The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1913-01-31


curiosity.
on she breathed. Then, shes
putting mp plums but she can come
out In a few minutes" She could not
so without lingering 70 look at Agatha,
her Wide-eyod gaze taking note OF
her hair, her dress, her hands, her
face, As Agatha became conscious OF
the ingenious inspection TO which she
was subjected she smiled az the girl
ono OF her old radiant, friendly
smiles
Run now, and tell Mrs. Stoddard.
there's a good child! And sometime
you must come 20 sec me al the red
house; win you?"
The girls face lighted up as II the
sun had come through a cloud. She
smiled at Agatha In return, with a
Yes under her breath. Thus are
slaves made
Left alone In the cool. dim parlor
SO orderly and spotless, Agatha had a
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; 1t represented the
storedup strength of hardy, coz
sclence-driven generations. The Stod.
dards might build themselves houses
with model laundres. but they did not
thereby transfer their real treasure
from the incorruptible kingdom. II
they were not ruled by aesthetic
ideals, neither we're they governed by
thoughts of worldly display. This
fragrant. clean room bespoke charac
ter and family history Agatha found
herself absently looking down at
white wax cross, entwlned with wax
flowers, standing under a glass on
the center-table. Il was a strange
piece Of handicraft. It's whiteness
was suggestive of death, not life, and
the curving leaves and petals, through
which the vital sap once flowed, were
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 a sentimental, mis- f.
guided attempt at art; it 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 Agathas
look were not smiling, though they did
not look unknd 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 a thick
set woman, rather short, looking to-
ward sixty, with iron-gray hair parted
in the middle and drawn back in an
pretty way.
1t was to the credit of Mrs Stod-
1ard's breeding that she took no no.
ice of Agathas peculiar dress, un-
suited as it was to any place but the
bedroom, even in the morning. Mrs
'toddard herself was neat as a pin in
I cotton gown made for utility, not
beauty. She stood for an instant with !
Ter clear. untroubled gaze full upon !
agatha, then drew forward chair I
rom it's mathematical position against !
he wall. When she spoke, her voice {
vas a surprise, it was so low and deep. {
With a resonance like that of the {
cello. 1t was not the voice of a young I
it was, rather, a rare gift of {
.ge, telling how beautiful an old won. &
ms speech could be- Moreover, it /
arried refinement of birth and cul- /
ure, q beauty of phrase and enuncia- I
ion, which would have marked her /
With distinction anywhere. t
How do you do, Miss Redmond?"
Agatha, standing by the table with :
he cross, made no movement toward /
he chair. She was not come face to !
ace with Mrs Stoddard for the pur- t
ose of social visitation but because,
4 the warfare of life, she had been I
cnt to the enemy with a message.
hat, at least, was Agatha's poinS of L
lew. Officially, she was come to plead t
18th Mrs. Stoddard; personally, she t
'as hot and resentful at her unjust
'ords. Her reply to her hostess greet a
lg VAS brief and her attitude unbend-
lg t.
Il have come to ask you, Mrs. Stod. 5
ard Agatha began though to her v
hagrin, she found her voice was un- k
eady-"I have come personally to
SIX you, Mrs. Stoddard, if YOU will c.
elp US in caring for our friend, who a
ill. Your brother, Doctor Thayer,
ishes it. 1t Is a case Of life and y
cath, maybe; and skilful nursing is q
ficult to find" b.
Agatha's hand, that rested ON the W
BILE, was trembling by the time she
lished her speech; she was vividly y
'nscious of the panic that had come d'
)on her nerves at a fresh realization
the wall of defense and resistance
hich she was attempting to assail. m
spoke to her from Mrs. Stoddard's ilo