Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1883-04-26
ELLiE'S SACRIFICE.
BY ESTHER sERLE KENNETH.

for everybody called her Ellie. 1t wa
baby name, she said, and she didn'
like it; but that is what people callet
her, nevertheless. Perhaps her sligh
figure, and small, round face, with it
short, clustering auburn hair, had some
thing to do with it; am quite sure tina
her mouth had, for it hadn't grown
bit since she was five years old. Sh,
was seventeen, but she had look of be
ing only fourteen Almost everybody
thought that she was fourteen, bu
Captain Jerry knew better.
Captain Jerry was Captain Jeror
Jones of the navy. That is, he had beer
in volunteer service for five years, hav
inc been bred sailor. When my story
opened, he owned beautiful yacht, anC
u fine stone house and garden down on
Appleton's Beach. Ask anybody to tel
you where that is.
Ellie lived in Boston with her Amt
Margaret. At least, there was hen
home; but for the last Two years she
had been away at school. When she
came home at vacations, she and her
aunt always went down TO Appleton
Beach to make Captain Jerry visit.
Ellie could not remember when she had
not known him.
He was rather short and stout, with a
twinkling eye and head of silvery-
gray, curly hair. He always wore an
entire suit OF fine, firm gray cloth. He
carried very handsome gold watch,
which Ellie used TO play with when she
was small enough to sit on his knee,
a,1 - t.yA,l1 do crnn1 IN hnar him
laugh. Everybody called him Captain
Jerry, though he was no military man.
The name suited him, just as Ellie's
second appellation probably suited her.
Aunt Margaret Rendell had certainly
been a handsome woman. She had a
straight nose, and bright eyes, and very
smooth, pink cheeks at the time am
telling you of, though her hair was full
of silvery streaks. When Ellie went
back to school after her last vacation,
she felt little uneasy about her aunt.
1t seemed to her that she was growing
pale aud old-looking; that she went
about silently, as if something troubled
her; and she could not once remember
having heard her laugh in the old, pleas
ant way. She had been SO glad to be at
home, had so much to see and do, that
she had not exactly noticed at the time;
but when she was in the cars, going
schoolward again, she realized it, and
was conscience-smitten.
20, have been so giddy!' she said.
"Why didn't see and find out what
allied auntie? She said nothing; but
then l suppose she thought i was baby
and couldn't do any good. o, | do wish
people wouldn't call me Ellie, and that
bahyish mouth! What's the use of
growing up if nobody knows it? There's
Harry Hayden always says, Good
morning, Ellie as careless rs can be,
while he takes off his hat to Bell CO.
vert, and actually bushes when he
meets her!'
So, when the cars stopped at Saun-
ders Centre, and Ellie was waiting in the
ladies' room, the driver of the stage
which went over Academy Hill put his
head in at the door and called, ''ls Miss
Ellie Aud hcre?' she Immediately cor
rected him:
II am Miss Ellice Aud"
"All right" he said, good-naturedly;
DliCc lOl NOu III lilC
AT her first opportunity Ellie wrote to
her aunt.
"DEAR AUNTIE:-I want you TO write i'm
mediately and tell me what troubles you.
did not see 1t while was at home but
have been thinking about you ever since,
and / am convinced that you have something
on your mind which you have not confided to
me. You have grown pale, and you did not
once laugh in your old, hearty way. Some
thing has happened; tell me what 1t is. / am
not baby; am a woman. Confde In me,
dear auntie. Two heads are better than one,
II one Is covered with little, silly, short curls.
"Affectionately yours, ELLIcE.
1t was some time before an answer
came; but at last il did come, and read
rs follows:
"MY DEAR CHILD:-I am sorry that you
have had any troubled thoughts about me-.
Be sure that whether or no have any secret
cares, you can do me no good, except in ex-
ceiling In your scholarship, and graduating
soon enough to be with me before another
long, cold winter comes. get very lonesome
sometimes, but nothing does me as much good
as to know that you are doing well, and that
you are In good health and happy. Captain
Jerry was in town yesterday LIE called, and
said that he sent you his love, and that Apple
ton Beach was lonesome without you. Write
as often as you can, devote yourself to your
studies, and don't be troubled about me.
Affectionateiy,
AUNT MARGARET"
This letter did not satisfy Ellie at all.
But there was nothing more that she
could do but to apply herself 10 her
graduation and get home the next fall.
She graduated in July, and went
home the first of September. She look
ed up at tho windows as the hack drew
up to the door %; ner aunt's house. but
no one was TO be seen. A strange maid
servant admitted her, q little chore girl,
remarkably stupid; but she told her
where her aunt was.
''She's not in the parlor, miss; Mr.
Stacy has the parlor, and Miss Traver:
is in the next room. You'll find her uI
stairs in the front chamber, miss. That's
her room now"
Ellie flew up stairs. There, at the
front window, sat Aunt Margaret, sew
ing.
80 dear, dear auntie, I'm so glad to
see your she cried, springing into hel
arms "But what in the world are yo,
here forp and what did the girl meal
by saying that Mr.. Stacy was in the par
Tor, and Miss Travers in the stting-room
and why do you have such an insignifi
cantlittle maidp and where's BettyP"
Take off your wrappings and 81
down, my dear. / could not afford h
keep Betty"