-.
~What q, mother dariinsr'
ITO feel-my hand; on your cheek.
FL can feel It" &.
that she seemed % glad she could fssa
II. like child proud Of some miraeu-
lous seeming thing accomplished. y
frightened him %, that he could ct
speak. and he feared that sho would
know how he trembled; but she WAS
unaware. and again was silent. y1nal.
" she spoke again:
II wonder H-K Eugene and Lucy
know that we've come-homeI"
"Tm sure they do"
"Has he-asked about meT'
"Yes, he was here"
"Has he-goner'
"Yes, mother"
She sighed family. I'D liks-
"What, mother7'
"Td like to have-seen HIM" Il was
audible, this little regretful murmu1.
Several minutes passed before there
was another. "Just-just once" she
whispered, and then was still.
She seemed to have fallen asleep,
and George moved to 60, but Q faint
pressure upon his fingers detained.
him, and he remained. with her hand
still pressed against his cheek. After
a while he made sure she was asleep.
and moved again. to let tho nurse
come in, and this time there was no
pressure Of the fingers to keep him.
She was not asleep. but. thinking that
If he went he might get some rest. and
be better prepared for what she knew
was coming. she commanded those
longing fingers Of hers-and let him
60.
He found the doctor standing with
the nurse in the hall; and, telling
them that his mother was browsing
now. George went back to his own
room. where he was startled to find
his grandfather lying ON the bed. and
his uncle leaning against the wall.
They had gone home two hours before,
and he did not know they had return
ed.
"The doctor thought we'd better
come over" Anderson said, then was
silent, and George. shaking violently,
sat down on the edge Of the bed. Hls
shaking continued. and from time to
time he wiped heavy sweat from his
forehead.
The houra passed, and sometimes
the old man upon the bed would snore
a little, stop suddenly. and move a. II
to rise, but George Anderson would
set hand upon his shoulder, and
murmur reassuring word or two.
Once George gasped 'defantly:
'4That doctor in New York said she
might get better! Don't you know he
dfd7 Don't you know he said she
mightT
y Anderson made no answer.
Dawn had been murking through
the smoky windows. growing strong
er for half an hour, when both men
started violently at sound in the
hall; and the Major sat up on the bed.
It was the voice of the nurse speaking
to Fanny Minafer, and the next mo-
ment Fanny appeared in the doorway
making contorted efforts to speak.
ANDERSON said weakly: Does she
want us-to come in7'
But Fanny found her voice. and ut.
tered long. loud cry. She threw her
arms about George, and sobbed In an
agony Of loss and compassion:
"She loved you:" she walled. ''Shs
loved you'll She loved youi Oh. how
she did love your
Isabel had Just left them.
. - .
Major Anderson remained dry.eyed
through the time that followed; he
knew that this separation from his
daughter would be short; that the
separation which had preceded 1t was
the long one. He worked at his
ledgers no more under his old gas
droD-ligbt, but would sit all evening
staring into the fire. in his bedroom,
and not speaking unless someone ask
ed him question. He seemed almost
unaware Of what went ON around him,
and those who were with him thought
him dazed by Isabers death, guessing
that he was lost in "reminiscences and
vague dreams. "Probably his mind II
full Of pictures Of his youth, or the
Civil war. and the days when he and
mother were young married people
and all Of US children were jolly little
things-and the city was small town
with one cobbled street and the others
just dirt roads with board sidewalks."
This was George Amberson's conjec-
ture. and the others agreed; but they
were mistaken. The Major was en-.