- - .... - :i . .
4
V) Cp?ri!?ht by Doubleday, Pair & Company. v . ", .' ' "i
1 MHHIMHMM
gan would return, but ne wished to 1 wife to" him as long as" he'iivea. It
make sure. wasn't a crime for her to care lor
aiury appeared in the hall below
CHAPTER XV Continued.
11
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: "I want to talk
to you, Isabel" . . and another
murmur; 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 a time all that George could
the fTontdoof "mflfj and seemingly part now brat athei' time. Perhaps heaf ,was he distinct sound of his
me uuui uoor. i-ne light in the hnii I of h moior.5om ! .-W uncle's voire? v. a TOoo corin
-rm not sure, Georgie. When I was had been left burning and nntho,
fnr ape I was like you In many ways, his own room, as he discovered when
socially in not being very cool- he got there. He locked the door
headed, so I can't say. Youth can't be quickly and without noise, but his fin-
trusted for much, except assertinj
if and fighting and making love.'
Indeed!" George snorted. "May I
ask" what you think I ought to have
done?"
"Nothing."
'Nothing?'" George echoed, mock
ing bitterly. "I suppose you' think I
jDean to let my mother's good name" dear."
gers were still upon the key when
there was a quick footfall in the hall
outside. , s
"Georgie, dear?" v
He went to the other end ' of the
room before replying.
"Yes?"
Eugene himself as he came up the
cement path to the house, was a fig
ure of the new era which was in time
to be so disastrous to stiff hats and
skirted coats ; and his appearance af
forded a debonair contrast to that of
the queer-looking duck capering at the
Amberson ball in an old dress coat,
and next day -chugging up National
avenue through the snow in his night
mare Cif fl RPWinor tnnohina TiNicrano
I'd been wondering where you were, this afternoon was richly clad in new
ir ,' I j . j. a.
"Your mother's good name!" Am- "Had von?" " T ' . gcoai was
m,t him off imnaHentlv "7SJ7 mi- &uu gmj iur ius tap ana gWVes were
person cut him off impatiently. No- There was a pause; then she said of gray suede and though Lucv's hand
2 Vassr zr:::: s amx sasir hope you mi HiiJ?
'"u won mr . Pleasant evening of these high garnitures, he wore them
-jSS.Jttl Jl"? Anotter sUence foUowed before she fe.nTis ?tZ1
a Bficw,"11" " viuuu 1 spot again
W lrrt'U. "Ton wonldn't care to be kissed o.al.y if hiS temper be gen.al. Eugene
..." " ,, ,.,.. .1,. . " sooa night. I suppose?" And with a had begun to look like a millionaire.
nrattler before. Don't you suppose ""J? u"? of Pative laughter she
ttith fw. uuueuV A your age or courser
"I'm going to bed now," he said.
Good night."
prattlei
she'll be all over town with this to
morrow? And she'll see to It that
everybody who's hinted anything
about poor Isabel will know that
you're on the warpath; and that will
But, above everything else, what was
most evident about him, as he came
up the path, was his confidence In the
happiness promised by his present
Another silence seemed blanker errand J the anticipation In his eyes
than those which had preceded it, and could have been read by a stranger.
. -m . .1 finollu Vta VAttA in "v I 4- . r WIamI.
put them on tne aeiensive ana make Uil .amc n vua uiuuk,
i-iI-inia 'TllO ctAru Will riAn r o I IWU.
It spreads and"
George unfolded his arms to strike
his right fist into his left palm. "But
do you suppose I'm going to tolerate
such things?" he shouted. "What do
you suppose I'll be doing?"
"You can do absolutely nothing,
His look at the doorof Isabel's house
was the look of a mah who Is quite
certain that theknext moment will re
veal something Ineffably charming, In
expressibly dear.
. . . When the bell rang George
waited at the entrance of the "recep
tion room" until a housemaid came
through the hall on her way to answer
the summons.
"You needn't mind, Mary," he told
hand; and one conviction, following ner- "rn see wno lt: is and what they
"Good night."
After he was in bed his thoughts be
came more tumultuous than ever ;
while among all the Inchoate and frag
mentary sketches of this dreadful day.
now rising before him the clearest was
said Amberson. "Nothing of any use. of his uncle collapsed in a big chair
The more you do the moreharm you'll 1 with a white tie dangling from his
do."
"YouH see! I'm going to stop this! upon that picture, became definite in
thing if I have to force ray way into George's mind: that his Uncle George
very house on National avenue and Amberson was a hopeless dreamer,
imberson boulevard!" from whom no help need be expected.
His uncle laughed rather sourly but a" amiable imbecile lacking in normal
made no other comment. . Impulses, and wholly useless in a
"Well, what do you propose to do?"
you'll understanSthls !"
uncle's voice: what he was saying
And with the Vst words he closed could not be surmised,, though the
the door ip. Eugene's face.
men, not moving away, he stood
just inside the door, and noted that
the misty silhouette remained upon
tne frosted glass for several moments,
as if the forbidden gentleman-debated
n his mind what course to pursue.
"Let him ring again !". George thought
grimly. "Or try the side door or the
kitchen!"
But Eugene made no further at
tempt ; the silhouette disappeared :
want Probably It's only a peddler
"Thank you,, sir, Mister George,'
said Mary, and returned to the rear o
the house.
George went slowly to the front door
and halted, regarding the misty silhou-
struggle which required honor to be ette of the caller upon the ornamental
defended by a man of action. frosted glass. After a minute of
Then Would return a vision of Mrs. waiting this silhouette changed outline
Johnson's furious round head, set be- so that an arm could be distinguished
"-and let this riffraff bandy my hind her great bosom like the sun far an arm outstretched toward the bell,
George demanded,
to sit there "
"Yes."
4Do you propose
mother's good name back and forth
troon? them? Is that what you pro
pose to do?" ' - '
"It's all I can do," Amberson re
turned. "It's all any of us can do
now: just sit still and hope . that the
sunk on the horizon of a mountain as if the gentleman outside doubted
plateau and her crackling, asthmatic whether or not it had sounded and
voice. . . . "Without sharing hi were minded to try again. But before
the gesture was completed George ab
ruptly threw open the door and
stepped squarely upon the middle of
the threshold.
A slight change shadowed the face
other people's disposition to put an
evil interpretation on what may be
nothing more than unfortunate appear-
ttiing may die down in time In spite ance" . . . "Other people may be
ef your stirring up that, awful old less considerate in not confining their
woman." discussion of it, as I have, to char-j of Eugene ; his look of happy antlclpa-
George drew a long breath, then ad- it able "views." . . . And then George tion gave way to something formal
vanced and stood close before his would get up again and again and 1 and polite. "How do you do, George?
oncle. "Didn't you understand me pace the floor In his bare feet,
when I told you that people are say- That was what the tormented young
ing ray mother means to marry this man was doing when daylight came
nn?" gauntly in at his window pacing the
"Yes, I underrood you.w 7 floor, rubbing his head in his hands,
lou say that my going over there and muttering: !
"It can't be true : this can't be hap
pening to me !"
troubled brotherliness of his tone was
evident. He seemed to be explaining
something at considerable length, and
there were moments when he paused,
and G.eorge 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 outcry came.
clear and loud:
"Oh, nol".
" uc "c,aiu wuuurawing thing her brother told her must be un-
n " f ... veranaaI ana true, or, if it were true, the fact he
cuxbc leiurmng to me window m stated must be undone; and it was a
the reception room," was rewarded sound of sheer pain.
fLT1 autf0mo,bile ,Sanu: Another sound of pain, close to
nif wninl nT'f' V11 Geore' followed : this was a vehe-
h m nt SJ ,1 I? S m? 1? ment snIfflIne which broke out just
ab-e him, and, looking up, he saw
.nu, a ilo u.uiUeu luio me iv- Fanny Minafer on th landlnfr lnn.
neau, George indulged in a slcklsh in? nvpr tho h!1T,,sforo on
throat rumble whicn bore a distant her handkerchief to her eyes and
cousinship to mirth. nn!(,
He went to the library, and, seat- t i can guess what that was about,"
ing, himself beside the table whereon she whispered huskily. "He's just
he had placed the photograph of his told her what you did to Eugene!"
iatner, picked up a book, and pretend- George gave her a dark look over
eu to De engageu in reaaing it. his shoulder. "You go on back to
Presently Isabel's buoyant step was your room!" he said: and he began to
heard descending the stairs. She came descend the stairs ; but Fanny, guess
into the library, a fur coat over her ing his purpose, rushed down and
arm, ready to put on, and two veils caught his arm, detaining him.
round her small black hat, her right "You're not going in there?" she
hand engaged in buttoning the glove whispered huskily: "You don't" !
upon her left; and, as the large room "Let go of me!"
contained 4too many pieces of heavy But she clung to him savagely.' "No.
furniture, and the inside shutters ex- you don't, George Minafer! YouH
eluded most of the light of day, she keep away from there ! You will !"
did (not at once perceive George's "You let go of" ,
presence. Instead, she went to the bay "I won't ! You come back here !
window at the end of the room, which You'll come upstairs and let them
afforded a view of the street, and alone; that's what, you'll do!" And
glanced out expectantly ; then bent with such passionate determination
her attention upon her glove ; after did she clutch and tug. never losing
that, looked out toward the street a grip of him somewhere, though
again, and turned toward the interior George tried as much as he could,
of the room. I without hurting her. to wrench away
"Why, Georgie!" with such utter forgetfulness of her
She came, leaned over from behind maiden dignity did she assault him.
him, and there was a faint, exquisite that she forced him, stumbling up-
odor as from distant apple blossoms ward, to the landing.
as she kissed his cheek. "Dear, I
wajted. lunch almost an hour for you,
but you didn't come! Did you lunch
out somewhere?"
"Yes." He did not look up from the
book. t
Eugene all the time; she certpinly
never told him she did and she gave
me every chance In the world! She
left us alone together every time she
could even since Wilbur died but
what was the use? And here I go, not
doing myself a bit of good by it, and
just" Fanny wrung her hands again
"just ruining them!"
"I suppose you mean Fm dnin;?
that," George said bitterly.
No. TShe doesn't let anybody know,
but she goes to the doctor regularly."
'Women are always going to doc
tors regularly."
"No. He told her to.n
Vorge was not impressed. "It'a .
nothing at all; 'she spoke of it to me
years ago some kind of family fail
ing. She said grandfather-had it, too;
and look at him! Hasn't proved very
serious with him! You act as if Td
done something wrong in sending that
m&n about his business, and as if I
were going to persecute my mother,
instead of protecting her. By Jove,
it's sickening ! You told me how all
the riffraff In town were busy with
her name, and then the minute I lift'
my hand to protect her, you begin to'
attack me and " '
"Sh!" Fanny checked him,-laying
her hand on his arm. "Your "uncle If
going." -
The library doors were heard open
Ing, and a moment later there cam
the sciund of the front door closing.
Gecrge moved toward the head of
the stairs, then stood listening, hut
the house was silent.
Fanny made a flight noise with her
lips to attract his attention, and, when
he glanced toward her, shook her head
CHAPTER XVI.
hag made mattWJ worse," George went
on. "How about it if such a such an
unspeakable marriage did take place?
Do you think that would make people
believe they'd been wrong in saying
you know what they say." Breakfast was brought to him In his
"No," said Amberson deliberately; room as usual; but he did not make
"I don't believe it would. But it his normal healthy raid upon the
wouldn't hurt Isabel and Eugene, If dainty tray: the food remained un-
ihey never heard of it; and If they did touched, and he sustained,, himself
fcear of It, then they could take their upon coffee four cups of it, which
choice between placating gossip or llv- left nothing of value inside the glis
tening little percolator. During this
process he heard his mother ; being
summoned to the telephone in the hall,
not far from hi3 door, and then her
voice responding: "Yes? Oh, it's you!
. . . Indeed i should! ... Of
Tien I'll expect you
, . Yes. . . .
in? for their own happiness. If they
" have decided to marry "
George almost staggered. Good
beaven!" he gasped. "You speak of it
caRnlyl','
Amberson looked up at him Inquir-
ragly. "Why shouldn't they marry if course
tbey want to I" he asked. "It's their aiout three.
own affair. don't see anything pre- Goodby till-then." A few minutes
wisely nonstr-; about two people get- later he heard her speaking to some
ting married Tffeen they're both free one beneath his window, and, looking
&nd care abnt each other. What's out, saw her directing the removal of
the matter with their marrying?" plants from a small garden bed to
"It would be monstrous!" George the Major's conservatory for the win
ehouted. "Monstrmw pvph if this hor- ter. She laughed gayly with the Ma-
he Said. "Mrs. Minafer expects to go
driving with vme, I believe if you'll
be so kind as to send her word that
I'm here."
George made not the slightest move
ment. -
"No," he said.
Eugene was Incredulous, even when
his second glance revealed how hot ot
eye was the haggard young man be
fore him. "I beg your pardon,
said"
"I heard you." said George. "You
said you had an engagement with my
mother, I told you, No!" -
Eugene gave him a steady look, and
then he asked quietly: "What is the
the difficulty?"
George kept his. own voice quiet
enough, but that did not mitigate the
vibrant fury of it. "My mother will
rible thing hadn't happened, but now
In the face of this oh, that you can
sit there and even speak of it ! Your
own sister! Oh" He became inco-
jor's gardener over something he said;
and this unconcerned cheerfulness of
her, was terrible to her son.
He went to his desk, and, searching
herent, swinging awav from Amberson the jumbled contents of a drawer,
and making for the door, wildly ges- brought forth a large unframed pho-
luring, tograph of Ms iatner, upou wu
Tor heaven's snVo wt hP so the. eazed long and plteously, till . at last
itrlcal !" said his uncle, and then, see- hot tears stood in his eyes, "Poor,
ng, that. George was leaving the room: poor father!" the son whispered bro-
fou mustn't sneak kenly. "Poor man, rm giaa you uwui
In t'M, - il ....... I -r, l
" ui uiuiner or tnisi" iwixvyt i
Come back here. You
Don't 'tend to." Genrza said indis- He wrapped the picture In a sheet
tlhctly, md he plunged into the big, of newspaper, put it under his arm,
flmly Ut hall. He went home and got and.sleaving the house hurriedly and
a hat and overcoat without seeing steadily, went downtown to the shop
etner his mother or Fanny. Then he of a silversmith, where he spent sixty
left word that he would be out for dollars on a resplendently festooned
dinner and hurried away from the silver frame for the picture. Having
house. lunched upon more coffee, he returned
De walkp.fi th .fMat r.f Am. to the house at two o'clock, carrying
hereon addition for an hour, then went the framed photograph with him, and
downtown and got coffee at a restau- placed It upon the center table to-the
r&nt. After that he walked through library, the room most used by Isabel
UgLted parts of the town until ten and Fanny and himself. Then he went
0'rtock, when he turned north and to a front window of the long "recep-
back to the purlieus of the Addl- tion room," and sat looking out
"on. He walked fiercelythough his through the lace curtains.
ached, but by and by he turned George looked often at his watch,
homeward, and,, when he reached the but his vigil did not last an hour. At
M3or'a, went In and sat upon the ten mlnutes.of three, peering through
"ept. of the huge stone veranda , In the curtain, he saw an aomobiba stop
f;ont-an obscure figure In that lonely in' front of the house and Eugene Mor
JJ repellent place. All lights were gan jump lightly down rom The
at the Major's, and finally, after car was of a new JPattem; - low and
?.'e saw hi3 mother's window long, with an ample seat the ton
fcujen at home. neau. facing forward; and a jprofes-
J-alted halt in hour longer, then sional driver sat J?
tk, ftcau yards of the new strange figure In leather goggled out
"You're Not Wanted in This House."
have no interest in knowing that you
came for her today," he said. "Or any
other day!"
Eugene continued to look at him
with a scrutiny in j which bpgaa to
gleam a profound anger, noie the less
powerful because It was so quiet "I
am afraid I do not understand you."
"I doubt If I could make It much
plainer," George said, raising his
voice slightly; "but ni try. Xou'n
not wanted in this house, Mr. Morgan.
"Did you have plenty to eat?"
"Yes."
A tinkling bell was audible, and she
moved to the doorway Into the hall.
"I'm going out driving, dear. I "
She interrupted herself to address the
housemaid, who was passing through
the hall: "I think- it's Mr. Morgan,
Mary. Tell him I'll be there at once."
"Yes, ma'am." "
Mary returned. "'Twas a peddler,
ma'am."
'Another one?" Isabel said, .sur
prised. "I thought you said It was a
peddler when the bell rang a little
while ago." ! x
"Mister George said Jt wns, ma'am;
he went to the door," Mary informed
her, disappearing.
"There seem to be a grent ninny of
theni" Isabel . mused. "What did
yourk want to sell, George?"
"lie didn't say."
"Ypu must have cut him off short!"
i she laughed ; vand then, still standing
I in the doorway, she noticed the big
silver frame upon the table beside
him.Gracious, Georgie!" she exclaim
ed. i"You have been investing!" and
as she came across the room for a
closer view, "Is it is it Lucy?" she
asked half timidly, half archly. But
i the next instant she saw whose like
ness was thus set forth in elegiac
splendor and she was silent, except
for a long, just-audible "Oh !"
, He neither looked up nor moved.
"That was nice, of you, Georgie,"
she said, in a low voice presently. "I
ought to have had it framed, myself,
when I gave it to you."
He said nothing, and, standing be
side him, she put her hand gently up
on his shoulder, then as gently with
drew it, and went out of the room.
But she did not go upstairs ; he heard
the faint rustle of her dress in the
hall, and then the sound of her foot
steps In the "reception room." After
a time, silence succeeded even these
slight tokens of her presence ; where
upon George rose and , went warily in
to the hall, taking care to make no
noise, and he obtained an oblique view
of her through the open double doors
of the "reception room." She was sit
ting in the chair which he had occu
pied so long; and she was looking
out of the window expectantly a lit
tie troubled.
He went back tohe library, waited
an Interminable half hour, then re
turned noiselessly to the same position
in the hall, where he could see her.
Sh.e was still sitting patiently by the
window. . .
WniHn far that man. was she?
Well, It might be qujta long wait!
And the grim George! silently ascended
the stairs to his own room, and began
to pace, his suffering floor.
He left his door open, however, and
when he heard the front door bel
rlrie. by and by, he went half way
down the stairs and . stood to listen.
He was not much afraid that Mor
an luc tiuiv.uiuu3 xi v:
furiously ; but she spared one hand
from its grasp of his sleeve and
clapped it over his mouth.
"Hush up!" Never for an instant in
this grotesque struggle did Fanny
raise her voice above a husky whisper.
"Hush up! It's indecent like squab
bling outside the door of an operating
room ! Go on to the top of the stairs
go on!"
And when George had most unwill
ingly obeyed, she planted herself in
his way, on the top step. "There!"
she' said. "The idea of your going in
there now! I never heard of such a
thing!" And with the sudden depart
ure of the nervous vigor she had
shown so amazingly, she began to cry
again. "I was an awful fool. Do you
suppose I dreamed you'd go making
everything into such a tragedy? j Do
you?" 1
"I don't care what you dreamed,"
George muttered.
But Fanny went on, always taking
care to keep her voice from getting
loo loud, in spite of her most grievous
agitation: "Do you dream I thought
you'd go making such a fool of your
self at Mrs. Johnson's? Oh, I saw her
this morning! She wouldn't talk to
me, but I met George Amberson on my
wav back, and lie told me what you'd
done over there! And do you dream I
thought you'd do what you've done
K Hi
"Of All the Ridiculous n He Began
Furiously.
at him urgently. "Let her alone," she
whispered. "She's down there by. her
self. Don't go down. Let her alone.
She moved a few steps toward him
and halted, her face pallid and awe
struck, and then both stood listening
for anything that might break the si
lence downstairs. No sound came to
them; that poignant silence was con
tinued throughout long, long minutes.
while the two listeners stood there un
der its mysterious Fpell; and in its-
plaintive eloquence speaking, as it
did, of the figure alone in the big.
dark library, where dead Wilbur's new
silver frame gleamed in the dimness-
There was sometMng that checked
even George.
Fanny Minafer broke the long si
lence with a sound from her throat, a
stifled gAsp; and with that great com
panion of hers, her handkerchief, re
tired softly to "the loneliness of her
hor, this nftPrnonn to Eueene? ! Oh, own chamber. After she had gone
I knew that, too! Of course he went George looked about him bleakly, then
r.n a mhorenn hnit it. and on tiptoe crossed tne nau ana w em
,u no.o. i0' haro TTo'a o-a into his own room, which was filled
to tell Isabel the whole thing now. with twilight. Still tiptoeing, though
and you wanted to go in there inter- lie cculd not have said why, he went
fering God knows what! You fctay aoss uie ruom am, ui uu .u Ucu..,
here and let her brother tell her; he's
got some consideration for her!"
,t-r T hnnnn't T"
George said, and at that Fanny laugh
ed wltheringly.
"You! Considerate of anybody!"
Tm considerate of her good name !"
he' said hotly. "It seems to me that's
about the first thing to be considerate
in a chair facing the window. Out
side there was nothing but the dark
ening air and the wall of the nearest
of the new houses. He had not slept
at all the night before and he had eat
en nothing since the preceding day at
lunch, but he felt neither drowsiness
nor hunger. His set determination
filled him, kept him but too wide
taking a pretty different tack from
what you did yesterday afternoon!
Fanny wrung her hands. "I did a
terrible thing!" she lamented. "Now
that it's done and too late, I know
what it was! I didn't have sense
enough just to let things go on. I
didn't have any business to Interfere,
and I didn't mean to Interfere I 'only
wanted to talk, and let out a little!
I did think you already knew every
thing I told 'you. I did! And I'd rather
have -cut off my hand than stir you
up to doing what you have done ! I
f'iD, bliDf ? f ,1 P . i beyond the window was wide-eyed and '
And look here ; it strikes me you're w
UJllCl. .
Darkness had closed in when there
was a step In the room behind him.
Then someone knelt beside the chair.
two arms went round him with infinite
compassion, a gentle head rested
against his shoulder, and there came
the faint scent of apple-blossoms far
away.
"You mustn't be troubled darling,
his mother whispered.
(TO BE CONTINUED.) '
Machine Shapes Masts.
A machine has been built which will
was just suffering so that I wanted to snape masts up to 100 feet In length
let out a little I didn't mean any real an(1 ree feet In diameter. The tlxa
harm. But now I. see what's happened Der Is set up in the machine and jre-
or, I was a fool! I haven't any busJ- volved at a speed of 50 revolutions a
ness interfering. Eugene never- would J minute, and it Is-shaped by a "cutter
have looked at me, anyhow, and, oh, j head which Is electrically driven at the'
why couldn't I have seen that before ! j rate of 700 revolutions a minute. ThlSv
He never came here a single time in I cutter head Is mounted on a carriage,.
and I might have" let them alone, be- against a rail set to give the proper
cause he wouldn't have looked at me profile to the mast. Heretofore this?
even If he'd never seen Isabel. And work has been done by hand and re
they haven't done any harm ; she made quired skilled workmen. At best ir
Wilbur happy, and she was a true J has been a slow and laborious task,