The Morning standard. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1910-191?, 1910-12-25

Thus driven. "I do, Indeed" he
nverred. Il see great harm In outrag-
ing the wise opinion"
"Oh. the wise opinlonw came her
mocking echo. You see, 1t is the opin-
ion of others that matters to you. Mr..
| Westcott, and not your own
1T Is not OF course. my affair"
1T is not" she promptly agreed
II shall trust" said Westcott stif1y.
| mot only To your better Judgment, but
to-to-to-" plainly he did not know
to what TO true-'to your valuation of
my good opinion" he concluded i'm
pressiyoly.
Perhaps that is not so great as you
natter yourself" she flashed back, de-
nantly. "A goodnight TO you, Mr..
| Westcott."
| 'And you must never. never tell,'
Never" echoed the small Elizabeth.
solemnly.
Never" echoed the smaller Miles
Because" went on Zclah, as she
| bent over them In the chill dark OF the
Christmas morning. because IL you
ever tell one word about It there will
| never-be-another-t
A long-drawn 'Oh-h-h" came from
them. The tree was very small one.
and the candles were the green bay
| berry wax of their daily use. and the
| scarlet garlands were only the rcd for
est berries, but to their round eyes IT
was a blazing spectacle of delight.
"a Christmas trccr' whispered Eliza
beth In awe-struck tones. Miles could
only stare.
Yes, n Christmas tree" repeated
Zellah gayly. A joyous sense of ad-
venture and of daring, mingled with n
subtle. feminine satisfaction at this de-
flence OF cautious Westcott, filled her
with merry excitement. She whiskcd
across the room, and. bundling the
children up in comforterS, sat hugGlng
them TO her while they watched the
candles burn.
So wrapt was she that she did not
hear the step on the stairs. Without
warning the door was flung open and
Uncle stood staring In on them as OF
a scene accursed.
Her ofTcnse seemed such q trivial
thing to the girl, so harmless and child
ish Il disobediencc. that She was total
ly unprepared for the catastrophe 1t
brought upon her.
She. Zcllah Cotton. TO be brought into
court like common Ill doer, denounced
by her own uncle. stared at by dread
ful ring of nelghborsl
over her head had ratified the hail OF
the magistrates rebu6e; she had heard,
too, as in a dream, her uncle'S voice.
lamenting this disgrace TO his house,
but accepting the Lords Will in tones
consciousness like 4 knife, the sentence
of punishment She was to stand two
hours In the public square beside the
pillory, bearing about her neck the
placards "a wayward and contumacious
person"
Beside the house of correction they
halted and Zcllah mounted the small
platform beside the stocks, Justice
Bliss pinned on the paper with Its con-
demning description and shook his
6rlzzled head in stern sadness over IT,
Without turning her rigid head she
was aware or the faces increasing about
her. Frankly curious. in the fore
ground trooped the children-lured by
this new spectacle from their mockery
OF fat old Goody May chained to post
at the corner OF Prison Lane for haV-
Ing slapped her husbands check
neighbors' children. some of them,
whom She knew and played with, star
Ing at her with awcd horror, others.
tho children of servants and slaves and
freedmen. staggering and laughing in
the ignorant cruelty OF their young
years.
Behind them sauntered the sailors
from the Conrad. gaping and Jestlng at
her beauty. and all around, crossing
the square in tWos and thrces came the |
townSpeople In the release from work |
that lecture day brought them
She drew her hood further over her |
head. and as she did so she lowered her |
eyes and saw three figures crossing the |
square-Betty Morrison, gay In her new |
London cloak, and her mother, and |
William Westcott. In that moment IL |
seemed TO Zellah that she tasted all the |
shame that life can hold
A laugh rose from the children, ever |
pressing closer to the platform foot.