The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-03-02

and sterile blank. The light and the
glory had utterly gone from it.
Next day she rose pale and haggard
and went about her duties as usual.
Her father made no reference to the
conversation, but he was restless. He
knew that on Fifth-day evening Thomas
Ellsworth paid his usual weekly visit.
This was Fifth day, and the old man
evidently had something on his mind.
So had Elizabeth, fearing she knew not
what
Toward sunset Ellsworth entered the
lane on horseback. He was dressed as
usual with much care in the latest
English fashion, and with the usual
black silk stockings. AS he entered
the yard the old man went out and ad-
dressed him:
"Thomas, thee can turn round and
go home and stay there. 1 do not wish
more OF thy visi.s."
The young man was taken aback by
this language, but lost neither his pres
ence of mind nor his courtesy.
"Friend James," he said, "may I
ask why thee treats me thus? I have
not deserved it," Thomas, though of
tho Established church, adopted out OF
policy the plain language with his
Quaker friends.
81 will tell thee why. Thee comes
for my daughter. Thee shall never
have her )" and here the hot-headed
nature of the old man got the better Of
him and he burst out: az shall never
give her to wording who thinks to
get my money to spend on cards and
wine, and" he added, looking scorn.
fully at the sharely limbs of the young
man, son black silk stockings. Get
thee gone. Neither she nor I want to
see thee again"
A faint cry from an upper window
led both of them to look up. There,
prone across the sill, lay the fainting
form of Elizabeth. The old man with
an imperative gesture of anger hade the
youth depart. L1oking hopelessly at
the house he turned down the lane and
never was seen to enter it again.
/ But did he thus give up the chase
All that is where dreadful mystery
comes in. Watched and lectured by
her father, dogged by surly John Hat
ton, Elizabeth sank into apathy, tho
roses faded from her cheeks, and at
last she was worried into consentipg to
a marriage with this persistent suitor.
A year passed, when one day John
rode up to the old mans, prey to somo
excitement which changed his whole
! features. His father in-Iaw looked at
him with amazement.
"John," he said, " what is the mat
| ter? what aileth thee?"
Natter" he hissed, matter-take
thy daughter back. 1 want no false
woman for my WIFE"
But he had not learned the temper Of
the man he was talking to. With o
blow that would have done credit to al
arm of thirty his father-in- law fellcl
him to the Garth.
Take that, thou foul speaker, and
may the Lord forgive me my anger.
But none shall speak srch lies of MY
children"
"a lie. is it? ?" said John, slowly ris.
ing, greatly cooled 10y this most incon-
sistent action of the old Friend. "Then
what does this mean p and he spread
crumpled piece OF paper before his
father-in-law's eyes.
1t was with difficulty the old man
could read it, although it was written
in clerkly italian hand. 1t read:
"WiIl thee not meet me, dear Eliza
| beth, by the spring in the woods after
sunset tomorrow As we pleaged
each other our TIVE love, let us keep
our pledge in Spite of the one man who
stands in the way, no matter how near
he is to thee. Thy own THOMAS"
1t was not dated The old man saw
what it referred to and said :;
This va; written years before thy
marriage, when I drove Thomas Ebs-
worth from the house. But she never
met him. as I watched her hourly for
days atterward."
Perhaps So" said John, "but it
may have been written within month"
AS he spoke he backed off to a respect
ful distance as he saw dangerous
light in the old mans eyes.
"John," said he, "anger ME not.
Thou art fool, and thy wife is my
daughter. I shall speak to Friend RS.
chel Wilson and she shall adjust this
matter between us. But never speak to
me again about it,"
Friend Rachel was a local preacher
of great force OF character and discre-
tion. She reported that Elizabeth had
received this note from Thomas Ebs-
worth the day he was driven away, but
her conscience was too much under a
sense of duty to heed it. Unfortunately
she did not destroy it.
This explapation-undoubtedly the
true ope-did not satisfy John Hatton,
but he dared not openly defy it. He
grew more and more su,ly, soon took to
drinking, and after few years of do
mestic unhappiness, he fell off his