kind man in so many ways, and we could still have been friends. Now I know I'll never hear from him again.

But don't misunderstand me. If ever again I'm called on to choose between my son and someone else, I won't hesitate any more than I did then.

I took the next train home. I was so upset, I'd forgotten to let George know. You could have knocked him down with a feather.

He just sat there looking stunned, when I told him what had happened. He was so sure it was all settled that he'd made arrangements to move out and live with Walter.

Yes, the Walter he'd met in the theater group. They'd planned to go out that evening and look at an apartment. I'd come home just in

time

Well, he called Walter right away. I heard him say over and over, "No, I can't! I can't!"

I never knew what all the fuss was about, but I have my own ideas. That Walter probably wanted to move into some fine place, but he couldn't manage it without George. Whatever it was, I could see he'd hurt George's feelings.

So when the phone rang a little later, I surmised it was that Walter, and sure enough it was, and I told him George was upset and didn't want to speak to him.

George was upset. He acted so strangeI realize now he was all broken up, feeling that he was the reason I hadn't married Edgar Neff.

I tried to tell him everything would go on just the way it had before, but somehow I couldn't seem to get through to him.

In the midst of it all, the bell rang,

and who should walk in but this Walter.

He looked at George and said, "Are you coming?"

I said, "No, he's not," and I ordered him out.

He kept looking at George, and he said something about "For the last time-"

George said, "I can't," and Walter said, "All right," and then he looked at me for the first time. Mind you, that was the first time he'd ever seen me, and he looked me straight in the eye and said, "You old bitch!"

And then he went out. We heard him going down the stairs, and George started after him.

Thank heaven I had my wits about me. I got to the door ahead of him, and I wouldn't let him out. I held to that door-knob, and I wouldn't let go. In the state he was in, he might have killed that Walter. I really think it might have ended in tragedy—

After a while George broke down and shut himself up in his room, and I heard him crying half the night. It was terrible at the time, but he was soon over it.

That Walter never called or came around again. I almost wish he had. I could have said a lot of things to that gentleman .

.

More tea? ... Are you sure? ... Oh, you must stay till George gets home... I think I hear him now.

George? . . . You're a little late this evening. Throw back your shoulders, dear. You're getting so stooped Come on in. This is Lillie Murphy, an old friend of your mother's....

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