The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-11-28
: OUR DAILY SHORT STORY
MnEH Um III mH MN W M WWW aH WN NWF WA

1 she would be ashamed to- recognize them as her humble Meadvilie parents,
 if thereby she would be rendered happy She chung to her father in an un-
 accustomed, wholly demonstfative fash- ion that embarrassed him. There, therer' he said, batting her I hair awkwardly, read your letter. | Mebbe thy don't want you to come
 so soon. I must go wash for supper" | 1t was true--they didn't want her to come so soon In fact, they didn't want her to come at all The director | unxindly said satirical things about
 her cows--a study from nature-and suggested housewofk as surer means
 of gaining renown
 It was horrible shock She did not l cry, she was too stunned and humili- ated for that, she had only enough reason left to wonder doubly how she
 could tell her parents that their sweet | confidence had been misplaced-that their child always was and always would be a nobody.
 The stuffy little parlor. the hateful
 daubs, had grown intolerable. Pulling | Il shawl from its hook in the narrow
 hall she fled from the house and up the narrow street redolent of beefsteak coffee and hot cakes-Meadville's fa- vorite supper. Every one left the blinds up in Meadville. and there was a panorama of warm interiors. romping children. contented husbands and ac- | tive, happy wives. Ellen hurrying
 along in the chill gloom felt like a pariah and passed quickly out of the din of washing onto the country road.
 She was brought at last to a realiza- l tion of her whereabouts sby startled cry, and jumped back barely in time ! to escape q h6rse's hoof, that just grazed her sleeve as the horse was pulled back on It's haunches. The star | light was sufficient to indicate her close call. She uttered beiated but fright ened shriek.
 somewhere back of the horse, what are you doing out here? Are you drunk?"
 Say, are you hurt?" he continued in alarm, as there was no reply. He sprang to the ground, groped his way
 forward. and plucked at her sleeves "EIlenw
 She began to sob, She couldn't help
 it. There had been too many shocks | in Meadville that day.
 It did not take Elton long to get her 1 Into the runabout and start up the erstwhile spurned Fannie c. Ellen continued to be so distressed that Elton, l Ignoring the fact that she had just re- | fused him, slipped his arm around her and was not repUlsed. Unfortunately, so it seemed, his extreme kindness and I lack of curiosity about her plight served only, to increase her discom- fiture, until, as he helped her from the vehicle at her gate. she caught him | close about the neck and told him the
 whole miserable story.
 How can tell father and mother?' ! she cried.
 Leave that to me-" he whispered jubilantIy, ''and cheer up" The old people jumped to their feet assthe door flew open, and look of in. tense relief crossed their faces at the sight Of Ellen and Elton. "Oh, we didn't know what had be-
 come of you-the last night you were here" said her mother little reproach- \ fully. but she smiled indulgently at l Elton and he smiled back. And whom should she be with?' he
 cried. But have good news for you.
 She isn't going away She's promised to become a Meadville matron" i If Ellen had had fears they were | immediately dissipated by the warmth | of her mothers embrace and the happy | ejaculation of her father as he grasped | Elton's hand. 1t dawned upon her at the instant that they were happier to know she was to marry the most prom | ising young man in Meadville than they would be if she could surpass all the artists in history. And suddenly it | appeared to her that she was the hap l piest of all, and that Meadville-poor | cramped, despised Meadville, was a | garden of Eden.