The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1899-04-26
Lizbeth'S Mistake.


red gold hair hanging about her to the floor
her eyes wide open, studying Ia CLINT of sun
shine on the glass roof opposite, as if there tc
read her fate.
The everlasting hum of the sewing machine
had ceased, for her mother out, but re-
minders of it's we'll nigh ceaseless toll were al
about in piles of daintiy frilled clothing, just
the stitcher had left them.
All for her, this work, an unpleasant sign O.
what to come; and the tiny foot tapped the
floor uneasy, while her brow puckered into
many wrinkles, as her eyes left the glow o.
sunlight for the glow of big solitaire on hel
''heart finger Two tears trickled down the
dimpled cheeks, followed by others in rapie
succession and sch moaned out,
ooh, 1 shall hate him, I know shall 1
he only loved me, I might love him. Oh,
could love him if he would be Nind and gentle
and take me in his arms, and let me stay close
to his heart and mean it! Oh, could low,
him.
Lizbeth was engaged to be married, and tina
was the cause of all her The Withroes
mother and two daughters, aged twenty-on'
and fifteen, living past glories. Thu
small annuity theirs served to supper
them in a quiet village noted for its schools
for Ole must be educated, and they managed
by boarding for the fewest possible dollars
week, to enough for months campaign
at fashionable summer resort. AS for cloth
ing, only two years ago they were rich, ane
eight big trunks and boxes contained enough
towel, the mother hoped, to keep them wei
dressed until one, at least, should be married
She had saved the bric-a-brac and laces anc
Jewels from the crash which came after ole
Wthroe's death, and hoped to marry off the
girls we'll, and hten enjoy her pittance in he1
own way. What was barely enough for one
took wonderful management to be made to dc
for three; but by unceasing work she had KEEP
their wardrobes smart; no at the summer
hotel even suspected that they not well
to-do, and Lzbeth was engaged.
Lizbeth felt sure that Julian Seabury sough
her because he thought she had money; sh
could not imagine any one with such pale blu
eyes, and so cold face, doing anything othe
than from a selfish motive; then too, fou
weeks was short time to fall in love with anc
become engaged to stranger. Although sh
knew some persons fell in love in four minutes
He had never mentioned money to mamma
but had he not found them at a smart hotel
clothed in purple and fine linen, in substance
rich silks, old lace and diamonds? He fa1
away now, rising young lawyer in a Western
city; already his name had been connected with
several large suits, and Lizbeth knew he
good catch for a poor girl; but she felt that he
had been deceived, and would be sadly. disap-
pointed when he should find that her only for
tune fine trousseau and pretty face
She rose to her full length and threw he1
arms up with despairing gesture. She was
dressed for the five o'clock dinner. She did
not always dress for dinner, she hated to go tc
table in gay attire when mamma would insist
on appearing in a shabby wrapper; but today
sch would come home respendent in black
taffeta so Lizbeth had made picture of her.
self. Her pale blue muslin traed about hel
feet with white ribbons here and there, and
low, rounded neck Her throat encircleo
by necklace of silver roses and the masses
of wavy golden hair, which she had unknow
ngly released in her nervous grief, fell abou
her. She quickly coiled it around her head, re
placing the silver pins and clasps, and surveyed
the room.
The plain, room of a country house
with its thin carpet and common furnishings
at window was the sewing machine, a
another a small table, on which was pack O
cards, for when too tired to sew the mothe
played "solitaire'' necessarily. Several of thu
eight trunks in the way, and beautiful
bits of bric-a-brac and china offered strang
contrast to the rest; an open trunk disclosed
confusion of materials recently overhauled
and another piles of beautiful white garment
carefully laid away.
It seemed good to Lizbeth that for one
during the hot September month"; was tn