The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-03-26

marriage without a terrible scene,
Mark, perhaps it will encourage Wait
still to break her chains as I have
mine.'
There's sure to be an awful row."
Mark said as one who had forecasted
all the probabilities. 1T wouldn't
make any difference If you married
the Prince of Wales: nothing would
suit your father but selecting the man
and making all the arrangements. and
then he would never choose any n
who wouldn't tend the store and work
on the farm for him without wages"
"Waitstill will never u away. She
isn't like me. She will sit and sit
there, Shaving and suffering, till dooms-
day, for the one that loves her isn't
free like you"
"You mean Ivory Boynton? l be-
lieve he worships the ground she walks
on. I like him better than l used, and
l understand him better. Oh, but I'm
a lucky young dog to have a kind, lib
eral father and a bit of money put by
to do with as l choose. If l hadn't
Id be eating my heart out like Ivory
"No, you wouldn't eat your heart out.
You'd always get what you wanted
somehow, and you wouldn't wait for it
either, and I'm just the same. I'm not
built for giving up and enduring and
sacrificing. I'm naturally just a tuft
of thistledown. Mark, but, living be-
side Waitstill all these years. I've
grown ashamed to be so light, blowing
about hither and thither. Oh, If only
she will forgive us. Mark, l won't mind
what father says or does"
"She will forgive us. Patty, darling.
Don't fret and cry and make your pref
ty eyes all red. I'll do nothing in all
this to make either Of you girls asham-
ed of me-"
"Does the town clerk or does the
| justice of the peace give a wedding
| ring just like the minister?" Patty ask
| ed. 81 shouldn't feel married without
a ring"
"The ring is all ready and has M.
w. to P. B. engraved in it, with the
place for the date waiting, and here is
the engagement ring if you'll wear it
when you're alone, Patty. My mother
gave it to me when she thought there
would be something between Annabel
Franklin and me. The moment l look
ed at it-you see, it's a topaz stone
and noticed the yellow fire in it, l said
to myself. 1t is like no one but Patty
Baxter. and if she won't wear it no
other girl SHALL It's the color of the
tip ends of your curls, and it's just like
the light in your eyes when you're
making fun"
It's ~heavenly!' cried Patty. 1T
looks as if it had been made of the
yellow autumn leaves, and. oh. how l
love the sparkle of it! But never will
l take your others ring or wear it.
Mark, till I've proved myself her low
ing. uutiful daughter. I'll do the One
wrong thing of running away with you
and concealing our marriage, but not
another if ! can help it."
every WELL" sighed Mark. replacing
the ring in his pocket with a rather
creStflllen air. But the first thing
you know you'll be too good for me,
Patty. You used to be Il regular will
o'-the-wisp-all nonsense and fun, for
ever laughing and teasing, s. that a
fellow could never be sure of you for
two minutes together"
"It's all there underneath" said Pat
ty, putting her hand on his arm and
turning her wistful face to his. at
will come again. The girl in me isn't
dead. She isn't ven asleep, but she's
all sObered down. She can't laugh
just now. she can only smile, and the
tears are waiting underneath, ready to
spring out If any one says the wrong
word. This Patty is frightened and
anxious, and her heart beats too fast
from morning till night. She hasn't
any mother, and she cannot say a word
to her dear sister, and she's going
away to be married to you, that's al
most a stranger, and she isn't eighteen
and doesn't know what's coming to
her nor what it means to be married.
She breads her fathers anger, and she
cannot rest till she knows whether
your family will love her and take her
in, and. oh, she's a miserable, worried
girl, not a bit like the old .Pattyv
Mark held her close and smoothed
the curls under the loose brown hood.
Don't you fret, Patty darling. I'm
not the boy l was last week. Every
word you say makes me more of a
man. / wish the road to New Hamp-
shire was full Of lions and l could fight
my way through them just to show
you how strong l feel"
'There1l be lions enough" smiled
Patty through her tears, though they
won't have names and tails. But l
can imagine how father will roar and
how my courage will Ooze out Of the
heels of my boots"
"Just let me catch the deacon o ar
ing at my wife, exclaimed Mark, with
a swelling chest. "Now, run along
home, Patty, dear, for l don't want
you scolded on my account. I'll sound
Ellen and see If she's brave enough to
be n of the clipping party. Good
night! Good night!'