Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1924-02-20
Aunt Tilly's
Advice
By MYRA CURTIS LANE

OF working at nPf uafHllS-lleT AuHt
Tilly never permitted her to be idle
watched its hands. dreaming of the
hour when her aunt would be in
bed and asleep, and she would be
free.
Glenn was going West on the night
train. and he had asked her to ac-
company him. He was leaving his
wife and little girl behind him. The
parents had agreed to separate, and
Glenn was providing for her.
Well, that left him free didn't it?
And If Dora chose, knowingly, to go
with him But why should she
not? At twenty-seven. what had life
to offer her more than in the past?
She had given years of devotion to
grabbed old lilly Haythorne.
There was nothing human about
her aunt She had taken her when
her mother dec. and given her home.
And the service she had eXacted had
been more than she could have got
from a servant. But she was not paid
even black servants wages-twelve
dollars a month. for clothes and
spending money.
Seems to me you're long time
on those stockings, Dora !"
Dora looked up angrily into her
aunts wizened face. But then her
anger vanished. Well, what did 1t
matter, when at eleven O'Clock she
was to steal out of the house with her
suitcase to join Glenn at the depot.
She pictured him, handsome. stal-
wart. unhappy. What life he had
led, tool They had talked it all over
and understood each other quite well
In the West they would find them
selves.
Guess I'll go to bed, Dora"
yawned Aunt lilly. getting out of her
chair
She went slowly up the creakng
stairs. The girl watched her disap-
pear into the darkness. How she
hated herl How she hated that
darkness at the top of the stairs
which seemed in a way symbolical Of
her own life.
When she heard her aunt's door
close Dora went up to her room. She
looked around 1t, at the stained wall
paper. at the cracks in the plaster,
the broken mirror. She had spent
twelve years there. and it was all
hateful.
II ever her aunt had shown her
kindness she would never have
dreamed Of going with Glenn. But
life in the little house had grown I'M
bearable, and Dora was not leaving
a, single sentimental memory behind
her.
A glance at the tin clock told her
that it was time to start She gath
cred n few things into her suitcase
and crept softly down the stairs IN
the darkness. AT the bottom she
thought she saw sinister shadow.
Then the door of the parlor was
flung open, revealing Aunt lilly
standing, with the lamp in her hand,
She set ii down on the little table and
peered into the girls face.
Going to leave me, Dora? Well.
guessed as much she cluttered shril-
ly. "Set down that suitcaseW
I'll WON'T said Dora.
"Set that down and listen to me-
repeated the old woman. II guess
you can 20 after Pm through with
you, if You want to. Everybody knows
you and Glenn Haskins has been car
rying on together. You think you're
going off with him. Ell? You can
but you're going to listen.
over wonder just why I'm a
cranky, grabbed old woman? Because
! went through my crucible years ago,
I went off with my man, and he-left
months time and send for his wife
and child. That's what the men do.
And then-where'l you come off?
81 did it, and lost everything
Maybe it's all right to lose everything
for the man you love, but not for one
like Glenn, who's been carrying on
with all the girls in town"
IFS not truel" cried Dora indig
nantly But something told her that
1t was only too true.
And listen minute more. Doc
Jennings told me yesterday that Eve
just got about three months to live,
and then everything will come to you
if you're sensible. Then your good
time will come, Better not have it too
young, like me"
Aunt lilly If you--you'd only
cared a little for mel" sobbed Dora,
finging her arms around the little old
Womans neck. But I guess that ex-
pericnce made you what you are and
IN stay and care for you And
what you said about Glenn was true
only | wouldn't let myself believe 1t,
I'll stay. Aunt TillyW