The suburban citizen., 1901-04-27

band one OF the clevercst men OF his
time. He was not so, we may say in
parenthesis; but she thought 1t, and
therefore treasured up the memory
OF such Of his Impressions and Opin.
ions as he had cOnfded to her during
his life. He had often talked of love
ideal love; the love of others before
self and self long way last.
II Charles Latimer could speak to
his widow now from the next world,
would he put before her the love
which shrank from nothing for Maur-
Ices future good, even If it meant the
giving Of him up?
1t worried her as she dressed the
child; she very nearly cried over the
task. She looked so white so wretch
ed, so unlike her usual self, when she
went into the sitting room that Mrs.
Perkins, arriving with the teapot and
Maurice's matutinal pOrridge, ex-
claimed:
'Lor! Misses Matimer, whatever's
the matter?"
The excuse Of bad night was a true
one; no need to explain the cause OF
her sleeplessness. But she could not
turn it from her mind; indeed as the
day passed on she grew so nervous,
so fanciful, that even through the reci-
tation of a French verb in the most
nasal tones of Miss 'Awkins," or the
rendering of "Ah, che la morte," by
one Of her music pupils, she almost
imagined her dead husbands voice
saying, "The greater love, is to give
up"
By the time Maurice was asleep that
night, Estelle's mind was all made up
to sacrifice.
The adoption of her boy by lady Of
wealth would change all his life; the
bitter straits Of poverty would be un-
known to him-she could bear them
better alone.
The advertisement should be an
swered and that answer posted before
she went to bed. 1t might be too late
Il almost hope it may" said the poor
woman to herself; "but 1 shall feel
that l did not hold back from my duty
to my little child"
1t was a simple little note when writ
ten; her explanation was brief and to
the point, yet the sadness OF her heart
could be read in it,
Mrs. Ellison had other answers to
her advertisement, but she unhesitat.
ingly selected the one signed "E. Lati-
mer' as the most promising. She
asked the writer to call and bring the
child.
When in after years, Estelle thought
it all Oyer-the anguish of the deci-
sion, the offer to give up Maurice, the
day when she stood at the door of the
beautiful house which was perhaps
to become his home, and all the min
gled feelings which made her sick at
heart-she wondered If she had been
quite in her right mind.
For long after she could remember
the effort to be calm, to follow the
man servant cOmposedly into that spa
ciOus drawing room instead of catch
ing Maurice in her arms and escaping
from the house, as a sudden wild i'm
pulse seemed 60 prompt her,
Then Mrs. Ellison came ln-some-
what stately, yet so kind and so
charmed with the child as he, uncon-
sclous of what all this meant, seemed
charmed with her
"Yeu's q nice lady" he said, looking
up into her face; and she cried, "What
a perfect darlingw and took him in
her arms as If he were already hers
not his mothers darling
And at that Estelle's self control
broke down.
'It is for his sake, so that he may
never know any want and care" she
cried. "Give nothing to mel do not
sell my darling; but give him love and
-"
At that point Mrs. Ellison turned
suddenly and looked searchingly at
her visitor.
"If l We're some years younger" she
said, Il should think that a friend Of
my early days was speaking. There
is tone in your voice which reminds
me-something in the expression Of
your face, tOo-Of Estelle Somers."
That was my mothers name be-
fore her marriage l am Estele-af;
ter her. But, l never heard her men.
tion a Mrs. allison"
Because she never knew me as
such. Ours was a close acquaintance
in our unmarried days, but our lives
drifted apart by force of circum-
stances. Ny DEAR" and now Mrs. Eli
son took the younger wOman's hands
in both Of hers, "it is indeed strange
that We should thus be brought to-
gether, but it solves a difficulty for
us, 4 need no longer BE- a lonely wom-
an, and you nee not give up your boy.
For as soon as you have proved that
you are the child OF my early friend,
must adopt both Of you"
That was soon done, and young Mrs.
Latimers troubles were ended, and
Mrs. Ellison's Indian summer set in
"by t."-Waverley Maya.
zine.
Georgia's Giant Sycamore Tree.
Dougherty County now lays claim