The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-11-19

thing about her touched a responsive
chord in his heart of hearts, hereto
fore unreached, and he resolved to
win her. But her family! He groaned
in spirit as he thought of allving the
proud name of Dillingham; with that
of Tracy-but Elizabeth was so beau
tiful, and as pure as she was lovely.
The second time he ever saw his
prospective father-in-law. the old
man wore g battered straw hat and
an old pair of jeans; he was on the
street, retailing a story with great
gusto to a 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 a
splendid diamond scintillated in the
rays of the sun.
THAT the chap that's payiB'tention
to your Lizzie?" asked old Elihu Stat
ford
Ephraims knife dropped noisily to
the ground: he stopped TO pick it up
before he answered.
That's the chap" he answered,
somewhat mechanically.
EpEraim Tracy and his wife were
decidedly common people; shiftless.
the Eeighbors called him. for the old
man had a prediction for telling
stories, as l 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 ar egg is
of meat" ard he had a quaint way of
expressing himself that was irresisti-
bly, funny. He was a little man, pretty
well advanced in years, with a kindly,
wrinkled face. a back somewhat bent.
ard serene. benignant eyes. In a sort
of desulte7F fashion he managed to
keep soul and body together. and that
was about all. He could tur his hand
at almost anything. however.
When a good wife of the nefghbor-
hood wanted Il 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 it was be-
cause he was always working on in
ventions hat were sure to make him
rich. but when it came to the test
the models always refused to work.
But so far as throwing him into the
slough of despond, happily his failures
had 10 such effect; with undated
sweetness Of nature, he would fall to
work on something else, and continue
to retail his stories with as keen a
relish as ever.
If lie was lacking in pride for him
self, he had an abundance for his
daughter Elizabeth. or Lizzie. as he
fond'y called her. which affection
Elizabeth fully ~reciprocated. In spite
of til" fact that he was not a success
he was a 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 ac-
cepted him as he was.
lie 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. "Jud's got 4
heap more sense n people give him
credit for" he always would say, and
Jud would smile and nod his head well
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
a mans body and a child's soul. played
happily by the hour.
Elizabeth AIM next, the youngest
of the family. Where she got her
beauty. no one could understand.
That she possessed it. everyone &C.
k~nowiedged. 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 they
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 IS, she met Godfrey
Dillingham;, the leading lawyer in Dex-
ter, a thriving manufacturing city a
good hundred miles from Elizabeth's
home. After a 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-stated chairs, crocheted tides
and cheap pictures, the tear-staiIed.
homely 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. 1t should be the last time
he would be in their midst. he vowed.
AS to his future course, that was al
ready marked out; Elizabeth would
soon understand. He gave a 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 1 love
you, don't you?"
uar F--bcr 1oo-o,al Al, --