The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-05-05
The Story Of |:
Waits7.tiil..l
Baxter
By KATE DOUGLAS WIGGIN
copydsht 1913, By Kate 5 PsqeIa. wiaan
1To IL Continues

I
Mayfower. She stood on great bowl.
der and sang:
'The breaking waves dashed high
r. On a7stefn and rockbouhd coast
and, oh she was splendid! Then Pat
ty was Pocahontas, and I was cap,n
John Smith. and look, we are all dress.
ed up for the Indian weddingr'
II shall have to run into fathers
store to put myself tidy" waitstll
said 80 goodby, Rodman; we'll have
another picnic some day. Patty, you
must do the chores this afternoon, you
I. know, 50 that 4 can go to choir re
hearsal." ~ - ~ e '1f
Rodman and Patty started up the
hill gayly with their burdens, and
Ivory walked by Waitstilrs side us she
pulled or her birch bark crown and
twisted her braid around her head with
heightened color at being watched.
't1'll say goodby now, Ivory. but I'll
see you at the, meeting house." she
said as she neared the store. "1'll 60
in here and brush the pine needles OF,
wash my hands. and rest little be-
fore rehearsal. That's a puzzling an
them we have for tomorrow"
Il have my horse here. Let me
drive you up to the church"
Il can't, Ivory. thank you. Fathers
orders are against my driving out with
any one, you know" !
Very well. The road is free, at any
rate. Ill hitch my horse down here in
the. woods, somewhere, and when you
start to walk shall follow and catch
up with you, There's luckily only one
way to reach the church from here,
and your father can't blame us &c we
both take it"
And so It fell out that Ivory and
Waitstll walked together in the cool
of the afternoon to the meeting house
on Tory bill Waitstill kept the beat
en- path on one side and Ivory that on
the other, so that the width Of the
country road, deep in dust. was be-
tween them, yet their nearness seemed
so tangible thing that each could feel
the heart beating in the others side.
Their talk was only that OF tried
friends, a talk interrnpted by long,
beautiful silences siIences that como
only to man and woman whose un-
Outstanding Of each other is beyond
question and answer. Not a sound
broke the stiffness, yet the very air, It
seemed to them, was shedding mean
ings, the flowers were exhaling a love
secret with their fragrances, the birds
were singing it boldly from the tree
tops, yet no word passed the mans
lips or the girls. Patty would have
hung out all sorts of signals and lures
to draw the truth from Ivory and
break through the walls of his self
control, but WaitstilI, never, and Ivory
Boynton, was made Of stun so strong
that he would not speak syllable Of
love to woman unless he could say
all. He was only Eve and twenty, but
he had been reared in a rigorous school
and had learned in its poverty, loneli-
ness and anxiety lessons OF self de.
NAL and self control that bore daily
fruit now. he knew that Deacon Bax-
ter would never allow any engagement
10. exist between Waitstill and him
self. He also knew that waitstill
would never defy and disobey her IA
Their IL it meant leaving her younger
sister to fight alone a dreary battle Tor
which she was not fitted. Il there was
little hope on her side there. seemed
even less on his.
His mothers mental illness made. her
peculiarly dependent upon him and at
the same time held him in such strict
bondage that 1t was almost impossible
FOR him 10 get on in the world or even
20 give her the comforts she needed.
IN villages like Riverboro in those early
days there was no putting away even
of men or women so demented as to be
something Of menace to the peace Of
the household. But Lois Boynton was
50 gentle, so fragile, so exquisite a
spirit that she seemed in her sud aloof-
ness sImnlyla thing to besheltered and
shielded somehow in her difficult life
Journey. Ivory often thought how
sorely she needed u daughter in her
affection. II the baby sister had only
lived the home might have been differ
ent; but, alas, there was only soma
son who tried to be tender and sympa-
thetic, but after all was nothing but
big, clumsy, uncomprehepding man
creature, who ought to be Telling trees,
blowing, sowing, reaping or at least
studying law, making his own fortune
and that of some future wife. Old
Mrs. Mason, garrulous, good hearted
grandame, was their only near neigh
Dor, and her visits always left his
mother worse rather than better. How
such girl as Waitstill would pour
comfort and beauty and Joy into lone.
" house like his Il only he were veal
enough to call upon ner strength and
put it to so cruel a testl God help
himi He would never do that, espe-
cinlly as he could not earn enough to
keep q large family, bound down as he
was by inexorable responsibilities.
Waitstill thus far In life had suffered
many sorrows aud enjoyed few pleas
ures. Marriage ought to bring her
freedom and plenty, not carking care
and poverty. He stole long looks at
the girl across the separating space