The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-04-02

before, having to bind up Il cut finger
for her father, she had searched Pat
tvs bureau drawer for an old hand
kerchief, and had left things in disor
der while she ran to answer the dea-
cons impatient call and STAMP upon
the kitchen floor.
Hurry up and don't make me STAN
here all winter" he had shouted. IF
you eve kept things in proper order
you wouldn't have to hunt all over the
house for a piece Of rag when you
need it."
Patty was very dainty about her few
patched and darned belongings; also
very exact In the adjustment of her
bits Of ribbon, her collars Of crochet
ed thread. her adored coral pendants
and her pile of neat cotton handker-
chiefs, hemstitched by her own hands.
Waitstill, accordingly, with an excla-
nation at her own unwOnted careless
ness, darted into her sisters room to
replace in perfect order the articles
she had disarranged in her haste. She
knew them all, these poor little trim
kets-humble, pathetic evidences Of
Patty's feminine vanity and desire to
make her bright beauty a trife
brighter.
Suddenly her hand and her eye fell
at the same moment on something hid
den in a far corner under a white "fas-
cinator,' one of those head coverings
Of tilmy wool, dotted with beads. worn
by the girls of the period. She drew
the glittering. unfamiliar object for
ward and then lifted it wonderingly in
her hand.
1t was a string Of FURNISHED gold
beads, the avOwed desire of Patty's
heart-a string of beads with a bril-
liant little stone in the fastening. And.
as if that were not mystery enough,
there was something slipped over the
as Waitstill held it up to the light-a
circlet of plain gold, a wedding ring!
Waitstill stood motionless in the cold.
with such a throng Of b%ewildering
thoughts. misgivings, imaginings. rush
ing through her head that they were
llhc a AoSA VI DIlNS DCdIlhS lLCiA lIlSo
against her ears. The imaginings were
not those of absolute dread or terror,
for she knew her Patty.
If she had seen the necklace alone
she would have been anxious indeed,
for it would have meant that the girl,
urged on by u%ngovernable desire for
the ornament. had accepted a present
from one who should not have given it
to her secretly. But the wedding ring
meant something different for Patty
something more. something certain,
something unacceptable. for good OF ill.
y wedding ring could stand for moth
ing but marriage. Could Patty be mar
ried? How, when and where could so
great Il thing happen without her
knowledge? 1t seemed impossible.
How had such a child surmounted the
difficulties in the path? Had she been
led away by the attractions of some
stranger? No, there had been none in
the village. There was only one man
who had the worldly wisdom or the
means to carry Patty off under the
very eye Of her watchful sister, only
n with the reckless courage to defy
her father. and that was Mark Wilson.
His name did no bring absolute conf
dence to Waitstill's mind. He was gay
and young and thoughtless. How had
he managed to do this wild thing, and
had he done all decently and wisely,
with consideration for the girls good
name?
The thought of all the risks lying in
the train of Patty's youth and mex
perience brought a wall of anguish
from Waitstill's lips. and, dropping the
beads and closing the drawer, she
stumbled blindly down the stairway
to the kitchen, intent upon one thought
Only-tO find her sister. to look in her
eyes. feel the touch Of her hand and
assure herself of her safety.
She gave a dazed look at the tall
clock and was beginning to put on her
cloak when the door opened and Patty
entered the kitchen by way Of the
~shed-the usual Patty-rOsy. b%uoyant.
alert, with Il kind of childlike limo
II that could hardly be associated
thC loSSSNHloi VI "tNttlllS IlISS.
Are you going out. Waity? Wrap
up well, for it's freezing cold. Waity,
Waity. dear. What's the matter"' she
cried. coming closer to her sister in
alarm.
Waitstill's face had lost it's clear col
or. and her eyes had the look Of some
dumb animal that has beer struck and
wounded. She sank into the flag bot
toned rocker by the window and, lean
ing back her head. uttered no word,
but closed her eyes and gave one long.
shivering sigh and a dry sob that
seemed drawn from the very bottom Of
her heart.
CHAPTER XIII,