The L'Anse sentinel., 1908-01-11


winds. Up the broad avenue that led
to the Dillingham; residence the dead
leaves whirled and eddied and set
tied with many melancholy futter
into their annual graves, while the tall
trees tossed their bare arms about, as
II 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 a beseeching look
In her gentle eyes, he with slight an
noyance in his.
so you wish me to invite ycur peo-
pie here for Thanksgiving?" he
Queried almost harshly. II tell you.
Elizabeth, it's impossible"
"But why. Geoffrey?" returned his
wife,, with 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 fal-
tering tone, "and SO do I. After all,
they're my parents, dear"
Geoffrey 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 II they are" he began, Il 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, Geoffrey," returned
his wife. gently. They love me,
too"
'Tf 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
heavy sigh, and rose to leave the
room.
Truly heredity isn't everything.
That anything so beautiful as Eliza
beth Dillingham; should emanate from
the Tracy family was little short Of
miracle. When Godfrey Dillingham;
at SO, saw Elizabeth Tracy. at 1S. he
loved her. Yes, aristocrat, autocrat,
courted and wealthy as he was, some
thing about her touched 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 kindly, wrinkled face,
back somewhat bent. and serene, be-
nignant eyes. In a sort Of desultory
fashion he managed to keep soul and
body together, and that was about all.
He could turn his hand at almost any
thing. however.
II he was lacking in pride for him.
self, he had an abundance for his
daughter Elizabeth, or Lizzie, as he
fondly called her, which affection
Elizabeth fully reciprocated. He had
lived always in the same village. con-
sequently his two sons, Jim and An,
drew, grew up there.
Elizabeth was the youngest OF the
family. Where she got her beauty, no
one could understand. That she pos
sessed It, everyone acknowledged.
All the family pinched and saved to
clothe and educate her properly, and
Il was the proudest day Of Jim's and
Andrews lives when they could con-
tribute something toward Lizzie's
schooling; and Elizabeth went to
school and studied hard. She meant
to be q teacher, she said. But the
summer she was 1S, she met Geoffrey
Dillingham;, the leading lawyer in Dex-
ter, a thriving manufacturing city a
rood hundred miles from Elizabeth's
home. After a 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 I don't want
to hurt you, but can't have your pa
rents here"
He never forgot the expression Of
the lovely eyes.
Il had been seven years now since
Elizabeth's wedding day Only rarely
did she visit home. and ev0n then. the
visits were not satisfactory. Eliza
beth knew, and they knew.
Geonrey 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 old
Ephraim Tracy's back more and more
ana siIverine the hair of Elisabeth's
mother.
November with its short days passed
, rapidly away. until It lacked but two
weeks till Thanksgiving.
Elizabeth. In her home, seemed to
grow paler and slighter these short
November days. Her husband. COM
inn home sne night, found her shiver-
ing over the library fre.
what II It. Elizabethf" he asked.
anxiously.
Il don't know" answered his wife.