Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-12
ever he looked ut it.

on re right, father: faint no use
kickin' nG'in EN-" he said rs he rose
I 10 his feet preparatory to opening the
Baxter store. when I said that 'bout
trainin' up girl to suit me. kind o.
! forgot the one I've picked out I'm
considerin' several. but the one I IA
vor most-well. l believe she'd fire up
at the first sight o. trainin'. and that's
the gospel truth
"Considerin' several. be Won Co.
phas?' laughed Uncle Bart. well.
! all hope IS that the one you favor
most-the girl you've asked once
a'ready-is considerin' your"
Cephas went to the pump and. wet
ting large handkerchief. put II in
the crown OF his straw hat and saun-
tered out into the burning heat of the
open road between his fathers shop
and Deacon Bakers store.
Il shan't ask her the next time till
this hot spells over" he thought land
! won't do 1t in that dodgasted old
store ag'in, neither. / amt so tongue
tied outdoors. an / kind o. think I'd
be more In the sperit of it after sun
down some night after support
waitstill found a cool and shady
place in which to hitch the old mare.
loosening her checkrein and putting a
sprig of alder in her headstall to as
sist her in brushing Off the flies.
One could reach the Boynton house
only by going up long grass grown
lane that led from the high road. 1t
was a lonely place and Aaron Boynton
had bought 1t when he moved from
Saco simply because he secured it at
n remarkable bargain, the owner hav-
ing lost his wife and gone to live in
Massachusetts. Ivory would have sold
it long ago had circumstances been
different. for 1t was at too great a dis
lance from the schoolhouse and from
Lawyer Wilson's office to be at all con-
venient, but he dreaded to remove his
mother from the environment TO which
she was accustomed and doubted very
much whether she would be able to
care for house to which she had not
been wonted before her mind became
affected.
Here in this safe. secluded corner.
amid familiar and thoroughly known
conditions. she moved placidly about
her daily tasks. performing them with
the same care and precision that she
had used from the beginning of her
married life. All the heavy work was
done for her by Ivory and Rodman;
the boy in particular being the fieetest
footed. the most willing and the neat
est Of helpers; washing dishes. sweep
ing and busting. laying the table as
deity and quietly as 4 girl. Mrs.
Boynton made her own simple dresses
of gray calico in summer. or dark lin
sey-wooIsey in winter by the same
pattern that she had used when she
first came to EdGewood: in fact. there
were positively no external changes
TO be seen. tragic and terri
BILE as had been those that had wrought
havoc in her mind.
Waitstill's heart beat faster IS she
neared the Boynton house. She had
never so much as seen IvOry's mother
for years. How would she be met?
Who would begin the conversation and
what direction would it take? What If
Mrs Boynton should refuse to talk to
her at all: She walked slowly along
the lane until she saw n slender. gray |
clad figure STOPPING over n flower bed |
in front OF the cottage The woman /
raised her head with fawn-like ges- |
ity rather than fear. picked some loose /
bits of green from the ground. and. |
quietly turning her back upon the on /