The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-17

daughter Elizabeth, or Lizzie, as he
fond!y called her, which affection
Elizabeth fully reciprocated. In spite
of the fact that he was not success,
he was general favorite with every
one, and if he was not imbued with
any great ambition, his family never
blamed him, not even his wife, who &C.
cepted him as he was.
He had lived always in the same vii
lage, consequently his two sons, jim
and Andrew grew up there, and Jud.
son, too, whom nobody counted, be-
cause he wasn't bright, but old
Ephraim Tracy never would ac-
knowledge it himself. studs got a
heap more sense n people give him
credit for" he always would say, and
Jud would smile and nod his head we'll
pleased. Poor Jud, whose blue eyes
never lost their childish look.
In the little back yard, the children's
playhouse stood yet, where Jud, with
mans body and child's soul, played
happily by the hour.
Elizabeth came next, the youngest
of the family. Where she got her
beauty, no one could understand.
That she possessed it,. everyone &C.
knowledged. All the family pinched
and saved to clothe and educate her
properly, and it was the proudest day
of Jim's and Andrews lives when thew
could contribute something toward
Lizzic's schooling; and Elizabeth went
to school and studied hard. She meant
to be a teacher, she said. But, the
summer she was 10, she met Geoffrev
Dillingham;, the leading lawyer in Dex-
ter, a thriving manufacturing city a
good hundred miles from Eliza be this
home. After brief, impetuous WOO
ing, they were married.
Godfrey Dillingham;, never, however.
recalled his wedding day without a
shudder. The plain little room with
its cane-seated chairs, crocheted tides
and cheap pictures, the tear-ztained.
home1y faces, the two awkward young
brothers, and loving Jud. whose gaudy
necktie and ill-fitting best suit was to
his untutored mind the very acme of
elegance. It should be the last time
he would be in their midst, he vowed,
AS to his future course, that was al
ready marked out; Eliza beth would
soon understand. He gave great sigh
of relief when the little cottage faded
from his view and he was free to draw
his lovely young wife to his side. Eliz-
abeth threw her arms about her
fathers neck before the carriage
started.
"Gooy-by, father" she cried, press
ing her fresh round cheek against his
withered one. you'll come and see
me. I'll write, and-you know I love
you, don't you?''
Her father loosened the clinging
arms with a big sob in his throat.
eyes, yes, Lizzie, know he an
swered, TREMENDOUSLY. ''There, there.
be good girl and go to your husband.
God bless you BOTH"
So when a few weeks afterward
Elizabeth began to make happy plans
for the promised visit, her husband,
with cruel candor, told her:
my guests must be of my choosing,
Eliza BETH he said, land don't want
to hurt you, but I can't have your
parents here" +
He never forgot the expression of
the: lovely eyes.
"Why, you're not ashamed of them,
Geoffrey?" she cried, hot flush stain
ing the purity of her cheek, and he
did rot answer.
So in the Tracys' little home, made
50 desolate by Eliza beth's fitting, the
invita- ton never came. Six monthsafter
Elizabeths departure, old Ephraim
Tracy came slowly home. 1t was
evening, and already the first breath
of spring could be detected in the
soft air. He sat heavily down upon
the little back porch looking more
bowed than ever and his faded eyes
were infinitely weary. n.~~"~~~ as
"Lizzie don't say nothin' about our
visit, mother" he began. M ~ !
Mrs. Tracy was busy getting sup.
per, but she came out and sat down by
him, taking his hand tenderly between
her own. %1##%
Don't you see through it, Eph.
raim?" said she, gently, avoiding the
wistfulness OF the troubled eyes. eve
amt Godfrey Dillingham's kind 81
folks, and Elizabeth must do as hi
tells her, of course. knew just how
itawould be; the child 3dassen't write
father" MP ssE
A mist gathered in the old man.
eyes, and he looked away to where thu
purple hills kissed the western sun
1.-THE child dassen't write" And hi
was her father; yes, old. obscure