The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-02-26

L.
chosen president of the Meadvslle Say
ings bank and owner of the fastest
trotter on the Meadville county fair
race track. He looked at her helpless
ly and cleared his throat.
But we could keep a hired girl, Ell
len," he said, and, Frightening, 'you
could drive Fanny G. wherever you
liked. You wouldn't be tied down.
Wed run up to Chicago often to the
theater. You would have a much
easier time than any Of the girls" he
finished proudly
Ellen looked at him a moment pity
ingly. How apparent were the limita-
lions Of his mind! Then she fred q
death dealing bomb into the enemy's
camp.
I'm going to study artv' she said
tr1umphantly.
ELLEN, MOI" The horror in his voice
was genuine.
Years ago another rebellious maiden
Of Meadville had expressed the same
resolve, and it was like Jane. Jane.
she never was the same" There were
dark hints Of unseemly behavior, and
the girl never became an artist and
never returned home. To young Max
wells mind his sweetheart was as
good as lost already. though he breach
ed the possibility Of marrying him and
then seeking the higher plane which
the dullness Of Meadvllle seemed to
render imperative, but she quickly
snatched the heart out of him.
NO" she said; Il shall be welded
to do 1t exactly" she added, in a quick
pity. Maybe some time I'll find that
you are the best, Elton, but not now.
l must try. I'm so deathly sick Of
matrimony by the job lotr'
The amateurish daubs on the four
sides Of the little parlor appeared
frightfully fat and unpromising as she
turned from watching Elton walk
down the street, the spring gone from
his step. his face paler than she had
ever seen 1t. But she must try! A year
ago she would have given her two eyes
for the love she had so lightly refused
today, but that. was before she had
climbed the hill of knowledge and re-
allied that her only habitation thence
forth must be in the realm of art, not
stale old Meadvllle. She was packed,
ready to go the moment the director of
the big art school should say the word.
Her father stepped gingerly into the
best room.
"A letter, Ellen Must be from that
art school. Have you got your things
all packed ready to go? reckon you'll
come back bout the biggest picter
painter in the country Won't scarcely
know us then, will you?"
The unwonted tenderness In her IA
theirs voice and the real misglving in
the last sentence, Ill disguised by the
short laugh, made her heart suddenly
contract How good every one was to
her! Even her father and mother were
ready to sacrific painfully, even to the
point Of placing her on plane where
she would be ashamed TO recognize
them as her humble Meadville parents
II thereby she would be rendered
happy.
She chung to her father in an unac-
customed, wholly demonstrative fash
lon that embarrassed him.
There, therer' he said, patting her
hair awkwardly. Read your letter
Mebbe they don't want you to come so
soon. | 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
unkindly said satirical things about
her cows-a study from nature-and
suggested homework as a surer means
of gaining reDown.
1t was horrible shock. She did not
cry; she was too stunned and humlliat-
ed for that; she had only enough rea-
son 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 nobody.
The stuffy little parlor, the hateful
daubs had grown intolerable. Pulling
a shawl from its hook in the narrow
hall, she fed from the house and up
the narrow street redolent of beef
steak. coffee and hot cakes-Mead-
ville's favorlte supper. Every one left
the blinds up in Meadville, and there
was a panorama of warm interiors,
romping children, contented husbands
and active. happy wives. Ellen. hurry
ing along in the chill gloom, felt like a
pariah and passed quickly out of the
din of dishwashing on to the country
road.
She was brought at last to reallZa
ton of her wherea bouts by startled
cry and jumped back barely in time
TO escape a horses hoofs that just
grazed her sleeve as the horse was
pulled back on its launches. The star
light was sufficient to indicate her
close call. She uttered belated but
frightened shrek
"By Georgew exclaimed the man
somewhere back of the horse. What
are you doing out here? Are you
dxunks J.. ..s