Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-01
Author of "Rebecca of sunnybrook Farm
. S-Iz~

/ stead of being out Of doors I've got Il
/ be shut up in that smelly. ruInmy. to
baccoy. salt-fishy. pepperminty plac,
| with Cephas Cole, he won't have {
| pleasant morning. I can te!! you,
shall snap his head or every fine he
speaks to me"
so / wouldrr waitstin answered
composedly. Everything "a so clear
~ his fault that 1 certainly would work
or my temper on Cephas, Still. car
think Of n way to make matters come
out right I've got a great basket OF
mending that must be done. and you
remember there's a choir rehearsal for
the new anthem this afternoon. but
anyway / can help a little on the clean
ing. Then you can make Rodman do a
few Of the odd jobs: it will be n nov
city TO him. And Cephas will work
his fingers to the bone for you. as you
well know. If you treat him like a hui
man being
'Al right" cried Patty joyously, her
mood changing in an instant. There's
Rod coming over the bridge now. Toss
me my Bingham apron and the scrub
bling brush and the pail and the tin OF
soap and the cleaning cloths. Let's
see. The broom's down there. so I've
got everything. If l wave a towel
from the store pack up luncheon for
three. You come down. and bring
your mending. Then when you see
how I'm getting on we can consult.
I'm going to take the 10 cents I've
saved and spend it in raisins. / can
get a good many If Cephas gives me
wholesale price, with family discount
subtracted from that. Cephas would
treat me TO candy in n minute but if
let him we'd have TO ask him TO the
picnic. Goodby.' And the volatile
creature darted down the hill singing
"There1l be something in heaven for
children to do at the top of her
healthy young lungs.
The waving signal a little later on
showed that ROdman could go to the
picnic, the fact being that he was hav-
ing a holiday from IL o'clock until 2,
and Ivory was going to drive TO the
bridge at noon anyway. so his permits
sion could then be asked
Patty's mind might have been
thought entirely on her ugly task as
she swept and busted and scrubbed
true. Mark Wilson had gone away
without saying goodby TO her. This
was not surprising perhaps. as she was
about as much sequestered in her hill
top prison as a Turkish beauty in u
harem. Neither was it astonishing
that Mark did not write TO her. He
never had written to her. and as her
father always brought home the very
letters that came TO the
family Mark knew that any senti-
mental correspondence would be
fra ught with danger. No. everything
was probably just as it should be. and
Patty had expected during
the last three weeks that something
would happen to break up the monotO-
ny Of her former existence. She hard
" knew what il would be. but the kiss
dropped so lightly on her cheek by
Mark Wilson still burned in remem-
brance and made her sure that il would !
have sequel or an explanation.
Marks sister Ellen and Phil Perry I
were in the midst of some form OF /
overs quarrel. and during its progress |
Phil was paying considerable attention /
n Patty at Sabbath school and prayer |
occasions. it must he confess
81, only provocative of very indirect |
IND long distance advances. Cephas
'Ole. 10 the Amusement of every one |
Jut his (constitutionally) exasperated
mother. was ''tOning down the ell OF
he family mansion. mitigating the
lively yellow and putting another fresh
'olt Of paint on it, for no conceivable
eason save that of pleasing the eye
Z a certain capricious, ungrateful
Dung hussy. who would probably say.
when her verdict was asked. that she
idn't see any particular difference in
/ one way or another.
Trade was not especially brisk at
he deacon's emporium this sunny
uae Saturday morning Cephas may
ave possibly lost a customer or two
Y leaving the store vacant while he
Died and sweated for Miss Patience
'axter in the stOckroom at the back,
verhanGinS the river, but no man
live could see his employers lovely
aughter Juggling at n keg Of shingle
ails without trying TO save her from
broken bacH, although Cephas could
ave watched his mother move the
Ouse and barn without feeling the
ightest anxiety in her behalf. II he
Ould ever get the "heft' OF the dog
oned" cleaning out Of the way so that
atty's mind could be free 10 enter
lin his proposition; could ever secure
ne precious moment or silence when
lie was not Stating and banging push
g and pulling things about. her head
al ears out Of sight under n shelf
ID an irritating air Of absorption a.,
,out her whole demeanor; If that mo
ent OF silence could ever. under Prov
ence, be simultaneous with the alb
nee Of customers I'm the front shop, ;,
.phas intended To offer himself 10 =
.uence Baxter that very morning =