Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1908-02-20
Godfrey
DilliI1ghan7's
Awakening
By Susan Hubbard Martin
Copyright by Joseph D. Boxles.,

dull gray skies and chilly, penetrating
winds. Up the broad avenue that led
to the Dillingham; residence the dead
leaves whirled and eddied and set
tied with many melancholy flutter
into their annual graves, while the tall
trees tossed their bare arms about, as
If lamenting the loss of these CHEEKY
little harbingers of spring and sum-
mer.
In the house beyond, however, all
was bright and charming with glow
Ing fires and soft, mellow lights Geof-
frey Dillingham; and his wife sat in
the library, she with beseeching look
in her gentle eyes, he with a slight an
noyance in his.
so you wish me to invite your peo-
pie here for Thanksgiving" he
queried almost harshly. 81 tell you,
Elizabeth, it's impossible"
But why, Geoffrey?" returned his
wife, with a little catch in her soft
voice. "only think, we've been married
seven years, and you've never asked
them here once;" moments silence.
"And they feel IT," she added, in fall
tering tone, "aDd so do L. After all,
they're my parents, DEAR"
Godfrey Dillingham; frowned and
turned again to his desk. Scratch
went his pen with rapid strokes, then
1t stopped suddenly, and wheeling
around abruptly he faced his wife.
"And if they are" he began, II feel
that have repaid them in a measure
for the loss of you; from poverty I've
placed them in comparative ease.
What more do they want?" he demand
ed, irritably.
But you forget, Godfrey" returned
his wife, gently. "They love me,
too"
Her husband pushed his papers
aside impatiently.
IF you please, Elizabeth" he said,
curtly, well dismiss the subject. As
to Thanksgiving day, I've already in
vited Wilson and his family to din
ner." Wilson was his law partner.
Elizabeth Dillingham; smothered a
heavy sigh, and rose to leave the
room
Truly heredity isn't everything.
That anything 80 beautiful as Eliza
beth Dillingham; should emanate from
the Tracy family was little short of a
miracle. When Godfrey Dillingham;
at SO, saw Elizabeth Tracy, at 10, he
loved her. Yes, aristocrat, autocrat,
courted and wealthy as he was, some
thing about her touched a responsive
chord in his heart of hearts, hereto
fore unreached, and he resolved to
win her. But her family! He groaned
in spirit as he thought of allying the
proud name of Dillingham; with that
Of Tracy-but Elizabeth was SO beau
tiful, and as pure as she was lovely.
Ephraim Tracy and his wife were
decidedly common people. He was a
little man, pretty well advanced in
years, with a kindly, wrinkled face, a
back somewhat bent, and serene, be-
nignant eyes. In sort of desultory
fashion he managed to keep soul and
body together, and that was about ali
He could turn his hand at almost ans
thing. however.
If he was lacking in pride for hir.
self, he had an abundance for Il
daughter Elizabeth, or Lizzie. as rs
fondly called her, which arfegttc
Elizabeth fully reciprocated. He h.5
lived always in the same village. co1
sequently his two sons, Jim and An
drew, grew up there.
Elizabeth was the youngest OF Tie
family. Where she got her beauty. No
one could understand. That s,2e es
sessed it, everyone ac..saw SOD
All the family pinched anl -arci to
clothe and educate her ,' sd
it was the proudest day c. inns and
Andrews lives when they could con-
tribute something toward hizzies
schooling; and Elizabeth went TO
school and studied hard. She meant
to be a teacher, she said But the
summer she was Is. she met Godfrey
Dillingham;, the leading lawyer in Dex-
ter, a thriving manufacturing city a
good hundred miles from Elizabeth's
home. After brief, impetuous WOO
ing, they were married
When a few weeks afterward Eliz-
abeth began to make happy plans for
the promised visit of her parents, her
husband, with cruel candor, told her:
my guests must be of my choosing.
Elizabeth" he said, and l don't want
to hurt you. but can't have your pa
rents here"
He never forgot the expression of
the lovely eyes.
1t had been seven years now since
Elizabeth's wedding day. Only rarely
did she visit home, and evon then, the
visits were not satisfactory. Eliza
beth knew, and they knew.
Godfrey Dillingham;, with all his
faults, was not stingy. and generous
checks came from his hand to the
Tracy family regularly.
SO the years rolled on, bending ola
Ephraim Tracy's back more and more
and silvering the hair Of Elizabeth's
mother
November with its short days passed
rapidly away, until it lacked but two