The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-05-28

to the front gate and hang over it in
a careless sort OF way about s o'clock
evenings. this being the hour at which
the academy boys and other. Pennington
young men went home to supper. Not
a great deal was accomplished in this
Way. however, because as soon as Eliza
beth saw q young man coming she got
around behind the syTiuga bush and
hid until he passed by. 4 game of
cross-purposes seemed finally TO be in
operation between mother and daughter
Everything that Mrs. Shauklin counted
upon as a lever for Elizabeth. for one
reason or another proved Intellectual
II was at this time that Mr. Shank
lin who had always been a well-liked
man in this community, became the in
cumbent of the county clerks Office.
He fell forthwith into the custom. hon.
ored of his predecessors. of leaving the
office nFetty much to his deputy. This
gave him time to 60 out TO the farm
in the afternoon and get back before
dark. 1t had been such an easy matter
tor him to get the clerks office. and
the eTnolunlerts of the Office were such
q pleasant matter that MIR Shanklin
had found himself unable to regret the
farm as much as he had expected 10.
Besides. he had to admit that it was
more convenient TO live in town. He
had the farm pTOfitabIy rented. and
what with the rent and his office, he
was enjoying a season of prosperity
that he had not known in the country.
He was very cheerful and his back
had got up Out of the faTn1-Iike stoop.
He took Elizabeth with him to the
country nearly every day and they had
d great deal Of enjoyment out Of the
ride there and back Mary Shsuklin
would seldom GO one October evening
the Shankiins father and daughter.
were jogging down Weaver road to the
faEm. when it suddenly came upon
Edward Shanklin that he had for
great many years opposed a move that
had in the end proved to be in every
way to his advantage He became con-
scious of little glow toward his wife
He turned to Eliztbeth-
Are you sorry we amt living out
here now, Elizabeth he asked in
slow. humorous tone.
Elizabeth thought a good while before
she answered. q don't think / am.
like it I'm town better" She stopped
and thought things over in her care
full way. AT least I win IF mamma
doesn't give me that Bartv." she said
rs your ma going to give YOU a par
ty?" aswed Mr. Shanklin in a troubled
voice
she says she is answered Elizabeth
with more trouble in hers.
If Elizabeth had surprised her mother
somewhat that year. she had surprised
her father still more. She surprised
him most of all when she now said fur
Their. But I don't think III go to it,
The next morning MIR. Shanklin be-
came further acquainted with the mix
up He never bothered to get to his
office very early, but sat on the back
porch and smoked or Whitfield for a
time. Mrs Shanklin and Elizabeth
were usually in the diniHg-room at that
hour, rubbing the silver or counting the
spoons and forks. and they could talk
/ out the window to him Today they
| seemed to be talking to themselves OH
| the inside, somewhat to his ex-
| clusion.
DO you think Jam cake would be bet
| ter than lemon, Elizabeth" she asked
/ incisively.
There was so much frank finality in
1 Mrs. Shanklin's way of putting the
matter so much that meant to walk
| over 50 much else, and the reply was
| so long in coming. that Mir. Shankiin
/ uncTOssed his legs restlessly.
"One's as good as another. 1 guess.
! Elizabeth said at last. The pent-uI
tone. something in the slim. contracted
/ face. its habituaI lack Of animation en-
/ hanged now by PaHOT. the stiffness oi
| its habit. bore in the fact of her d3Ugh-
! teT's limitations TO Mary Shankiin witt
/ sudden. unwOnted diTectnesS. An eX-
| treme fear of fate ran through her as
! she turned back TO the forks with cha
/ grin and iSappoiutmPnt on her face.
You might take e little more inter
/ est Elizabeth" WAS all she said.
There was a culver in the room, The
/ quiCk-laden moment before an out
/ break. and then Elizabeth began Il
/ talk pantingIy.
/ oh. l suppose I might mamma. But
I don't I hate it That's all I don't
! want any party / don't want to e
out in society. J don't want to meet
/ young men. I don't want to marry
She had put the spoons down and was
/ talking now from the folds of heI
/ apron. You made me 90 to school Un-
! til YOU nearly killed me. You never did
/ anything much at school. and pape
I never did. but you expected me TO just
1 the same You made me take music
! when I haven't any talent for music
! and knew the teacher was laughing al
/ me all the time. and now I suppose
you won't rest until you've pushed me
into parties when I hate them I'm not
that kind of a girl and I can't help it
! never will be. Yet you've got to make
me miserable because YOU want me II
be that kind. You-you've made ms
miserable all my life"
Eliza beths tears had come so rarely
il her life that they were impressive
! Besides, for Mary ShankIin they were
| washing away the very foundations o.
those castles in the air to which she
had flown for comfort through all these
years. II was a sorry sight to SCI
them go, their instability a sorry truth
to come drifting home on the high tide
of EliZabeth's tears. Yet something
more ancestral and vital even than he
ambitions came in on the tide. and j
was the mother in Mary Shanklin who
finally spoke.
wei. never mind. Eliza beth" sh'
said without a qUdveT. If you don
want the party. there won't be any. In
not so anxious for you to be miserable
as you think. I want you to be haPp!
at any UOst-at any cost
The cost was so strongly and touch
| ingly depicted on Mrs. Shanklin's fac
that Mr.. Shanklin, who during Eliza
I beths outburst had crossed his leg
! again. now uncrOssed them quickly
and got Up and went into the sittin;
room to get his linen ulster and maxi
off to town Before he left he CAM
! around quietly to the dining room
| again Elizabeth had gone upstairs
Don't YOU mind Mary" he said
she viii take to it later on
His Wife's eyes chung to his pathet
! ically No No. she won't She
nineteen now. Edward. 1t isn't in her
/ 7 Wsde a mistake They stood anC
looked at each other She could hard
ly see him for the flotsam and jetsan
strewn about her How they had washe'
out Of the years once Elizabeth haC
! opened. the sluiCe gates, And how tn
| future years stretched away bleak an,
! barren. without expectation and with
out intention, She failed at the wear!
vista. and picked up the linen duste
before her and put her face I'm it ant
cried.
Her husband came and stood clos
| nv hrrfs he III