The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-01-15

COOkluS lOE you OF FedU 10 yOU OF duy
little thing like that as I would for my
own mother. II ! could. I should be AZ
glad"
Waitstill stood a head higher than
Ivory's mother. and the glowing health
Of her, the steadiness Of her voice. the
warmth Of her handclasp must have
made her seem like a strong refuge to
this storm tossed derelict. The deer
furrow between Lois B%OyntOn's eyes
relaxed u trifle. the blood in her veins
ran a little more swiftly under the
touch Of the young hand that held hers
so closely. Suddenly a light came into
her face and her lip quivered.
"Perhaps | have been remembering
wrong all these years." she said. 1T
is my great trouble. remembering
wrong. Perhaps my baby did not die
as thought: perhaps she lived and
grew up: perhaps"-her pale cheek
burned and her eyes shone like stars
perhaps she has come back"
Waitstill could not speak. She put
her arm round the trembling figure.
holding her as she was wont to hold
Patty and with the same protective
instinct. The embrace was electric in
its effect and set altogether new cur
rents Of emotion in circulation. Some
thing in Lois Boynton's %perturbed
mind seemed to beat It's wings against
the barriers that had heretofore oppos-
ed it and. freeing itself. mounted into
clearer air and went singing to the
sky. She rested her cheek on the girls
breast with a little sob. "Oh, let me
go on remembering wrong" she sigh
ed from that safe shelter. LET me go
or remembering wrong! 1t makes me
SO happy"
Waitstill gently led her to the rock
ing chair and sat down beside her on
the lowest step, stroking her thin hand.
Mrs. Boynton's eyes were closed. her
breath came and went quickly. but
presently she began to speak hurried
ly as If she were relieving q surcharg-
ed heart.
There is something troubling me-"
she began. land 1t would ease my mind
II l could tell 1t to some one who could
help. Your hand is so warm and so
firm! Oh, hold mine closely and let
me draw In strength as long as you
can spare it.! 1t is flowing, flowing
from your hand into mine, flowing like
wine. My thoughts at night are not
like my thoughts by day these last
weeks. l wake suddenly and feel that
my husband has been away a long
time and will never come back. or
ten at night, too, | am in sore trouble
about something else, something l
never told Ivory, the first thing l
have ever hidden from my dear son.
but l think | could tell you If only l
could be sure about it."
"Tell me If it will help you. l will
try to understand" said Waitstill
brokenly.
Ivory says ROdman is the child of
my dead sister. Some one must have
told him 50. Could it have been I?
1t haunts the day and night. for unless
] am remembering wrong again l nev-
er had a sister. | can call to mind
sister nor brother"
You wen to New Hampshire one
Waitstill reminded her gently,
is if she were talking to a child. 1T
was bitter cold for you to take such a
hard journey. Your sister died and
you brought her little boy, Rodman.
back. but you were 50 i'll that a stran-
ger had to take a of you on the
and drive you to Edgewood
next day in his own sleigh. 1t is no
wonder you have forgotten something
)f what happened. for DR.. Perry hard
brought you through the brain fever
that followed that journey"
II seem to think now that 1t Is not
'o!' said Mrs. Boynton. opening her
Eyes and looking at Waitstill despair
ngly. II must grope and grope In
he dark until | find out what Is true
Ind then tell Ivory. God will punish
'alse speaking: His heart is closed
lies and e%vildoing!
He will v punish you II your
ired mind remembers wrong" said
Waitshll. He knows, none better,
low you have tried to find him and
,old him through many q tangled
oath. | will come as often as l an,
md we will try to brighten away these
worrying thoughts"
III you will only come now and then
md hold my hand" said Ivory's moth
sr, hold my hand SO that your strength
will dow into my weakness, perhaps I
shall puzzle 1t all out and God will
help me to remember right before l
Everything that l have power to
give away shall be given to you"
promised Waitstll. Nov that l know
you and you trust me you shall never
be left 80 alone again-not for long. at
my rate. When l stay away you will
that l cannot help it. won't
Yes, l shall think of you till l e
you again. l shall watch the long lane
more than ever now. Ivory sometimes
the path across the fields. but