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

Phoebe settin' together at the harvest
festival last evenin'. He thought the
Baxter girls would be there for GER
tain. but s'pose Old Foxy wouldn't
let 'em go up to the Mills in the even
in nor spend a quarter on their tick
cts"
MARK could have invited Patty an
paid for her ticket, / should think. or
passed her in free. for that matter.
when the Wilson's got up the enter
tainment: but. of course. the deacon
never allows his girls to go anywheres
with men folks"
Not in public; so they meet 'em side
O. the river or round the corner of
Bart's shop. or anywhere they can.
when the deacon's backs turned. II
you tied a handkerchief over Wait
stills eyes she could find her way
blindfold to Ivory Boynton's house.
but she's good as gold. waitstill is.
She'll stay where her duty calls her
every time. II any misfortune or scan
dal should come near them two girls
the deacon will have nobody but him
self tn thank for II, that's one sure
thing"
Young folks can't be young but
once" sighed Mrs. Day. How'd you
like that Boston singer that the Will
sons brought here, Abby? Wait a min
ute. is Cephas, or the deacon tendin'
store this afternoon"
The deacon; Cephas is paintin' up
TO the Mills"
We'll, Mark Wilson's horse an bug
gy is meanderin' slowly down Aunt
Betty Jacks hill. an Mark is studyin'
the road as IL he was lookin' for a
four leafed clover
He'll hitch at the tavern. or the
Edgewood store, an wait his chance
TO get a word with Patience" said
Aunt Abby. He knows when she
takes milk to the Morrills', or butter
to the parsonage: also when she eats
an drinks an winks her eye an ketch-
es her breath an lifts her foot. Now
he's disappeared an We'll wait
Why. as to that Boston singer, don't
know how high she went, but 1 guess
there want no higher to go."
1T made me kind O. nervous" al
lowed Mrs. Day. Folks said she sung
runs and trills better'n any woman up
TO Boston,"
Runs an trills," calculated Abby
scornfully. Il was talkin' bout sing
in. not runnin'. My niece. Ella. up to
Parsonfield has taken three terms on
the pianner. an I've heerd her prac-
tice. Scales has got to be done no
doubt, but they'd ought to be done to
home. where they belong. A concert
amt no place for 'em. There! What
did tell yer? Patience Bakers cross
in the bridge with a )ail in her hand.
She's got that everlastin' yeller brown.
linsey-woolsey on an a white cloud
wrapped around her head, with con-
sid'able red hair shown, as usual
You can always see her fur's you can
a sunrise. And there goes Rod Boyn-
ton chasin' behind, as usual. Those
Baxter girls make a perfect fool o
that boy. but don't s'pose Lois Boyn-
tons got wit enough to make much
fuss over the poor little creeter!''
Mark Wilson could certainly see Pat
ty Baxter as far as he could see a sun
rise. although he was not intimately
acquainted with that natural phenome-
non. He took a circuitous route from
his watch tower and. knowing well the
point from which there could be no
espionage from Deacon Bakers store
windows. Joined Patty in the road. took
the pail from her hand and walked up
the hill beside her. OF course the viii
lage could see them; but, as Aunt Abb
by had intimated, there wasn't man,
woman or child on either side of the
river who wouldn't have taken the
part of the Baxter girls against their
father.
Meantime Feeble Phoebe Day was
driving her fathers horse up to the
Mills to bring Cephas Cole home. 1t
was a thrilling moment, sort of out
ward and visible sign of an inward
and spiritual tie. for their banns were
to be published the next day.
1t had been an eventful autumn for
Cephas. After a third request for the
hand OF Miss Patience Baxter and a
refusal of even more than common de-
cision and energy, Cephas turned
about face and employed the entire
month of September in a determined
assault upon the affections of Miss
Lucy Morrill,, but with no better avail.
Cephas' belief in the holy state of
as being the only one prop
mended him to the opposite (and I'M
gratefully sex more than it did. and
Lucy Morrill, held as respectful an
opinion OF the institution and its mani
fold advantages as Cephas himself.
but she was in a very unsettled frame
Of mind and not at all susceptible TO
wooing. She had a strong preference
for Philip Perry and held an opinion.
not altogether unfounded in human
experience. that in course of time.
when quite deserted by Patty Baxter.
his heart might possibly be caught on
the rebound 1t was only chance.
but Lucy would almost have preferred
unmarried even to the with
ering age OF twenty-five rather than
not be at liberty TO accept Philip Perry
In case she should be asked.
Cephas. therefore, by the middle of
October could be picturesquely and al
described as being raw
4A