OCR Text |
Show V THE WEEKLY REFLEX. KAYSYILLE. UTAH t or rather, with hi lack of emotion;, the spot, ,or not lie owns all those and the anxious sympathy of his grrml- - buildings now, yon know." "Didn't you, when you owe here? father and hi uncle made j hlui-fec- it hypocritical. He a not en ; hut he felt that he ought to be. and, with a secret .shame, concealed his callouMie beneath an afTectatiou of solemnity, 'But when be was taken into the1 room where lay aliat wh left of WH- bur Mtnafer. George had no longer to pretend; hi grief was eulbotent. It1 t.oxlod onl the sight of that forever' inert scmMuitce of the quiet man wl.o o quiet a part of hihad t eon iuwmv .on life so quit f a part that George had seldom t en eonsctmisly tioure tudecd a part i f that hi father w his life. As i lie figure lav there. n very quietness wits what was most lifelike; and suddenly it siruek George hard Aud m that unexpected rucking grief of hi son. Wilbur Minafer be father came more ividly than he had ever been In life. When George left the room. Ids arm mol her. his "ns atunit bis shoulder "ere still shaken "Ith sobs He b nned Hon bis mother; she gently comforted him ; and presently he reel" ered his composure and became self conscious enough to wonder if he had not been making an unmanly dis I'm hII right again, piny of himself. mother, he said awkwardly. Tbuit worry about me- youd better go lie down or something; you look pretty grlef-stricK- -' Ttaitfkeit Ambers! Ilk Copyright ky PoobUd-- y. fn a Comppy JBEING A GENTLEMAN, -, i seem e Let me 1 know Dfiiu'i to remember the name, sonic l.ucy Morgan or oilier, once upon a ttme?' Then you'd shake your big white bead and stroke your long wh te beard youd have smh a distinguished long white beard! and you'd say, 'No. I don't st'eiu to remember any Lucy Morgan; I wonder what made me think 1 be deep in did? And jvoor me the ground, wondering if you'd hen id about tt and what you were saying' Good by for today. Don't work too and without the emotion be bad during the recital to hia uncle: Fanny was the one who showed agitation during this Interview, for she grew fiery red, and her eyes dilated. What on earth do you want to bring such trash to me for? aha demanded, breathing fast. "1 merely wished to know Jtwo things; whether It la your duty or mine to speak to father of what Aunt 1 SUPPOSE." r in . when other people Synopsis, Major Amberson ha made a fortune la Were loams fortune, and the magnificence of the Amberaons began then "development," with road and atatuary, Major Amberson laid out a tract, on Ambereon avenue, built for himself and In the center of a four-ac- re the moat magnificent mansion Midland City had ever seen. IV hen the majora daughter "married young Wilbur Mina ter the neighbors predicted that aa Isabel could never really love Wilbur all her love would be bestowed upon the children. There la only one child, however, George Ambereon Minater, and hia upbringing and hia youthful accomplishments aa a miachlaf maker are quite in keeping with the most pessimistic predictions By the time George goes away to college he doea not attempt to conceal hia belief that the Amberaona are about the most important family in the world. At a ball given honor when he returns from college. George monopolises Lui y Morgan, in ! a stranger and the prettiest girl present, and gets on famously with her until ha learnt that a "queer looking duck at whom he had been poking much fun. Is the young lady's father. He le Eugene Morgan, a former resident of and ha la returning to erect a factory and to build horseless carriage of hts own Invention. Eugene had been an old admirer of Isabel's and they had been engaged when Isabel threw him over because of a youthful Indiscretion and married Wilbur Minafer. George makes rapid progress in his courtship of Lucy. A cotillion helps their acquaintance along famously. Their "friendship" continues during hla absences at college. George and Lucy become "almost engaged." Sou-ac- re i l.ucy Morgan? You lit Fanny stamped her foot. tie fool! she erted. You awful little fool Your fathers a sick man, and you waut to go troubling him with an Amberson amily row! Its Just wha: that cat 'would love you to do!" ! Big-bur- Well. CHAPTER nausea, hut under his uncles encouragement he was Rble to he explicit. ' Foot ! Aunt Amelia was evidently "She said my mother wanted you to he You know what's been friendly to her about Eugene Morgan. ' In a passion. over on there, well enough, She said my mother had been using going Frank Bronson! I thought you were Aunt Fanny as a chaperone. Amberson emitted a laugh of a man of the world: dont tell me Its wonderful what tommy-ro- t you're blind! For nearly two years Isabels been pretending to chaperone a woman in a state of spite can think Fatiny Minafer with Eugene, and all of! I supjKise you dont doubt that the time shes been dragging that poor Amelia Amberson created this sped herself? of all the fool Fanny around to chaperone her men of tommy-ro- t nd Eugene? Under the circumstances, damn nonsense! she knows people will get to thinking j George looked at hltn haggardly. Fanny a pretty slim kind of chap-- j "Youre sure people are not talking?" Ituhblsh! Your mothers on my erone, and Isabel wants to please George because she thinks therell be side about this division because she less talk If she can keep her own knows Sydneys a pig and always has brother afound, seeming to approve, been a pig, and 6o has his spiteful Talk I Shed better look out! The wife. Im trying to keep them from whole town will be talking, the first getting the better of your mother as well as from getting the better of me, thing she knows ! She Amelia stopped, and stared at the dont you suppose? Well, theyre in a rage because Sydney always could do what he liked with father unless your mother Interfered, and they know I got Isabel to ask him not to do what they wanted. Thats all there Is to It." "But she said, George persisted wretchedly; she said there was talk. She said "Look here, young fr'Uow! AmberThere son laughed probably la some harmless talk about the way your Aunt Fanny goes after poor Eugene, and Ive no doubt Ive abetted it myself. Fanny was always years languishing at him, twenty-odago, before he left here. Well, we cant blame the poor thing If shea got her hopes up again, and I dont know that I blame her, myself, for using your mother the way she does." How do you mean?" Amberson pur his hand on Georges You like to tease Fanny," shoulder. he said, "but I wouldnt tease her about this, If I were you. Fanny hasnt got much in her life. In fact, I dont know of anything much that Fanny has' got, except her feeling about Eugene. Shes always had It and what funny to us Is pretty much to her, I suspect. Now, Ill not deny that Eugene Morgan Is attracted to your mother. He is ; and that another case of always was ? but I know him. and hea a knight. George a crazy one, perhaps. If you've read 'Don And I think your mother Amelia Stopped, and Stared at the Quixote. him than ahe likes any better likes Doorway in a Panic. man outside her own family, and that doorway in a panic, for ber nephew he Interests her more than anybody stood there. else and always has. And that's all She kept her eyes upon hla white there Is to It, except " face for a few strained moments, then, "Except whnt?" George asked quickand looked away her nerve, regaining ly, a's he paused. Amberson shrugged ber shoulders. "Except that I suspect "You werent intended to hear what chuckled, and began' over; "HI tell Ive been saying, George, she said you in confidence. Fanny' uses your mother. for a decoy duck. She doea quietly. "But since you seem " "Y eg. t did. everything- In the world she can to "So! She shrugged her shoulders keep your mother's friendship with again. , "After all. I dont know but Eugene going, because she thinks It's just as well, in the long run. that's what keeps Eugene about the He walked up to where she sat "You place. o to speak. Fannys alway with your mother, you tee ; and whenhe said thickly. "It seems you It seems to me youre youre pretty, ever, he sees Isabel he sees Fanny. common Fanny thinks he'll get used to the idea Old Bronson had risen from his of her being around, and some day her chalrjtn great distress. "Your aunt chance may come f There ! Dyou was talking nonsense because shes see?" Well I suppose so. Georges over a business matter, piqued was still dark, however. "If brow George," he said. "She doesnt mean what she said, and neither she nor youre sure whatever talk there is, la anyone else gires the slightest credit about Aunt Fanny. If that so to such foolishness no one in the "Dont be aa ass," his uncle advised ' him !" world lightly, moving away. Tm oft for shone week's wet lines a and fishing to forget that woman George gulped, suddenly along his lower eyelids. In there, and her pig of a husband. They theyd better not! he said, (His gesture toward the Mansion indithen stalked out of the room, and out cated Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Amber-Son"I recommend a like course to of the house. Ten minutes later, .George Amber- you. If youre silly enough to pay any son. somewhat in the semblance of an attention to such rubbishing"! Good-by!- " angry person plunging out of the Man. . . George Vis partially reassion. found a pale nephew waiting to but still troubled ; a word hauntsured, accost him. him ed like the recollection of a nightie." I havent time to talk. Georg mare. "Talk!" Yes, you have. Youd better!" He walked rapidly toward his own Whats the matter; then?"1 from front His namesake drew him away gate. The victoria was there the vicinity of the house. I want to with Fanny alone; she jumped, out tell. you- something I just heard Aunt briskly and the victoria waited. "Where's mother?" George aked Amelia say. In there. She says my Soothers on your side about this di.i-sio-n sharply. At Lucy's. I only came back to get of the property because youre eoroe embroidery, because we found Eugene Morgan's best friend. Fbe - to-- swallow. - said i George the aao too hot for driving. 1 haven't She said time to talk now. Georgle; I'm going He faltered. "You look sick, said his uncle, and right back. I promised your mother r ' You listen !" said George. landed shortly. "If Its because of " nv "What on earth thing Amelias been saying. I dont L'atae you ! What else did she sayT lie repeated what Amelia had said. Georg swallowed again, a with This time, however, he spoke coldly. Continued. j , ! dis-'gus- t. ; f 1 good-naturedl- d tb - !- -" "Tell your father If you like! It will only make him a little sicker to tiunk lie's get a son silly enough to listen to such craziness! Then joure sure there Isnt anv talk?" Fanny disdained a reply in words She made h hissing sound of utter con tempt aud snapped her fingers. Then she asked scornfully: "Whats the other thing you wanted to know? George's pallor increased. J'Whether it mightnt he better, under the cir-cumtances," he said, "if this family were not so intimate with the Morgan fainilv at least for a time. It might be better- Fanny stared at him Incredulously. "You mean youd quit seeing Lucy?" "I hadnt thought of that side of If. hut If such a thing were necessary on account of talk about my mother, I I sug1 He hesitate! unhappily. a us time for If of all that gested perhaps only for a time it might be ) if" See here," better she Interrupted. ' Eu-- 1 gene Morgan comes to thla house, for to see. me, your mother cant get up and leave the place the minute he gets here, can ahe? What do you want her to do: Insult him? Or perhaps youd prefer shed Insult Lucy? That would do Just aa well. What Is It youre up to, anyhow? Do you really love your Aunt Amelia so much that you want to please her? Or do you really hate your Annt Fanny so much that you want to that you want She choked and sought for ber handkerchief; suddenly she began to cry. Oh, see here," George said. "I dont hate you. Aunt Fanny. Thats silly. I to" dont" "You do I You do! You want to you want to destroy the only thing that I that I ever " And, unable to continue, she became Inaudible In her handkerchief. George felt remorseful, and his own troubles were lightened: all at once It became clear to him that he had been worrying about nothing. He perceived that hla Aunt Amelia was Indeed an old Cfet, and that to give her scandalanother thought ous meandering would be the height of folly. By no means Insusceptible to such pathos as that now exposed before him. he did not lack pity for Fanny, whose almost spoken confession was lamentable; and he was granted the vision to understand that his mother also pitied Fanny infinitely more than he did. This seemed to explain everything. lie patted the unhappy lady awkThere, wardly upon her shoulder, there T he said. I didnt mean anything. Of course the only thing to do about Aunt Amelia la to pay no attention, to her. Its all right. Aunt Fanny. Dont cry. I feel lot better now, my aelf. Come on; Ill drive back there with you. Ita all over, and nothing the matter. Cant you cheer up? Fanny cheered np; and presently the customarily hostile aunt and nephew were driving out Amberson boulevard amiably together in the hot supshlne. - - CHAPTER XI. -- .) "Almost" was Lucy lastwordon the last night of George' vacation that vital evening which she bad half consented to agree upon for "settling hard dear! George immediately seized ien and paper, plaintively but vigorously requesting Lucy not to Imagine him wnh a beard, distinguished or otherwise, e'en in the extremities of Hge. Then, after inscribing tu protest in the mat ter of this visioned beard, be con eluded his missive in a torn' mollified to tenderness, and proceeded to read u letter from hla mother which had, with reached him simultaneously from wrote A'dievllle, Isabel l.uey's. where she had just arrived with her, husband: "I think your father look better already, Hurling, though weve been here only a few hour. Jt may be weve found just the place to build him up. The doctors said they hoped tt would prove to he, aud (f it Is, It would be worth the long struggle we had with him to get him to give up aud come. rui afraid tUat tny anxt.,y lo get to the do wlmt jlK.tors wanted ,dm 4lim t0 j t,le to back up Ilroth- er George as 1 sltouUl in his difficulty with Sydney and Amelia. Im so sorry! George Is more upset than Ive ever seen hltn theyve got what they wanted, and they're sailing before long. hear, to live In Florence. Father said he couldnt stand the constant per- Kl,ad,)K pm ttfruld the word he used cant understand wa8 nagging. p,e Shaving like that. George says they may be Aniborson. but they're vulgar! Im afraid I almost agree with him. At least, I think they were Inconsiderate. We plan to stay six weeks If the place agrees with him. It dops really seem to already!' lies Just called In the door to say hes waiting. Dont smoke too much, darling boy. v Devotedly, your mother, "ISABEL." But she did not keep her husband there for the six weeks she antlrpated. She did not keep him anywhere that long. Three weeks after writing this letter, she telegraphed . suddenly to George that they were leaving for home at once; and four days later, when he and a friend came whistling Mtto hla study, from lunch at the club, he found another telegram upon his desk. He read It twice before he comprehended tta Import. "Papa left na at ten this morning, d - pale" Isabel did look, pretty pale, but not Fanny's ghastly pale, as Fannv did grief was overwhelming; she stned In ber room, and George did not see ber until the next day, a few minutes tie fore the funeral when her haggard face appalled him. The annoy i, nee gave way before a recollection of the sweet mournfulness of his mother's face, as she hftd said good "by to 1dm at the station, and of bow lovely she looked In her mourning He thought of Lucy, whom lie bad seen only twice, and be could not help feel lng that In these quiet Interviews he had appeared to her na tinged with heroism- she had shown, raiher thun said, how bruve ahe thought him. When he went back to college, wlint came most vividly to George's mind, during retrospections, was the despairing face of hH Aunt Fanny. Again and again he thought of It ; he could not avoid Its haunting. Her grief had liven ao silent, yet It had so amazed him. George felt more and more compassion for thin ancient antagonist of hla, and he wrote to hla mother about her: I'm afraid poor Aunt Fanny might think now father' gone we won't want ber to live with us any longer and because I always teased tier so much she might think I'd he for turning her out. I don't know where on earth ahe'd go or what she could live on if we did do something like this, and of course we never would do such a thing, hut I'm pretty aure she had something of the kind on her mind. She didnt say anything, but the way ahe looked la what makes me think ao. Honestly, to me she looked Just scared sick. You tell her there isnt any danger In the world of my treating her like that. Tell her everything Is to go on Just as It always has. Tell her to cheer up!" Isabel did more for Fanny than telling her to cheer up. Everything that Fanny Inherited from her father, old Aleck Minafer, hail been Invested In Wllbura business; and Wilbur's busings, after a period of Illness corresponding In date to the Illness of Widearest. lburs body, had died Just before WilMOTHER." bur did. George Amberson and Fanny The friend saw the change In his were both wiped out to a miracle of face. "Not bad news? precision," as Amberson said. They George lifted utterly dumfounded "owned not a penny ami owed not a eyes from the yellow paper. penny, be continued, explaining his She phrase'. My father," he said weakly. It's like the fnoment Just besays she says hea dead. Ive got to fore drowning; youre not under water go borne," and youre not out of it. All yon know . . , Ilia Uncle George and the la that you're not dead yet," Major met him at the station when he He spoke philosophically, having hla arrived the first time the Major had "prospects from his father to fall ever come to meet hla grandson. The back upon; but Fanny bad neither old gentleman sat in his closed car"prospects" nor philosophy. However, riage (which still needed paint) at the a legal survey of Wilburs estate reentrance to the station, but he got out vealed the fact that hla life insurance and advanced to grasp George's hand was left clear of tbe wreck ; and Isabel, with the cheerful consent of ber son. promptly turned this salvage over . to her Invested, It would yield something better than nine hundred dollars a year, and thus she was aqred of becoming 'neither ato pauperas nor a dependent, but proved be, Amberson said, adding hla efforts to the cheering up of Fanny, an heiress, after all. In spite of rolling mills and tbe devtL" 1 Tbe collegian did not return to hla home for the holidays. Instead, Isa bel joined him,' and they wet South for the two weeks. Shejiras proud of e. j 1 - Muck-robe- j 1 We'll settle this nonsense right now. If m ll Amelia 1 - t ST By BOOTH TARKINGTON d X I Like uncle, like nephew. "I'm sure I didn't have it badly at hia age, Amberson said reflectively, a they strolled ou through the commencement crowd. Eugene laughed. "You need only-- three thingY explain sit that's good Riul had tMut Georgie. "Three?" "He only child. Hes an Anil" tmiii lies i, hoy." "Well, Mister lines, of these three tilings whuh are the good one and which are the hud one?" All of thelll su'd Eugene. George took no conspicuous part in cither the n inleiiilc or ihe social celebrations of his class . ho seemed to regard both so's of exei rises with a tolerant itiiiusemt nt, his own "crowd" "not going in much for either of those sort of tilings" as he explained to Whnt his eiowi! I, ml gone in for l.ucv remained ambiguous; sonic- negligent tcsimioii' Indicating that, except for nil astonishing reliability which they nil seemed to have attained in matter relating to musieul comedy? they had not gom in for anything. Certainly ilie quest on one of them put to Lucy, things between them. "Almost en--i gaged." ahe meant. And George, discontented with the almost," but contented that she seemed glad to wear a sapphire locket with a tiny photograph of George Amberson Minafer Inside It. found himself wonderful In a new world at the final Instant of their parting. For, after declining to let him as If his desire for kies her "good-by.- " such a ceremony were the most preposterous absurdity In the world, she had leaned suddenly close to him and left upon his cheek the veriest feather from a fslry'a wing. She wrote him a month later: No. It must keep on being almost. Isnt almost pretty pleasant? You know well enough that I care for you. I did from the first minute I saw you, and Im pretty sure you knew It I in afraid you did. I'm afraid you always knew It. But Ua such a solemn thing It scares me. It mean a good deal to a lot of people besides yon and nt and that ararea me. too. I shouldnt be a bit surprised to find myself an old lady, some day, still thinking of you while youd I away and away with somebody ele perhaps, and me forgotten ages ago! Lucy Morgan, youd say, when you taw my obituary. i . sister-In-law- Mothsr," Said Awkwardly. - of hers, seemed to point that way ; "Dont you think," he said, really, dont you think that being 'thing la rather better than doing things?" He said "rahthuh hettuh" for "rather better," and seemed to do It deliberately, with perfect knowledge of what he was doing.' Later. Lucy mocked him to George, and George refused to smile: he somewhat Inclined to auch pronunciation, himself, Thla Inclination waa one of the thing that he had acquired In the four years. What else he had acquired, It might have puzzled him to state, had anybody asked him and required a direct reply within a reasonable space of time. He had learned how to pass examinations by "cramming;" that la, la three or four days and nights he could get Into hla head enough of a selected fragment of some scientific of philosophical or literary or linguistic aub- Joii to reply plausibly to six questions out of ten. He could retain Ihe Infor mation necessary for auch a feat Just long enough to give a successful performance; then It would evaporate ut terly from hla brain, and leave him undisturbed. George, like bis crowd," not only preferred "being things" to "doing things," but bad contented himself with four year of "being things" aa a preparation for going on "being things." And when Lucy rather shyly pressed him for his friends probable definition of the "things" It seemed ao superior and beautiful to be, George raised his eyebrows slightly, meaning ttyri she should have understood without explanation r but he did exptatn? Oh. family and all that being a gentleman, I suppose," Lucy gave tbe horizon a long look, but offered no comment. In response to lnveatlgations bet- Aunt Fanny doesnt look much ter," George said to his mother, a few minute after their arrival, on the night they got home, "Doesnt she get over It at all? I thought shed feel better when we turned over the Insurance to her gave It to her absolutely, eon at the without any strings to It. She looks' her stalwart, hotel where they stayed, and Jt was about a thousand years old! meat and drink to her when she saw "She looks quite girlish, sometimes, how people stared at him In the lobby though," his mother said. end on the big verandas Indeed, her "Ha she looked that way much vanity lq him was so dominant that since father" she was unaware of their staring at "Not so mnch," Isabel said thought-her with more Interest and an ad fully. But she will, as time goes on." friendlier than George miration "Timell have to hurry, then. It seems good-lookin- evoked. g t to me, George observed, returning to the dif- bis own room. ference between this Christmas time and other Christmas times of theirs "Both of them felt constantly In all. It was a sorrowful holiday. But He Said. Mean Anything Thera, There! . I Didn't tremulously, when the latter appeared. Poor fellow I" he said, and patted him Poor repeatedly upon the shoulder. fellow ? Toer Georgle T George noticed that the Majors trcmulonsnesa did not disappear, as they drove up the street, and that be seemed much feebler than during the summer. Principally, however, George was concerned with his own emotion. " when Isabel came East tar Georges commencement, In June, she brought Lucy with her and things began to seem different, especially when George Amberson arrived with Lucy father on class day, Eugene had been In New York, on business; Amberson easily persuaded him to this outing; and they made a cheerful party of It, with the new graduate of course the hero and center of It all. Hi uncle was a fellow alumnus. "Yonder was where I roomed when wa here, be said, pointing out one of the university buildings to Eugene, dont know whether George would let my admirers place a tablet Uf mark The idea of being a professional man has never appealed to me. (TO BE CONTINUED Raising Foxes on Ranches. foxes Is an InRaising ranch-breIs that being carried on exdustry tensively In all the Canadian province at least a dozen of the northem-io- t states of the United States, an! beginning in Japan end Norway, ail lying la mnch the same climate bett, adapted to domesticating the Mack fox, under the most fuvocsble d |