Show amli alma WN azzi LYN alk ak ll 11 I 1 f ot av mcd we en norris I 1 I 1 illustrations by y ia ia irwin belr 1 T f if NA ai hv jackleen orris CHAPTER X continued 13 it its bout about that wan man your mother treated ranted you to marry ra orry ellen suggested after awhile tier ter firm arm still mill about fizzles Liz Lizz les shoulders the girl nodded vilt hout looking up and lizzle lizzie should you marry him ellen yen ven lured 1 I love him h I 1 ru I 1 lizzle lizzie answered lu in a and angry voice after a shamed pause you loe him blin you poor child 1 and lie wants to marry you ile he says bays he v rill it I 1 lizzle lizzie had thed about so hint flint tier her back was almost turned to ellen who had to tend forward to catch a glimpse of the flushed fare face and inflamed eyes and dont you think you would be happier bappler ellen pursued sweetly dont you think you would be happier it if he loves sou oil find and you P ile he dont love we toe lizzle lizzie interrupted sullenly put but you sald said 1 I said hed marry me the blood came caino to lo ellens face and the sat back feeling a little sick she had read of the old tragedy a thou rand times but how much more pole dant cant was this fitt first fit t encounter with it this sickening realization of what it means to the woman to sue site she tad ad loved and she had given and now it was his royal prerogative to lift tier her up and make her honest pr or to drive tier her to self murder ah life was hard enough for the ellens who keep a mans respect but lose lis bis love cut but tor for the tizzies I 1 lizzle lizzie she asked timidly are you youre not V lizzle lizzie had dried dred her s vollen swollen eve eyes end and their misery was turned tow toward ard ailen no maam she answered ans with fi fill returning self control if there was a baby coining id marry him tomorrow put but he lies hes a good man sirs josse ayn and hed never be anything but shamed and kept down domn by a girl like me and we done what we me done like children might do something wrong poor lizzle lizzie added with tier her eyes brimming again and all the time lie he was in loie loe with another lady I 1 knew lie was but he know himself how he had come to think about her hei and so BO when we alien hen we me said we me mould nt see each other no wore more I 1 thought that it was all over ond and done with mith except for the way I 1 felt cut but but ma guessed it and she avns nw ful flit mean to me the girl said simply and nothing ever seemed right again I 1 want to go with any of the olier boys and I 1 kep feeling what millet if I 1 should marry some day and have a little tie girl 4 she began to cry again softly ellen whose hose face had biown ashen sat star ing at her blindly hlin illy tier her heart was pounding her brin brain in a whirl site she had heard those terms before lizzle lizzie tied been aunt resles maid through tn in illness last winter when was this toils lizzle lizzie I 1 site she asked clearing tier lier throat lost last winter mrs jim josselyn look at me ellen said after a rf li iise linse look rt ft me lizzle lizzie was it jop joe was it mr latimer Lati iner she saw the answer in fizzles Liz Lizz les ces ebes before the girl salt said quickly no 0 o maam 1 oh no man maani nl ellen could smile sadly us its she shook ter head lie ile told me about it lizzle lizzie ile he old me all about it but he say t m atas as you im so sorry im so ties desperately pera tely sorry you you yoli do toy love urn him oil oh my G d how could I 1 ill help it tie the girl answered with lilt sudden ilo io li it nce fice 1 I lind lanil never worked before mrs jossel lin end nt at home it will trouble trouble trouble my ily father drinks and my sisters husband drinks ive been him film lilt hor hit a few days before tier children come and your aunt was so good to me and the lie captain treated rented me like I 1 was hla his grand daughter and everything was vas so so pica lint art and warm and joe always acx ious ions for me to get enough to ea eat I 1 and nil helping me with lilt kindling ond and at all ant ane tie night tiang up lip my finger where id cut it and sonie tims s hed kiss me you yon know and tell mr mo I 1 looked nice and then one night he coming home and tile lie captain wanted some to ob bocco occo and I 1 run up street fur for it utter after supper and when I 1 come hack back tny my feet were all sopping and after rd id undressed I 1 come collie down in a 11 wrapper to get warm firm 1 nilen ellen could see the hie old bild main alain street louse iter fler eyes were mere shining ive done that flint it a thousand times file said bold half aloud arid and joe come coak in pursued lizzle lizzie 1 it l WID after nine but he had lits s supper and him film and me went out stid ant to eit eat her voice fell ellen did not speak ilas going to marry lulng La lathrod lizzie said presently but that lint rant cant stop rue roe loving him find and remembering how hed tough when he was building the breakfast fire cre and how I 1 felt about him I 1 I 1 thought then we might get married although I 1 always knew it ile be right tor for joe and ashes rich and all that and and of course be loes her slie she stopped speaking staring drearily ahead of tier her ellen was silent too but she kept one warm friendly little hand tight tiler oer fizzles Liz Lizz les hand and in tier troubled face there was no hint of reproach you say guy he loves tier her she said thoughtfully after awhile 1 I think lie he does too in a way but he ties has been most about this flits lizzle lizzie ive seen it only I 1 understand ile he has been worried worrie dand and uncertain weve all been wondering what was on tits his mind and I 1 understand I 1 thought it was vins some reckless girl I 1 suppose its always this wiy only I 1 lie acer er thought of you yoa lazle so c quiet end and good anil and unselfish no dont begin 6 to cry again I 1 mean that unkindly I 1 blame myself I 1 blame myself 11 thus ellen reaching for some gulding guiding principle through nil all those these oozes mazes well I 1 some one will come in and find us here she said with sudden decision go upstairs and bathe your eyes lizzie and get tommy ready for lunch and dont worry im going coins to think it all out I 1 comforted the girl escaped and ellen ate her lunch in thoughtful mood nad and afterward walked with mith tommy to the station a mile away she said nothing to any one at the house but when they were on th alie road she told tommy that they were going to meet uncle joe itow how T J know he was comin com ln tommy demanded 1 I telephoned him dear ellen wits excited she trotted toms small legs along in a spirited fashion fasli ion joe descending sc ending from the train complimented them upon their cheeks of course you dont understand ellen echoed ills greeting as she kissed him but ill explain joe I 1 bring the car because I 1 want to talk to you by myself trot ahead there tom its about lizzle lizzie joe ills honest und lind eyes new flow to hers consciously she told you she was going to kill herself jo joe e ile he walked along at her side for or ten paces without speaking my G d my G d lie said then under his breath and after another silence lie kaid scald suddenly and im c orry sorry ellen I 1 know flow you yau and gibbs will feel fed but I 1 cant lard it any longer perhaps other men can do it I 1 cant pin ini going away get a job somewhere and ashes going with mith ule uie its tile only way may for or toe me ashes a better woman than I 1 am a man because site she gave herself where she lovel loved I 1 thought id cut everything or and d get out for ovi awhile lille but now I 1 see that tills Is tile the way out ril III go and ill take lizzle lizzie well go n now ow ril make it up to lizzle lizzie somehow oh joe I 1 to lo e you yon I 1 ellen sat said felirs and laughter in tier her voke voice 1 I think thrills tile the only way out I 1 I 1 ki know ow flint lie be glad some home day aljy half at an hour later site she sort lizzle lizzie out it to the gule gale on some pretext and lizzle lly ale did not come lack tor for almost ro libers when she dd come men imen I as playing with tommy and tom mys stone blocks on no the nursery y table mrs lizzle lizzie sald bald co coming in close to tier lier and lulng one nn hand nn in ellens arm 1 I hope god will make up lip to 1011 oil what ant you done for tile me I 1 lont ilont dp desme Pre aou ou i hould treat in I 1 like ills his but ill neier neer forget it SIM mrs rossalyn loss ross elyn feie meie ee bern been and lies fit lust gone invin doin to 0 get gel the four oel lk triin ond and lie he sas me e tire are to lo be war ded and it if god helps me if god hel helps ps roe me ril ill make idna him the best and lizzle lizzie turning her buck back suddenly bepin began to lo cry again but ellen new that these were tears of if joy tier her own lall was mas ill the more sober of tile lie two ns as she went slowly to in herl her own room 00 at tilt the right tiling thing Is not n always ile he easy thing slie site mused upp apprehend rellen 1 hely ely now ivow she mut face gibbs with will this fills extraordinary nes and gilbs in ceraul 0 of joe always would lind find in this a complete c 0 n of his P poor nor opinion of the younger man george lathrope Lalli Lath dearest drean r lint elint harriet find and a fortune flu triine ng ag aside de end and joe and a village gaill tm nn grammatical find and unlettered unfettered off to he be married the summary wai disheartening indeed and yet under all her uneasiness n ellens heart mas as sin ins ina miel asel mi el with the joy of a decision hard step bravely fit taken ma made de find and a she left lizzle lizzie tremulously gall and bu buiani ilni tommy suh such a to as B never had gladdened his hi eyes before and went downstairs to the baudy her father in law was alone there dreaming over a ire fire and a book bonk and smiled as she cattle came in lillinn lillian had gone oft with mabel lexter for dinner lie he explained and would be there all night ellen seating herself seemed to foci feel a certain lightening in the atmosphere with lillians departure presently gibbs came in silent and gloomy to find them having ten tea ile he declined ellens brief civil olter offer with equal brevity and cold civility ile he answered his fathers questions delivered dryly with patient monosyllables eyll ables and followed ills his wife upstairs to make himself presentable for the informal dinner in their room ellen nervously A broached the subject of lizzle lizzie lie ile 1 was mas surprised I but ills his comments amazed tier with their mildness and bs be a pling pang of strangle strange unfamiliar pleasure to tier heart by tits his final summary 1 I think you did right joes not tile first man who mill ling has made a fool of himself but they may hit it off after all ashes just as apt to make him algood a wife as flint empty headed little littie harriet I 1 respect him film tor for doing it it ellen sitting at tier her dressing table felt a wave of happiness almost weakening in its intensity pass over her to halle haic him approve her again to have the lee ice of the past months show the least break lie ile was sitting by the ire fire now glan glancing cirg at him through her mirror she saw him film drop ills his lead into his big hands loneal aion lo cyl neyl she heard him say moodily what good would it do him halml what good has it done any of us I 1 wish to god we had never come herel here I 1 I 1 wish to god we had stayed in paris 11 1 why did they go downstairs earlier than usual that night ellen never could remember site she remembered that they had not dressed and that at about six slie site was following foll follow oming ing gibbs down the wide ulde open stairway when his big father came across the lower hall toward them the old man held field the evening paper that gibbs had brought from the city in ills his hand elten ellen on the landing stopped short aghast at the dark angry suffusion of blood in bis big face look here lust just a minute will mill you gibbs his big father said in a shaking voice ills effort to control it rave gave it almost the effect of a 0 shriek gibbs ran down the last stairs and joined cap 94 Q ill stop you by G dl ill kill you before ill listen to you Y out hm him at once lending bending over the paper ns as his father brought it to hl ills attention ellen standing where she was and looking ill down upon them felt ell herself hei be beginning inning to tremble gibbs rend read the indicated lines and faced ills his father ile he seemed to tower over tile uld old man well what about it lie he asked at length after a frightful silence the two tuo more inea measuring surIng elicit each other oilier like ike wrestlers wrest lers gibbs eyes hard and alegry aai ry ills fill fal aalbers liers bers look tile the mill boul of fill all that nas mas suspicious and revengeful ful ellen lid did not hear the gilld mans till an aich fame came in a quick furious undertone nor lilt lie said again after glidis had bad imide an ugly re bli onse their faces were clow 4 together and they looked straight lehl inan lot each others lies ees as they sookil file sound of their tense hambli voices oice in flits beautiful hull hall of so many perfect silences seemed to ellen full of su iden terror anil and jenme youre telling a deliberate falm lioom hol slie site heard the old nian man snail lind and something wits was added to which gibbs answered in a measured grat ins in you I 1 not fit sav that fly by G d no nisin man shall say hy that hint it to me I 1 and suddenly the alic dignified buitoni of the years dropped from both and they were lik two to halry hairy denizens of some tal forest foresi rend ready to lo spring and rend the storia mt rin hid had collie so suddenly and U nil front so clear a sky fb hat ot ellen lind had hada haam tinie hinc to run rr for help no nil time to tl think anh she I 1 stand where she saie was one hund grIP gripped PID tile calved dark wood of the rall rail tin file other oilier pressed against tier her heart oh dont she blie whispered unheard oli oil what lint Is 19 it S she ile c ought caught the words you yi hound you liar ilar betraying Het rayln hiir own father byln your way out of it ille e it 11 coin voon and everything was vaa again until gibbs hall wit pa pas slon glon shouted suddenly ril ill stop you by fi dl 41 IT III will kc you before ill listen to youl you I 1 ill stop you ill 1 oh no gibbs Gl blis she h halt half sobbed front from the landing seeing the threatening gesture in the same instant via the old man groped blindly for on iford scimitar that flint lay on the hall tol tolle le a beautiful thin thing supposedly ft a book knife but measuring some tw feet beet in length and very heavy then suddenly it was all over silence fell in tile the lint hall end and cutting through it ellen heard the gap casp of a maid torrens and some of the girls had come collie running in gibbs pith an ugly sneering smile ron on ills his lips stumbled back bach clearing with ills hand a flowing floming skin wound in his forehead fo ills face under the trickling red was ghastly the old man steadying himself with one hand ban on the table stood pasting panting and blaring wildly jt at him by G d you ought to he be killed my mothers name a fight 11 like this gibbs spoke thickly his breast heaving it if any other man had bad sold said that you get out of my house I 1 the old man answered in a quivering nh whisper isper get out of my house do you hear ill get out of your house his son answered bitterly As he strode toward the big closet the lie maids murmured and drew back from him ill get out find and ill take my wife and child tomor tomorrow rowl I 1 he said gibbs Gl blis dear ellen had run down the stairs and was clinging to tits his arm gibbs dear its your father I 1 dont speak so no he took her hand from his arm but not |