Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-07-22

/ tee reason your rather won't let us
, look Mt them"
II played with a nice boy over to
Boynton's," unused the child.
That was Ivory. their only child
He is a good little fellow. but his
mother and father will spoil hira with
their crazy ways"
Il hope nothing will happen TO him.
for love him." said. the child gravely.
HE showed me a humming birds nest.
the first I ever saw. and the littlestr'
Don't talk about loving him. child
ed the woman. IF your father should
hear you he'd send you to bed without
your poriidge."
Father couldn't hear me. for never
speak when he's at home" said grave
little waitstill. And I'm used to going
% bed without my porridge."
The river was still running under the
bridge, but the current of time had
! swept Jacob Cochrane out OF sight
though not out of mind, for he had left
here and there disciple to preach his
strange and uncertain doctrine Wait
still. the child who never spoke in her
fathers presence, was a young woman
now. the mistress of the house; the
stepmother was dead and the baby a
girl of seventeen.
The brick cottage on the hilltop had
grown only a little shabbier Deacon
Foxwell Baxter still slammed its door
behind him every morning at o'clock
and, without any such cheerful conven-
lions as goodbys to his girls, walked
down TO the bridge to open his store.
The day, properly speaking. had
opened when waitstill and Patience
had left their beds at dawn, built the
fire. fed the hens and turkeys and pre-
pared the breakfast, while the deacon
was granting the horse and milking
the cows. Such minor chores" as
carrying water from the well, splitting
kindling. chopping pine or bringing
wood into the kitchen were left to
Waitstill. who had strong back or if
she had not had never been unwise
enough to mention the fact in her ia
Tiers presence The almanac day.
however. which opened with sunrise.
had nothing TO do with the real human
day. which always began when Mr..
Baxter slammed the door behind him
and reached its high noon of delight
when he disappeared from view.
Hes opening the store shutters"'
chanted Patience from the heights of a
kitchen chair by the window. Now
he's taken his cane and beaten Off the
Boynton puppy that was sitting on the
steps as usual. | don't mean Ivory's
dog" (here the girl gave quick glance
at her sister. but Rodman's little yell
low cur. Rodman must have come
down to the bridge on some errand for
Ivory. Isn't it odd when that dog has
all the other store steps to sit upon he
should choose fathers when every
bone in his body must tell him how
father hates him and the whole Boyn-
ton family;'
Father has no real cause that ever
heard OF. But some dogs never know
when they've had enough beating nor
some people either" said Waitstill,
speaking from the pantry.
Don't be gloomy when it's my birth
day, sis. Now he's opened the door and
kicked the cat. All is ready for bust
ness at the Baxter store
II wish you weren't quite so free
with your tongue. Patty"
somebody must talk" retorted the
girl. jumping down from the chair and
shaking back her mop Of red gold
curls. III put this hateful, childish,
round comb ia and out just once more,
then it will disappear forever. This
very afternoon up goes my hair
You know il will be of no use unless
you braid it very plainly and neatly. |
Father will take notice and make you |
smooth it down"
Father hasn't looked me square in |
the face for years. besides my hair |
won't braid and nothing can make it !
quite plain and neat. thank goodness! |
Let us be thankful for small mercies, !
as Jed Morrill, said when the lightning |
struck his mother-in-law and skipped |
his wife"
Patty, l will not permit you to re
peat those tavern stories, they are not
seemly on the lips of a girl!' And
Waitstill came out of the pantry with
a shadow of disapproval in her eyes
and in her voice.
Patty flung her arms around her sis
ter tempestuously and pulled out the
waves of her hair so that it softened
her face. III be good" she said, land
-, U-oitv Iat'S inyanf some sort of |