Okolona messenger., January 01, 1920, Image 3

About Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current

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THE OKOLONA MESSENQEL
WttltHMMt
a
The
Magnificent
Ambersons
BY
BOOTH
TARKINGTON
Copjrrlht by Doubleday, Pg Company,
8YNOPSIS.
CHAPTER I.-Major Amberson had
made a fortune In 1S73 when other people
were losing; fortune, and the mafrnlflcence
of the Ambersons began then. Maior Am-
Deraon laid out a iwu-acre "development "
with roada and aUtuary, and In the centre
Of a four-acre tract, on Amberson avenue,
ouut for himself the most magnificent
uiuiwuu uie mtuuna city nad eer seen.
tHAr-TBR Il.-When the major'
Oaushter married young Wilber Mlnafer
the neighbors predicted that as Isabel
youia never really love Wilbur all her
iv wouia oe Desiuwed upon tiie children.
There was only one child, however,
jviuueiBon Minarer, but hie up-
ormging ana nis youthful accomplish,
ments aa a mischief maker were quite in
Uona l" niosi pessimistic preaic
CHAPTER III.-By the time George
w.ui Bwar la couege ne aid not attempt
to conceal his belief that the Ambersons
were about the most important family in
the. world. At a ball given in his honor
wnen he returned from college, George
monopolized Lucy Morgan, a stranger and
the prettiest girl present, and got on fa
mously with her until he learned thrt a
.'"""r iiuik ouch - at wnom ne had
s-een poking much fun, was the young
lady s father. He was Eugene Morgan, a
ormer resident of Blgburg, and he v as
r?,yrnJn' tner8 to erect a factory aii'l to
--..vi numicia carnages or nis owi in
vention. CHAPTER IV. Eugene was an old ad
mirer of Isabel's and they had been' en-
Hieu wnen isaoei tnrew Htm- over be
cause of some youthful indiscretion and
uuuriea wiiDur Mlnafer..'
CHAPTER V. George makes
progress in his courtship of Lucy.
rapid
chapter Vl.-Whlle driving with
Lucy, next day, George allows the horse
to get beyond control, and the animal
overturns (he cutter, spilling George and
,n me snow, unnurt, although
George Is greatly annoyed.
.CHAPTER VH.-Oeorire reveals intense
dislike of Morgan, whom he suspects of
i, m uraimio on nis uncie or grand
father. His aunt, Fanny Mlnafer, to his
great astonishment, sharply rebukes him.
CHAPTER' VIII.Home on vacation.
George has a heart-to-heart talk with his
mother, In which, the state of the family
finances and his father's falling health,
poth figure, George is optimistic as to
both. .
CHAPTER IX.-Hearing rumors con
cerning Lucy and her suitors in particu
lar Fred Kinney-George urges her to
consent to a formal engagement of mar
riage, but Lucy, refuses.
CHAPTER X. George becomes annoyed
at gossip which connects his mother's
name with Eugene Morgan, and rightfully
rebukes his Aunt Amelia for her remarks
n the subject. Aunt Fanny is sympa
thetic but somewhat bewildering.
CHAPTER XI. The sudden death of his
father, following graduation, recalls
George from college.
-,.' .- , . - . .
CHAPTER XII. Lucy and GeoVge talk
f ideals of life, which they find surpris
ingly different and part in something
Which very nearly approaches a quarrel.
CHAPTER XIII.
George went driving the next after
noon alone and, encountering Lucy
and her father on the road, In one of
Morgan's cars, lifted his hat, but no
wise relaxed his formal countenance
as they passed. Eugene waved a cor
dial hand qulcltly returned to 'the
steering wheel ; but Lucy only nodded
gravely and smiled no more than
George did. Nor did she accompany
Eugene to the Major's for dinner the
following Sunday evening, though
both were bidden to Attend that feast,
which was already reduced In num
bers and gayety by the absence of
George Aniberson. Eugene explained
to his -host that Lucy had gone away
to visit a school friend.
The Information, delivered In the
library, just before old Sam's appear
ance to announce dinner, set Miss
Minafer in quite a flutter. "Why,
George !" she said, turning to her
nephew, "Hw does It happen yon
didn't tell us?" And with both hands
opening, as if to express her Innocence
of some conspiracy, she exclaimed to
the others : "He's never said one word
to us about Lucy's planning to go
away !"
"Probably afraid to," the Major sug
gested. "Didn't know but he might
break down and cry -If he tried to
speak of it !" He clapped his grandson
on the shoulder, inquiring jocularly:
"That It, Georgie?"
Georgle made no reply, but he was
red enough.to Justify the Major's de
veloping a chuckle Into laughter,
though Miss Fanny, observing her
nephew keenly, got an impression that
his fiery blush was In truth more fiery
than tender.
After the arrival fcf coffee the Ma
jor was rallying Eugene upon some
rival automobile shojw lately built In
a suburb, and alrer.dy promising to
flourish.
"I suppose they'll either drive you
out of the business," said the old gen
tleman, "or elsM the two of you'll drive
all the rest of us vff the streets."
"If we do we'll even things up by
making the streets five or ten times
as long as they are cow," Eugene re
turned. Jllow do you propose to do that?"
"It Isn't the distance from the cen
ter of a town that counts." 'said Eu
gene; "it's the time It takes to get
there. Tills town's a-lrerdy spreading;
bicycles and trolleys h;ve been doing
their share, but Ihe autnnobile is
going to cany c!ty streets clear out to
the county line."
The Major was skeptical.. "Drenm
on, fair son r he said. "It's lucky for
us that you re only dreaming; because
If people go to moving that far, real
estate values in the old residence part
or town are going to be stretched pret
ty tnm."
. "I'm afraid so," Eugene assented.
"Unless you keep things so bright and
clean that the old section will stay
more attractive than the new ones."
"Not very likely I How are things
going to be kept 'bright and clean'
With soft coal and our kind of city
government?"
"They aren't," Eugene replied quick
ly. '"I here's no hope of It, and al
ready the boarding house Is marching
up National avenue. My relatives, the
Sharons, have sold their house and are
building In the country at least, they
call it 'the country.' It will be city
in two or three years,
-t . . - . .
ooou gracious r tne Major ex
claimed, affecting dismay, "So your
little shops are eolng to ruin all your
old friends, Eugene I"
"Unless my old friends take warn
ing In time, or abolish smoke and get
a new kind of city government."
"Well, well I" the Major laughed.
"You have enough faith in miracles.
Eugene granting that trolleys and W-
cycles and automobiles are miracles,
So you think , they're to change, the
face of the land, do you?"
They're already doing It, Major;
and it can't be stopped. Automo-
biles "
At this point he was Interrupted.
George was the Interrupter. !, He had
said nothing since entering the dining
room, but nowie spoke In a lond and
peremptory voice, using the tone of
one In authority who checks idle prat-
tie ana settles a matter forever.-
"Automobiles are a useless nuis
ance," he said.
There fell a moment's silence.
Isabel gazed incredulously at
George, color slowly heightening upon
her cheeks and temples, while Fanny
watched him with a quick eagerness,
her eyes alert and bright. But Eugene
seemed merely quizzical, as If not tak
Ing this brusquerie to himself. The
Major was seriously disturbed.
"What did you say, George?" he
asked, though George had spoken but
too distinctly.
i saia an automobiles were a
nuisance," George answered, repeating
not only the words but the tone In
which he had uttered them. And he
added : "They'll never amount to any
thing but a nuisance. They had no
business to be invented."
The Major frowned. "Of course you
forget that Mr, Morgan makes them,
and also did his share in inventing
them. If you weren't so thoughtless
he might think you rather offensive."
"That- would be too bad," said
George coolly. "I don't think I could
survive it."
Again there was a silence, while the
Major stared at his grandson, aghast,
But Eugene began to laugh cheerfully.
"I'm not sure he's wrong about au
tomobiles," he said. "With, all their
speed iorword . they may be a step
backward in civilization that Is, in
Spiritual civilisation. ' Buf automobiles
have come, and they bring a greater
change In our life than most of us
suspect. They are going to alter war,
and they are going to alter peace. I
think men's minds are coiner to be
changed In Subtle ways because of au
tomobiles; just how, though, I could
hardly guess. Perhaps, ten or twenty
years-from now, If we can see the In
ward change in men by that time, I
shouldn't be able to defend the gaso
line engine, but would have to agree
with him that automobiles 'had no
business to be Invented.' " He laughed
good-naturedly and, looking at his
watch, apologized far having an en
gagement which made his departure
neeessary when he would much prefer
to linger, and left them at the table.
Isabel turned wondering, hurt eyes
"George, Dear!" She Said, "What Did
You Mean?"
upon her son. "George, dear!" she
said, "What did you menu?"
"Just what I said," he returned,
lighting one of the Major's cigars.
Isabel's hand, pale and slender, tip
on the tablecloth, touclind one of the
fine silver candlestick aimlessly; the
fingers were seen to tremble. "Oh, he
wu-.s hurt !" she murmured.
"I don't see why lie should be,"
George said. "I didn't say anything
about him. What ma-le you think he
was hurt?"
"I know hiin !' v as all of her reply,
hatf-wnispered.
The Major stared hard at George
from under his white eyebrows. "Yon
didn't mean 'him,' yon say,' George?
suppose If we had a clergyman as a
guest here you'd expect him not to be
offended, and to understand that your
remarks were neither personal nor un
tactful If you said the church was a
nuisance and ought never to have been
Invented, We seem to have a new
kind of young people these days. It's
a new style of courting a pretty girl,
certainly, for a young fellow to go de
liberately out of bis way to try and
make an enemy of ber father by at
tacking his business I By Jovel That's
a new way to win a woman !"
George flushed angrily and seemed
about to offer a retort, but held his
breath for a moment; and then held
his peace. It was Isabel who respond
ed to the Major. "Oh, no!" she said,
"Eugene would never be anybody's
enemy he couldn't! and last of all
Georgle's. I'm afraid he was hurt, but
I don't fear his not having understood
that George spoke without thinking of
what he was saying I mean, without
realizing its bearing on Eugene."
"Well, well," said his grandfather,
rising, "It wasn't a very successful lit-
tie dinner!"
Thereupon he offered his arm to his
daughter, who took It fondly, and they
left the room, Isabel assuring him that
all his little dinners were pleasant,
and that this one was nn pYpnrInn.
George did not move, and Fanny.
following the other two, came round
the table and paused close beside his
chair; but George remained posed In
great Imperturbability, cigar between
teeth, eyes upon celling, and paid no
attention to her. Fanny waited until
the sound of Isabel's and the Major's
voices became , Inaudible In the hall.
Then she said quickly, and In a low
voice so eager that It was unsteady :
"George, you've struck Just the
treatment to adopt; you're doing the
right thing !"
She hurried out, scurrying after the
others with a faint rustling of her
black skirts, leaving George mystified
but incurious.
In truth, however, he was neither so
comfortable nor so Imperturbable- as
he appeared. He felt some gratifica
tion; he had done a little to put the
man in his place that man whose in
fluence upon his daughter was precise
ly the same thing as a contemptuous
criticism of George Amberson Mlna
fer, and of George Amberson Mma
fer's "ideals of life." Lucy's going
away without a word was Intended,
he supposed, as, a bit of punishment.
Well, he wasn't the sort of man that
people were allowed to punish; he
could demonstrate that to them
since they started It!
Isabel came to George's door that
night and, when she had klsesd blm
good-night,' she, remained in the open
doorway with: her hand upon his
shoulder and her eyes thoughtfully
lowered, so that her wish to say, some
thing more than good-night was evi
dent. Not, less obvious , was her per
plexity about the banner, of .'faying
It; and George, divining, her thought.
amiably made an opening for her.
"Well, old lady," he, said, Indulgent-
ly, "you needn't look so worried
won't be tactless with Morgan again
After this I'll. Just keep out of his
way. M
"Dear," she said, "I wish you'd tell
me something : Why don't you like En
gene?"
"Oh, I like him well enough," George
returned, with a short laugh, ns he sat
down and began to unlace his shoes,
"I like him well enough In his place."
"No, dear," she said hurriedly. "I've
had a feeling from the very first that
yon didn't really like him that you
really never liked him. I can't under
stand it, dear; I don't see what can be
the matter."
"Nothing's the matter."
This easy declaration naturally
failed to carry great weight, and Isa
bel went on, in her troubled voice : "It
seems so queer, especially when you
feel as you do about his daughter."
At this, George stopped unlacing his
shoes abruptly, and sat up. "How do
I feel about his daughter?" he de
manded.
"Well, it's, seemed as If as if"
Isabel began timidly. "It did seem
At least, you haven't looked at any
other girl ever since they came here,
and certainly you've seemed very
much interested In her. Certainly
you've been very great friends?"
"Well, what of that?"
"It's only that I'm like your grand
father: I can't see how you could be
s much Interested In a girl and and
not feel very pleasantly toward her
rather."
"Well, I'll tell you something."
George said slowly, and a frown of
concentration could be seen upon his
brow, as from a profound effort at
self-examination. "The truth Is, 1
don't believe I've ever thought of ths
two together, exactly at least, not
until lately. I've always thought of
Lucy just as Lucy, and of Morgan just
as Morgan. I'vnlwnys thought of
her as a person herself, not ns any
body's daughter. If I have a friend, I
don't see that it's incumbent upon me
to like my friend's relatives. Now,
suppose I have certain Ideas or ideals
which I have chosen for the regulation
of my own conduct in life. Suppose
some friend tf mine has a relative
with Ideals directly the opposite n
mine, and my friend believes more Ir
the relative's Ideals than in m'no: Or
you think I ought to glee up my ow;
Just to please a person who's taken u;
Ideals that I really despise?"
"No, dear; of course people Can';
give up their Ideals; but I don't sc.
what this has to do with dear liUl.
Lucy and "
"I didn't s.iy it had anything to (!'
with them," he interruutad. "I war
merely putting a ae to anow hew
person would be Justified in being.
friend of one member of a family and
feeling anything but friendly toward
another. I don't say, though, that I
feel unfriendly to Mr. Morgan. I don't
say that I feel friendly to him," and I
don't say that I feel unfriendly; but
If yon really think that I was rude to
him tonight"
"Just thoughtless, dear. You didn't
see that what you said tonight?"
"Well, I'll not say anything of that
sort again where he can. hear it
There, Isn't 'that enough?"
"But, George," she said earnestly,
"you would like him, If you'd Just let
yourself. You say you don't dislike
him. Why don't you like hlnr? I can't
understand at all. What Is it that you
don't" .
"There, there!" he said. "It's all
right, and you toddle along."
"But, George"
"Now, now ! I really do want to get
into bed. Good-night, old lady."
"But, George, dear"
"I'm going to bed, old lady ; so good
night." Thus the interview closed perforce.
Stic kissed him again before going
"You did right f Fanny said with a
vehemence not the less spirited be
cause she suppressed her voice almost
to a whisper. "You did exactly
right! You're behaving splendidly
about the whole thing, and I want to
tell you I know your father would
thank you if he could see what you're
doing."
"My Lord !" George broke out at her.
You make me dizzy! For heaven's
sake quit the mysterious detective
business at least do quit it around
me! Go and try it on somebody else.
If you like; but I don't want to hear
It!" '
She began to tremble, regarding him
with a fixed gaze. "You don't cure to
hear, then," she said huskily, "that I
approve of what you're doing?"
"Certainly not ! Since I haven't the
faintest idea what you think I'm 'do
ing' naturally I dont care whether
you approve of It or not. All I'd like,
If yo-u please is to be alone. I'm not
giving a: tefA; here, this afternoon, if
you'll. permit me, to mention it I"
: Fanny's gaze wavered ; she began
to blink; then suddenly she sank into
a chair and wept silently, but with a
terrible desolation. .
"Oh, for , the Lord's sake I" he
moaned. "What In the world Is wrong
with you ?V ;,
"You're always picking on me," she
quavered wretchedly, her voice Indis
tinct with the wetness that bubbled in
to it from her tears. ."You do you
always . pick on me ! You've always
done italways ever since you were
a little boy! Whenever anything goes
wrong with: you, you take it out on
me! You do! You always"
George flung to heaven a gesture of
despair; it seemed to him the last
straw that Fanny should have chosen
this particular time to come and sob
in his room over- his mistreatment of
her! ' '
k : "Oh. mv Lord !" he whlsnered : tSen
with if-great effort, addressed her in a
reasonable tone : "Look here, Aunt
Fanny ; I don't; see what you're making
all this fuss about. Of course I know.
I've teased you sometimes, but "
" 'Teased' me?" she walled
" Teased' me! Oh, it does seem too
hard sometimes this mean old life of
mine does seem too hard! I don't
think I can stand it! Honestly, I don't
think I can! I came In here Just to
show you I sympathized with you
just to say something pleasant to you,
and you tvei't me as if I were oh, no,
you wouldn't treat a servant the way
you treat n;e ! You wouldn't treat any
body In the world like this except old
Fanny!" .
"Oh, my Lord 1" George groaned,
Fanny spread out her small, soaked
handkerchief, and -shook It In the nlr
to dry It a little, crying ns damply and
ns wretchedly during this operation as
before a sight which gave George a
curious shock to add to his other agi
tations, It seemed so strange.
"You're so proud," she quavered
'and so hard 1 I tell you I didn't mean
to speak or it to you, and I never,
never in the world would have tola
you about It, nor have made the faint
est reference to it, if I hadn't seen that
somebody else had told you, or you'd
found out for yourself some way.
I"
In despair of her intelligence, and
in some doubt or his own, Oeorge
struck the pnlms of his hands together.
"Somebody else had told me what?
I'd found what out for myself?"
"How people are talking about your
mother."
Except for the incidental tenriness
of her voice, her tone was casual, as
though she mentioned a subject pre
viously discussed and understood;
for Fanny had no, doubt that George
had only pretended to be mystified be
cause, In his pride, he would not In
words admit that he knew what he
knew.
"What did you say?" he asked in
credulously.
"Of course I understood what you
were doing," Fanny went on, drylna her
handkerchief again. "It puzzled other
people when you began to be rude to
Eugene, because they couldn't see how
you could treat, him as you did when
you were so Interested In Lucy. But
I remembered how you came to me,
that other time when there was so
much talk about Isabel; and I knew
you'd give Lucy up In a minute, if it
came to a question of your mother's
reputation, because you said then
that"
"Look here," George interrupted in
a shaking voice. "Look here, I'd
like " He stopped, unable to go on,
his agitation was so great. His cheW
heaved as from hard runnlug, and his-
complexion, pallid a( first, had He
come mottled; fiery splotches appear
ing at his temples and cheeks. "What
do you mean by telling me telling me
there's - talk about about" lie
gulped, and began again: "What do
you mean by using such words as
'reputation? What do you mean.
speaking of a 'question' of my my
mother's reputation?"
Fanny looked up at hlra woefully
over the handkerchief which she now
applied to her reddened nose. "God
knows I am sorry for you, George,'
she murmured. "I wanted to say so,
but It's only old Fanny, so whatever
she says even when It's sympathy-
pick on her for it !" She sobbed. "It's
only poor old lonely Fanny J"
"You look here !" George said harsh
ly. "When I spoke to my Uncle
George after that rotten thing I heard
Aunt Amelia say about my mother,, he
said If,-there was any gossip It was
about you ! He said people might be
laughing about the way you ran after
Mnrsrnn. hur tlinr-veaa nil '
Fanny lifted her hands, clenched
them and struck them upon her knees,
"Yes ; It's always Fanny !" she sobbed.
"Ridiculous old Fanny always, al
ways 1"
and did not notice the runabout, nor
how close It came to them.
He drove Into the Major's stable too
fast, the sngaclous Pendennls saving
himself from going through a partition
by a swerve which splintered a shaft
of the runabout and almost threw the
driver to the floor. George swore, and
then swore again at the fat old darkey,
Tom, for giggling at his swearing.
He strode from the stable, crossed
the Major's back yard, then passed
behind the new houses, on his way
home. These structures were now ap
proaching completion, but still in a
state of rawness hideous to George
though, for that matter, they were
never to be anything except hideous
to him.
In this temper he emerged from be
hind the house nearest 'his own and,
glancing toward the street, saw his
mother standing with Eugene Morgan
upon the cement path that led to the
front gate. She was bareheaded and
Eugene held his hat and stick in his
hand; evidently he had been calling
upon her, and she had come from the
house with him, continuing their con
versation and delaying their parting.
George stared at them. A hot dis
like struck him at the sight of Eu
gene; and a vague revulsion, like a
strange, unpleasant taste in his mouth,
came over him as he looked at his
mother ; her manner was eloquent of
so much thought about her companion
and of such reliance upon him.
The two began to. walk on toward
the gate, where they stopped, turning
to face each other, and Isabel's glance,
passing Eugene, fell upon George. In
stantly she smiled and waved her
hand to him, while Eugene turned and
nodded ; but George, standing as In
some rigid trance, and staring straight
at them, gave these signals of greeting
Gave These Signals of Greeting No
Sign of Hecognitaon Whatever.
no sign of recognition whatever. Upon
this, Isabel called to him, waving her
hand again.
"Georgie!" she called, laughing.
"Wake up, dear! Georgie, hello!"
George turned away as If he had
neither seen nor heard, and stalked
Into the house by the side door.
(Continued next week)
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vise any woman or girl
to use Cardul who is a
sufferer from any female
trouble."
If yousufferpain caused
from womanly trouble, or
if you feel the need of a
good strengthening tonic
to build up yourrun-down
system, take the advice
of Mrs. Jones. Try Car
dul. It helped her.; We
believe it will help you.
ID.
All Druzrists
11 1.68
ft
Misery
u:v.ic. The formula is just the same t I
dry, end you can get it from any chug i
t tu;e: 00c per bottle. "
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