Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-26

stills heart to leave the fragile crea-
ture when her presence seemed To
bring such complete peace and joy
mo one ever chung To me so before"
she often thought as she was hurrying
across the fields after one OF her half
hour visits. But the end must come
before long. Ivory does not realize II
get. nor Rodman. but IL seems as II she
rould never survive the long winter
Thanksgiving day ia drawing nearer
and nearer. and how little ! am able
TO do for a single creature to prove to
God that I am grateful for my exist
ence. / could. II only / were free.
make such a merry day for Patty and
Mark and their young friends. oh.
what joy IL father were a man who
would let me set a bountiful table in
our great kitchen; would sit at the
head and say grace and we could bow
our heads over the cloth. a united fam
lily. or IL I had done my duty In my
home and could go 10 that other, where
/ am so needed-go with my fathers
blessing. All the woman in me Is
wasting. wasting. oh. my dear. dear
man. how 1 long for him. oh, my
own dear man. my helpmate. shall /
ever live by his side? love him, /
want him, / need him. And my dear
little unmothered. unfathered boy. how
happy I could make him, How /
should love to cook and sew for them
all and wrap them in comfort How I
should love to smooth my dear moth
er's last days. for she Is my mother in
spirit. in affection, in desire and in be
ing Ivory's"
Wnitstilrs longing. her discourage
ment. her helplessness. overcame her
wholly. and she flung herself down
under tree in the pasture in a very
passion OF sobbing, n luxury in which
she could seldom afford to Indulge her
self. The luxury was short lived. for
in i've minutes she heard Rodman's
voice, and heard him running to meet
her as ne often did when she came to
their house or went away from il. dog
ging her footsteps or Patty's whenever
or wherever he could waylay them.
Why, my dear, dear Waity, did you
tumble and hurt yourself:" the boy
cried.
Yes. dreadfully. but I'm better now.
so walk along with me and tell me the
news. Rod"
There isn't much news. Ivory told
you I'd left school and am studying
at home? He helps me evenings and
I'm way ahead OF the class
NO. Ivory didn't tell me. / haven't
seen him lately"
Il said If the big brother kept school
the little brother ought to keep house."
laughed the boy. He says / can hire
out as cook pretty soon, Aunt Boyn-
toms most always up TO get dinner
and supper. but 1 can make lots of
things nOw-things that Aunt Boyn-
ton can eat too"
'Oh, ] cannot bear to have you and
Ivory cooking for yourselves" exclaim-
ed Waitstill. the tears starting again
from her eyes. II must come over the
next time when you are at home, Rod.
and 1 can help you make something
nice for supper"
o"We get along pretty weIl.7 said
ROdman contentedly. II love book
learning like Ivory. and I'm going to
be a schoolmaster or a preacher when
lvory's IA lawyer. Do you think Pat
~ d like schoolmaster or a preach
er best. and do you think I'd be too
young to marry her by and by, IL she
would wait for me?'
Il didn't think you had any idea OF
marrying Patty" laughed Waitstill |
through her tears. is this something |
new:''
It's not exactly new" said Rod. |
jumping along like squirrel in the |
path. Nobody could look at Patty |
and not think about marrying her. |
I'D love TO marry you. too. but you're |
too big and grand for a boy. or |
course I'm not going to ask Patty yet. |
Ivory said once you should never ask ]
n girl until you can keep her like IL
queen. Then after n minute he said:
Well. maybe not quite like a queen.
Rod, for that would mean longer than
n man could wait. Shall we say un-
til he could keep her like the dearest |
lady in the landT That's the way he
said IL. You do cry dreadfully easy
today. Waity. I'm sure you barked
your leg or skinned your knee when
you fell down. Don't you think the
dearest lady in the land is a nice
sentenceE'
II do. indeed cried wnitstill TO
herself as she turned the words over
and over trying 10 feed her hungry
heart with them.
i lONe 10 near ivory taih- II - INT
the stories in the books. We have our
best times in ;he barn. for I'm help
Ing with the milking now. Our vel
low cows name is Molly and the red
row used 10 be Dolly. but we changed
her TO GoIly cause she's so trouble
some"
We had a cross old cow like that
once" said waitstill absently. loving
10 hear the boys chatter and the eter-
nal quotations from his beloved hero.
I'VE have great fun cooking. too"
continued Rod. When Aunt Boyn-
ION was first sick she stayed in bed
more. and Ivory and hadn't got used
20 things. One morning we bound up
Zach others burns. Ivory had three
fingers and two done up in buttery
-ags to take the fire out. Ivory called
-. ..oI1gors dracGinU their wounds aft !