Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-01-30
Fiction
A QUIET AMBITIOUS SOUL.

Good morning, miss. Let me draw
that water for you"
Lizzie looked up her hand on the
well rope. and saw Zephas. The
bright midday sun brought out clearly
the sharp lines in their plain faces,
and the fresh colors in the patches of
their faded work-day clothes, but it
brought out even, more clearly the
flash of shy pleasure in Lizzie's face
and the expression of kindly concern
III Zephas's.
Zephas quietly drew the rope from
Lizzie's hand and drew up the water,
emptying it in the pail through the in
clined trough. He measured the dis
lance through the sunny field to the
rear of the Loring farmhouse; then he
looked at her with kind of indignant
amazement on his gentle face. Why"
he exclaimed. "do they make you car
ry it all this way?"
II carry it," answered Lizzie,
with childish embarrassment. Sud.
denly her face frightened and she
said, quite cheerfully, When it rains
the hogsheads get full, and then
carry only little"
He quietly turned away, lifted the
pail and carried it across the field
Lizzie unprotestingly followed, filled
with strange awe at the expression Of
decided judgment in the gentle eyes.
Mrs. Loring looked up from her
pan of bread dough in amazement, as
Zephas came into her kitchen and de-
posted the pail on bench and then
went out without word or look. She
turned a gaze of impatient inquiry at
Lizzie. 81 didn't ask him to, Mis- Lor-
ing said Lizzie. He took it right
up" Lizzie looked quite childish now
in contrast with Mrs. Loring's plump
form and pink cheeks.
oh" said Mrs. Loring, 81 didn't
know but he thought we was working
you too hard to make you carry the
water. But what else can we do
when the well is so far away? And l
guess Zephas GLADDEN. had better look
at home. | guess Deacon Gorham
works him hard enough. I've heard
the neighbors talk about it. Well
now, Lizzie, I've been planning your
work for tomorrow. | guess you'd
better wash the downstairs windows
for one thing. They don't really need
it just now but they will soon. and it
amt hard work to wash windows"
20 no, indeed" clied Lizzie warm
ly. ashamed of the disloyal pleasure
she had taken in Zephas's words, and
determined to atone by working hard
er this afternoon than she otherwise
would have done.
But it was Sunday afternoon and
she was not expected to do patch
work in her leisure moments. So
when the necessary work was done
she had three precious hours all her
own. She slipped cautiously to her
little attic room. took a small, worn
book that had been hidden back of one
of the beams, then slipped noiselessly
down the stairs. In the dining room
en- lounge lay Mrs. Loring's simple
minded husband. staring ut picture
on the wall. do you kn,w, Lizzie, >"
he said, as she passed through IT
never look at that picture without
wanting to cry" Lizzie glanced at
the old print of the boy Lincoln trying
to read the Life of Washington by the
light from the kitchen fireplace. He
didn't have much show, did he. Liz
zie?"
NO" said Lizzie sympathetically.
AS she was fastening across the
field little girl in white dress and
Leghorn hat ran out after her and put
her arm around Lizzie's waist. She
could do it quite easily because she
was large child, and Lizzie was lit
tie woman. Lizzie" she said, plead
ingly, "can I sit down beside you
while you do your problems? I've
brought my 'rithmetic too I've got a
very hard problem of my own. Do
You care?"
No" said Lizzie, gently. Lets sit
down under the big elm. But be
careful not to soil your dress, Ida"
Ida looked thoughtfully from her
dress to Lizzie's faded wrapper. "You
never had white dress, did you, Liz
zie? And you're only in long divi