The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-11-24

street, retailing a story with great
gusto to crowd OF loungers, pune
tuated by peals Of laughter. Godfrey
Dillingham; passed by, holding his head
erect and looking neither to the right
nor left. His clothes were well-fitting,
and in his immaculate shirt front q
splendid diamond scintillated in the
rays of the sun.
That the chap that's payin' 'tention
TO your Lizzie2" asked old Elihu Stat.
ford
Ephraims knife dropped noisily to
the ground; he stopped to pick 1t up
before he answered.
That's the chap" he answered,
somewhat mechanically.
Ephraim Tracy and his wife were
decidedly common people; shiftless
| the reighbors called him, for the old
man had prediction for telling
stories, as / have said, and retailing
| them from goods box in Hobbs gro
Gerry. He always had an audience, for
| he was as full of humor "as an egg Is
of meat" and he had quaint way of
expressing himself that was irresisti-
| bly, funny. He was little man, pretty
well advanced in years, with a kindly,
wrinkled face, back somewhat bent,
al 1 serene, benignant eyes. In sort
OF desultory fashion he managed to
keep soul and body together, and that
was about all. He could turn his hand
at almost anything, however.
When n good wife of the neighbor-
hood wanted screen door made or a
lock fixed, she always sent for Eph-
rain. He was not lazy, and the word
shiftlessness ought never to have been
applied to him. Perhaps IL was be-
cause he was always working on in
ven tions that were sure to make him
rich, but when It came to the test
the models always refused to work
But so far MS throwing him into the
slough of despond, happily his failures
had 10 such effect; with unabated
sweetness of nature, he would fall TO
work on something else, and continue
to retail his stories with as keen a
relish as ever.
II lie was lacking in pride for him
self, he had an abundance for hi:
daughter Elizabeth, or Lizzie, as he
fond'y called her, which affection
Elizabeth fully reciprocated. In spit,
of the fact that he was not n success
he wns n general favorite with every
one, and IL he was not imbued will
any great ambition, his family never
blamed him, not even his wife, who ac
cepted him as he was.
He had lived always in the same vii
| MI In
and Andrew grew up there, and Jud
son, too, whom nobody counted, be
cause he wasn't bright, but ole
Ephraim Tracy never would nc
knowledge II himself "Juds got 1
heap more sense n people give hin
credit for" he always would say, ant
Jud would smile and nod his head wei
pleased. Poor Jud, whose blue eye
never lost their childish look.
In the little back yard, the children
playhouse siood yet, where Jud, will
mans body and child's soul, playe,
happily by the hour.
Elizabeth came next, the younges
of the family. Where she got he
beauty, no one could understand
That she possessed 1t, everyone ac
knowledged All the family pinche,
, and saved to clothe and educate he
properly, and II was the proudest da,
of Jim's and Andrews lives when the,
could contribute something towaro
Lizzic's schooling; and Elizabeth wen
to school and studied hard She mean
TO be n teacher, she said. But, tn,
summer she was IS, she met Geoffre,
Dillingham;, the leading lawyer in DeX
ter, thriving manufacturing city
good hundred miles from Elizabeth
, home. After a brief, impetuous WOO
ing, they were married.
Godfrey Dillingham;, never, however
recalled his wedding day without
shudder. The plain little room Will
its cane-seated chairs, crocheted tidie
and cheap pictures, the tear-stained
homely faces, the two awkward youn!
brothers, and loving Jud, whose gaud,
necktie and ill-fitting best suit was (,
his untutored mind the very acme o
elegance. 1t should be the last tim,
> he would be in their midst. he vowed
AS to his future course, that was al
4, ready marked out; Elizabeth would
soon understand. lie gave great sigl
of relief when the little cottage fade,
from his view and he was free to draw
, his lovely young wife to his side, Eliz
! abeih threw her arms about he
, fathers neck before the carriag
: started.
= "Gooy-by, father" she cried, press
ing her fresh round cheek against hi
/ withered one. You'll come and Sc,
2 me. I'll write, and-you know ! low
, you, don't your"
Her father loosened tn. cingin.
arms with big sob in his throat.
"Ies, yes, Lizzie, ! know he an
A swered, tremulously. There, there
' be good girl and go to your husband
e God bless you both"
So when a few weeks afterwart
!, Elizabeth began to make happy plan
5 for the promised visir, her husband
p witG cruel candor, told her:
"My guests must be of my choosing
, Elizabeth" he said, "and don't wan
a to hurt you, but l can't have you
parents here"
r lie never forgot the expression o
the lovely eyes.
= "Why, you're not ashamed of them
Godfrey - she cried, hot flush stain
: ing the purity Of her cheek, and h,
r did rot answer.
r So in the Tracys' little home, mad
r so desolate by Elizabeth's fitting, tn,
, | in vita finn neyarcame Six mnnths n o.