The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-09-03

(Copyright)
Take good care of yourself. John.
and II you want anything don't be
afraid to say 80. We all want to do
what we can to help. Poor Lizzie
Will be worrying about you. We can't
have that, you know. Poor Lizzie!"
John Marvin groaned and the drawn
lips grew tense. as he tried to meet
tne eye Of the kindly neighbor, and
failed.
Poor Lixzie!" he echoed DULY. Il
can't realize that she's really gone.
up-up there, you know, wanted to
make them stop shoveling, to tell
them that she wasn't dead. It seems
as though she can't be dead. Dead!
And by her own hand; her own
hand, poor little GIRL"
His glance wandered vacantly about
the room that had once been home to
n1m and sighed. Mrs. Calder patted
Ms arm reassuringly.
You mustn't take on 90, john" she
warned. You amt nothin' to blame
yourself for. You did all you could
to make her happy. Her mother was
Ike her, poor thing, always worry
Ing about George not lovin' her.
guess It was worryin' about her moth
q that made her do It.
You amt got nothin' to reproach
Yourself for. She says that. l wisht
! had q letter like that from my Jim.
I wasn't always easy with him-and
I wisht he'd said them thing. John.
It would be a mighty comfort. I'll be
over in the mornin' to tidy up a bit.
Good night"
without waiting for reply she
moved clumsily down the front wa ::
and John Marvin watched her 20 with
mingled feelings OF relief and terror
She was the last Of the solic.to0s
neighbors who had Strengthened up
the house while he had ridden to the
peaceful little graveyard on the hill
where they had laid away the frail
form Of the woman who had been his
Wife He dreaded to be left alone,
but he was glad she was gone, for
every word Of sympathy had cut like
. whiplash.
1t WAS . torture a. had been those
three days while Lizzie's slender form
had lain IN the front parlor. the front
parlor" that was opened only for mar.
riages and deaths and visits Of great
ceremony. They had come. her old
friends. with words Of comfort and OF
admiration for his kindness and they
had unwittingly tormented his soul
to distraction.
John has hated company, and after
one or two efforts to make her rela-
tives welcome in spite of his boorish-
ness, she had made her poor little ex.
cuses to them and they, half suspect
Ing. half affronted, had stayed away.
Now they came unchallenged to
speak In wondering admiration Of
her words OF praise for him. and Mar
win was half sorry they did not know.
Had they upbraided him: had they
told him that 1t was his treatment
that had driven Lizzie into her grave
as surely as though his own hand had
guided the razor that slashed the
reed-like wrists, he would have been
driven to defend himself, he would
have fought them back and would
have taken comfort in the fight
They could not guess what CHASTITY
sarcasm their words OF praise became.
They could not guess.
Dumbly he turned from the door
and passed into the dining-room
where Mrs. Calder had thoughtfully
set out some supper, sliced chicken,
some Of Lizzie's little stock Of pre-.
serves, fresh bread, new butter, and
. pot of coffee on the back Of the
stove against his need.
With gesture Of disgust he pushed
the dishes from him and sat down
beside the lighted lamp to read again
the letter that he had learned by
heart in the last three days.
It was pitiful little letter, almost
childish in its phrasing, for Lizzie had
been the worker in her own family
before she had come to be John Mar
WINS patient slave.
Her terms at the district school had
been few. though the other girls had
gone on to high school and the young.
est was even now In Vassar.
In her plain, uniformed hand, she
wrote a. simply 40 she spoke and he
could almost hear the tired little
voice As he read the sentences over
again, though he did not need the let
ter to repeat the contents. II was
scared into his brain.
Briefly she told of her determine
ton to make away with herself, allud.
ing to the insanity that was supposed
to be the curse Of her mothers fam
fly and Of her fear that she would
come to be burden to him It was
Just the way she had spoken Of her
dread and he had laughed at her.
He could see her now az she suR-
gested the dread possibility, the Quiv-
ering lips. the eyes Of a tired, hurt
little child. He had laughed when
he should have taken her into his