Dewey County advocate. [volume] (Timber Lake, S.D.) 1910-1913, 1913-08-08

old red house wished particularly :
see her. The girls face assumed q
expression Of Intelligent and ecstati
curiosity.
"oh!" she breathed. Then. She
putting up plums. but she can com
out In few minutes" She could no
60 without lingering to look at Agatha
her wide-eyed gaze taking note o
her hair. her dress, her hands. he
face. As Agatha became conscious 0
the ingenious inspection to which sh'
was subjected. she smiled at the glr
one OF her old, radiant, friend.
smiles
Run now, and tell Mrs. Stoddard
there's q good child! And sometime
you must come to see me at the ret
house; will your"
The girls face lighted up a. II thu
sun had come through q cloud. Shs
smiled at Agatha In return, with 9
yes" under her breath. Thus are
slaves made.
Left alone In the cool, dim parlor
SO orderly and spotless, Agatha had q
presentiment of the prejudice of class
and Of religion against which she was
about to throw herself Susan Stod.
dard's fanaticism was not merely that
of an Individual; it represented the
stored-up strength OF hardy. con-
science-driven generations. The Stod-
dards might build themselves houses
with model laundries, but they did not
thereby transfer their real treasure
from the incorruptible kingdom. II
they were not ruled by aesthetic
ideals. neither were they governed by
thoughts Of worldly display. This
fragrant, clean room bespoke charac-
ter and family history. Agatha found
herself absently looking down at a
white wax cross, entwined with wax
: flowers. standing under q glass on
the center-table It was q strange
piece Of handicraft. Its Wilderness
was suggestive Of death, not life, and
the curving leaves and petals. through
which the vital sap once flowed, we're
beautiful no longer, now that their
day OF tender freshness was so inap-
propriately prolonged. AS Agatha, with
mind aloof, wondered vaguely at the
laborious patience exhibited in the
work, her eye caught sight of an in
scription nodded In the wax pedestal:
Brother" Her mind was sharply
brought back from the impersonal re-
gion Of speculation. What she saw
was not merely sentimental. mis-
guided attempt at art; 1t was Susan
Stoddard's memorial of her brother.
Hercules Thayer-the man who had
SO Unexpectedly Influenced Agatha's
own life. To Susan Stoddard this wax
cross was the symbol of the compan-
ionship Of childhood, and of all the
sweet and bitter involved in the mex
plicable bond Of blood relationship.
Agatha felt more kindly toward her
because of this mute, fantastic me
mortal She looked up almost with her
characteristic friendly smile as she
heard slow. steady steps coming down
the hall.
The eyes that returned Agatha's |
look were not smiling, though they did
not look unkind. They gazed, with
out embarrassment, as without pride, |
into Agatha's face, as If they would
probe at once to the covered springs
Of action. Mrs. Stoddard was thick
set woman, rather short, looking to-
ward sixty, with iron-gray hair parted |
In the middle and drawn back in an r
pretty way.
It was to the credit of Mrs. Stod-
dard's breeding that she took no no.
lice Of Agatha's peculiar dress, un-
Euited as 1t was to any place but the |
bedroom, even in the morning. Mrs. |
3toddard herself was neat as a pin in
D cotton gown made for utility, not
beauty. She stood for an instant with
her clear, untroubled gaze full upon
Agatha, then drew forward a chair
from its mathematical position against
the wall. When she spoke, her voice |
was a surprise, it was so low and deep,
with a resonance like that of the
cello. 1t was not the voice OF young
woman; it was, rather, rare gift of
age, telling how beautiful an old wom-
ans speech could be- Moreover, it
oarried refinement Of birth and cul-
ture, a beauty of phrase and enuncia-
tion, which would have marked her
with distinction anywhere.
'How do you do. Miss Redmond?"
Agatha, standing by the table with
the cross, made no movement toward
the chair. She was not come face to
face with Mrs. Stoddard for the pur-
pose of social visitation, but because,
Ia the warfare of life, she had been
sent to the enemy with message.
That, at least, was Agatha's point Of
view. Of1cially, she was come to plead
with Mrs. Stoddard; personally, she
was hot and resentful at her unjust
words. Her reply to her hostess greet
Ing was brief and her attitude unbend-
Ing.
Il have come to ask you. Mrs. Stod-
dard," Agatha began, though to her
chagrin, she found her voice was I'M
have come personally to
ask you, Mrs. Stoddard, II you will
help us in caring for our friend. who