The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-04-02

trtumnnahtlys
eEllen, mol" The horror In his voice
was genuine.
Years ago another rcbellious maiden
az Meadville had expressed the same
resolve. aud II was like Jane, Jane.
she never was the same" There We're
dark hints Of unseemly behavior and
the Sirl never became an artist and
never returned home To young Max
wells mind his sweetheart was as
good as lost already, though he hroach'
eSi the possibility OF marrying him ana
then seeking the higher plane which
the dullness Of Meadville seemed 70
render imperative, but she quickly
snatched the heart out OF him.
No" she said; Il shall he welded
TO my art Instead, 1t Isn't that ! want
to do IL exactly" she added, In a quick
pity, Maybe some time III ind that
you are the best, Elton, but not now.
must try. I'm SO deathly sick or
matr,mony by the job loty'
The amateurish daubs on the Tour
sides OF the little parlor appeared
frightfully nat and unpromising 40 she
turned from watching Elton Walk
down the street. the spring gone from
his step, his face paler than she hau
| ever seen II. But she must try' A year
aro 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 hahltation thence
forth must be in the realm OF art, not
| stale old Meadville. She was packed,
ready to 70 the moment the director Oh
the biz art school should say the woEu'
Her father stepped gingerly into the
best room.s
"a letter, Ellen Must be from that
art school. Have you got your things
all packed ready to GOT reckon you u
come back bout the biggest plcter
painter in the country Won't scarcely
know us linen. viii your
The unwonted tenderness In her IA
theirs voice ANA the real mlsgiving In
the last sentence. III disguised by the
short laugh. made her heart suddenly
contract. How good every one was u
her! Even her father and mother were
ready to sacritic painfully, even to the
point Of placing her on a plane whers
she would be ashamed 10 recognize
them as her humble Meadville parents
u thereby she would be rendered
happy.
She clung 10 her father In an unae
customed. wholly demonstratiye fasn
NON that embarrassed him
there. there he said patting be
hair awkwardly. Read your lettel
Mebbe they don't want you to come
. soon. must 90 wash for supper"
It was true--they didn't want her
: come so soon. In fact. they dldn
want her to come at all. The directC
r unkindly said satirical things abot
! her cows-a study from nature-an
suggested housework as surer meaI
+ of gaining renown.
a II was horrible shock. She did n
d cry; she was too stunned and humilia
i. ed for that; she had only enough re
e son left to wonder doubly how 81
b could tell her parents that their swe
q confidence had been mlsplaced-thi
their child always was and alwa,
,. would be nobody.
l. The stufy little parlor, the hatef
a daubs. had grown latolerable PulliI
shawl from fits hook In the mario
hall, she fed from the house and
the narrow street redolent Of bee
steak, coffee and hot cakes Mea
ville's fayorite supper. Every one le
the blinds up In Meadville, and the
was panorama OF warm interior
| romping children, contented husban
! and active, happy wives Ellen, hurT
ing along in the chill gloom, felt like
pariah and passed quickly out Of I
din of dishwashing on to the count
/ road.
u She was brought at last to reall2
! tion of her whereabouts by startl
9 cry and jumped back barely In tir
to escape a horses hoofs that ~
grazed her sleeve as the horse W
pulled back on its launches. The sti
light was sufficient to indicate B
close call She uttered belated B
: frightened shrek.
, "By Georger' exclaimed the m
somewhere back Of the horse. wi
,r are you doing out here3 Are y
d drunk?
e e "Say, are you hurtY he continued
as alarm, as there was no reply.
I'd sprang to the ground, groped hts W
V forward and plucked at her sleeve.
. "Ellenp
s. She began to sob. She couldn't b
y. 1t There bad been too many sho'
:. y in Meadville that day.
,l- II did not take Elton long to get
ra into the runabout and start up
=. erstwhile spurned Fanny @. I'll
II continued to be 30 distressed that
ny ton, ignoring the fact that she
Md lust refused him, slipped his O
III around her and was not repulsed.
D. fortunately, 80 it seemed, bis extre
kindness and lack Of curiosity ab
her plight served only to increase
discontinue until, as he helped heI
alight from the vehicle at her gate,
lA hi,,, oiosa ahoat+ the npck