The Washington times., 1909-08-18
GET TING. RID OF LIZZIE

60 d-bye, my dearr I waved to her
| as went down the path in our front
yard. won't fOTget-home eUrly!'
As luck fell out, I met Rogers on the
f:l0 into town.
There's a game on at the house to-
night, old man. ] informed him. ~ on
ana me wife are respectfully requested
Zine business he accepted the in
sharp
Consider me there" he treasured me.
and how's the Swede servant girl get
ting On2'
Not Swede-German. She's a gener-
| Gus sample Of the real thing. Jack.
Does the work and fills the bill, ehY'
| ne haStened 10 inquire. Not kick o.
any kind?"
''Well-uo." I hesitated. Il wouldn't
say tnat, exactly. You see, tt seems
tndt she acting queer, and ii has the
nlssus a BIT fused on that account +"
QueerY he puzzled.
Ohs nothing alarming, you know.
Just little strange and distant about
ileI nome IN the little town she came
from My wife feels that she ought to
open up and talk more, since We're old
friends OF her family. you see It's all
because she IS a little frightened Of her
new surroundings, though"
hope It doesn't develop into any
lhlng more than that Hank" my
friend remarked. You're responsible
Tor her, remember"
Il remember" I assured him. but
there nothing on that score to worry
about. / know Lizzie. all right"
nope you DO" he answered, mean
lnsly. It would be unpleasant,
wouldn't It, II something happened"
smut up!' / requested. What do
you want 70 ges me all wrought up
over the thing for when there's no
So the topic OF my responsibility
Tor the girl was dropped, and we talk
reached.
But I kept Lizzie in my mind all
day. l couldn't forget the peculiar
circumstance of the things nv wife
hao found ia her trunk. There was
something mighty odd about that
! almost wished I'd spoken to Jack
ABOUT It, and found out what he
OF course. the popularity of the
matter could be explained, I knew.
( But the explanation was a mystery TO
ine-and ! couldn't help thinking of
II pretty continually
Then, too, I wondered IL I could
possibly have been right in my chance
remark that Lizzie was out of her
mind through grief at the loss Of her
only parent Still she had never i'm
pressed me when / knew her five
years before as being the sort OF a
girl who would Yield SO cornpIeteIV
to any misfortune.
1 was still thinking the thing over,
as ! had been all day, when I came
up the path to the house that even
ing My head was lowered and my
eyes on the course of my feet. so that
did not see my wife standing in the
doorway until had mounted the steps
Of the piazza.
And then, before she spoke a word,
something in the expression Of her
face hung an anchor of Lead around
my heart. and knew that trouble
was brewing-was already brewed, in
What's the matter?" asked
quickly.
My wife drew one hand from behind
her back. In IL was a single sheet Of
pink paper Silently she held it out
I took it without taking my eyes
from her face
Tel me-" begged THE chill
dren-"
NO" she shook her head. Read IT."
1 lifted the paper IL one trembling
hand and hastily scanned its single
typewriter line.
Brother sick. Can't come for month.
ELIZABETH SCHNEIDER"
The. cabiegram dropped from my
nerveless fingers. I stared at my wife
What does it mean?' / gasped
She broke her silence with burst or
impetuOus speech.
What does it mean? It means that
the girl we thought to be Lizzie isn't
our Lizzie at all. She's somebody else.
don't know who. Elizabeth SCHNEIDER
didn't come, And you got the wrong
girl at Ellis Island That's what II
means"
II was my turn now to be speeches..
Then ] stepped forward
She's not the Lizzie we wantT' I
asked, blankly.
She's not" firmly answered my wife
God LOrdr' 7 grOaned, and stopped
] cursed myself mentally, over and
over again. for the idiotic mistake 7
had made in taking the wrong girl away
from the migration office. UnwiiHngly
dragging her away. I remembered now
the stupid manner OF her going. And I
had taken her
Heavens I gasped again. And I
am responsible, for one year three
months ana fifteen days. for a Lizzie
j never met. never saw before, and
don't know the first thing in the world
about"
The Continuation of This Story VIII
BE Found I'm TOmOrrOyv's
Issue of The Times.