Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1920-01-16

By BOOTH TARKINcroN

syrieht BY Doubleday. tsss . Company.

She stared at him with such o for
lorn Darkness as he had never seen.
I'D be paying she said feebly. YTd
be paying"
"CertainIy you would. You'd be
using more of your money han +"
"My money!" Eannys chin drooped
upon her thin chest and she laughed
miserably. ave got twenty-eigAt dol
lars. That's ALL"
you mean until the interest is due
again?r Hef
81 mean that's ALL" Fanny said. 81
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. I haven't
told you anything"
"Then Ii was Uncle George. He
told me you had enough to fall back
on. That's just what he. said ito 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"
II know" she said weakly. II 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 sure way to make a real for
tune out of a little Ind l thought l
could do something fof you. George,
If YOU ever came to need it-and 1t all
looked so bright. | just thought Pa put
1t all in. did--eyery cent except my
last interest payinent--and it's gons.r
"Good Lordl" 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 a thing
as this?"
II couldn't till I 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 4 am l didn't know
what to do. just tried to go ahead
and be as practical as 1 could, and ar
range some way for US to live. Oh,
knew you didn't want me, George
can see that much! You don't sup
pose l want to thrust myself ON you,
do you? 1t isn't very pleasantito be
thrusting yourself on a person you
know doesn't want you-but 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 a home
for you'll knew she'd want me to do
what tried to dor 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 lurchI
You"
"Oh, my Lord" He went to her
AMI lifted her. "For Gods sake get
upl Come. let's take the coffee into
the other room and see what's to 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. "Therel" he said, "get
over itw Fanny'S spirits revived ap-
preciably: she looked up with a plain
tive eagerness. 81 had bought all my
fall clothes, George" she said; "and
paid every bill owed. / don't owe
cent for clothes. George"
THAT'S good" he said wanly, and he
had a moment of physical dizziness
that decided him to sit down quickly.
For an instant it seemed to him that
he was not Fanny's nephew, but mar
ried to her. He passed his pale hand
over his paler forehead. "Well. let's
see where we stand" he said feebly.
Lets see If we can afford this place
you've selected"
Fanny continued to brighten, I'm
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 Wen 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 a month; the dinner is twenty
two and half for each Of us, and
we've got to have some provision for
other food. We won't need any
clothes for q year, perhaps"
"Oh, longer" she exclaimed. $50
you see"
II see that forty-fve and thIrty-ssii
make eighty-ore," he said. AT the
lowest, we need hundred dollars a
month--and I'm going to make thirty
two"
7 thought OF that, George, she said
confidently. land I'm sure it will be all
| right You'll he earning great deal