on and laughed at the mistakes she
made, and Fanny remained in the background with George, exhibiting a
bleakness that overmatched his boredom.

From the factory Eugene took them to lunch at a new restaurant, just
opened in the town, a place which surprised Isabel with its metropolitan
air, and, though George made fun of it to her, in a whisper, she offered
everything the tribute of pleased exclamations; and her gayety helped
Eugene's to make the little occasion almost a festive one.

George's ennui disappeared in spite of himself, and he laughed to see
his mother in such spirits. "I didn't know mineral waters could go to
a person's head," he said. "Or perhaps it's this place. It might pay to
have a new restaurant opened somewhere in town every time you get the
blues."

Fanny turned to him with a wan smile. "Oh, she doesn't 'get the blues,'
George!" Then she added, as if fearing her remark might be thought
unpleasantly significant, "I never knew a person of a more even
disposition. I wish I could be like that!" And though the tone of
this afterthought was not so enthusiastic as she tried to make it, she
succeeded in producing a fairly amiable effect.

"No," Isabel said, reverting to George's remark, and overlooking
Fanny's. "What makes me laugh so much at nothing is Eugene's factory.
Wouldn't anybody be delighted to see an old friend take an idea out of
the air like that--an idea that most people laughed at him for--wouldn't
any old friend of his be happy to see how he'd made his idea into such
a splendid, humming thing as that factory--all shiny steel, clicking and
buzzing away, and with all those workmen, such muscled looking men and
yet so intelligent looking?"

"Hear! Hear!" George applauded. "We seem to have a lady orator among us.
I hope the waiters won't mind."

Isabel laughed, not discouraged. "It's beautiful to see such a thing,"
she said. "It makes us all happy, dear old Eugene!"

And with a brave gesture she stretched out her hand to him across the
small table. He took it quickly, giving her a look in which his laughter
tried to remain, but vanished before a gratitude threatening to become
emotional in spite of him. Isabel, however, turned instantly to Fanny.
"Give him your hand, Fanny," she said gayly; and, as Fanny mechanically
obeyed, "There!" Isabel cried. "If brother George were here, Eugene
would have his three oldest and best friends congratulating him all at
once. We know what brother George