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


hymn on this particular
Sunday morning. and it
usually held Tatty's rather 'vagrant at
tcntion to the end. though it failed to
do 50 today. The Baxtcrs occupied one
of the wing pews, a position always to
be cnvied. as one could see the singers
without turning around and also OBJ
serve everybody in the congregation
their entrance. garments. behavior and
especially their bOnnetS-without being
in the least inliScreet or seeming to
have Il rowing eye.
Lawyer Wilson's pew was the sec
ond in front Of the Baxters in the same
wing. and Patty, seated decorously but
unwiliingly beside her father. was i'm
patiently awaiting the entrance of the
family. knowing that Mark would be
with them if he had returned from BOs-
ton. Timothy Grant. the parish clerk.
had the pew in between and afforded Il
most edifying spectacle to the COM
munity, as there were seven young
Grants of a c%hurchgOing age. and the
it'tISS VI 'HS NOiSiSSdNlo "ClC dI"Oy >
counting them. reckoning how many
more were in their cradles at home and
trying to guess from Mrs. Grants live
ly or chastened ~cOuntenance whether
any new ones had been born since the
Sunday before.
Patty settled herself comfortably and
put her foot on the wooden ''cricket,"
raising her buff calico a little on the
congregation side. just enough to show
an inch or two Of petticoat. The petit
coat was as modestly long as the frock
itself. and disclosing a bit Of it was
nothing more heinous than a casual
exhibition Of good needlework. Deacon
Baxter furnished only the ~unbleached
muslin for his daughters undergar-
ments, but twelve little tucks laborious-
ly done by hand. elaborate inch wide
edging, crocheted from white spool cot
ton and days of bleaching on the grass
in the sun will make d petticoat that
can be shown in church with some JUS
tif1able pride.
The Wilson's came up the aisle a mo
ment later than was their usual habit.
just after the parson had assembled the
pulpit. Mrs. Wilson always entered
the pew first and sat in the far end.
Patty had looked at her admiringly
and with a certain feeling OF proprie-
tOrship for several Sundays. There
was obviously no such desirable moth
er-in-law in the meeting house. Her
changeable silk dress was the latest
mode. her shawl OF black llama lace
expressed wealth in every delicate
mesh, and her bonnet had a distinction
that could only have emanated from
Portland or Boston. Ellen Wilson usu-
ally came next. with as much of a
smile to Patty in passing as she dared
venture in the deacon's presence. and
after her sided in her younger sister,
Selma, commonly called silly" and
with considerable reason.
Mark had come home. Patty dared
not look up. but she felt his approach
behind the others. although her eyes
sought the floor and her cheeks hung
out signals Of abashed III certain wei
come. She heard the family settle in
their seats somewhat hastily. the click
Of the pew door and the sound of Law
yer Wilson's cane as he stood it in the
corner; then the parson rose to pray.
and Patty closed her eyes with the
rest of the congregation.
Opening them when Elder Boone
o to announce the hymn. they fell
amazed, %resentful. uncomprehending-
on the spectacle Of Mark Wilson find.
ing the place in the book for a strange
young woman who sat beside him.
Mark himself had on n new suit and
wore a seal ring that Patty had never
observed before. while the dress. Pc
lisse and hat Of the unknown were OF
a nature that M Girl in Patty's posi-
ton. and particularly Of Patty's dispO-
sition. could have regarded without a
desire to tear them from her person
and stamp them underfoot or. better
still. Haunt them herself and show the
world how they should he worn!
Mark found the place in the hymn
hook for the creature. shared it with
her. and once. when the Grant twins
wriggled and Patty secured a better
view. once Mark shifted his hand on
the page so that his thumb touched
that Of his pretty neighbor. who did
not remove hers rs if she found the
proximity either unpleasant or improp-
or. Patty compared her own miserable
attire with that Of the hated rival in
front, and also cOntrasted Lawyer VIII
sons appearance with that of her IA
Their: the former. well dressed in the
style Of a gentleman Of the time. In
broadclOth. with fine linen. and a tall
silk hat carefully placed on the floor
Of the pew. while Deacon Baxter wore
hOmespun made of wool from his own
sheep. spun and woven. dyed and fin
ished. at the fulling mill in the vii
lage. and carried a battered felt hat
thar had been a matter Of ridicule
these dozen years. The deacon would
lie buried in two coats. Jed Morrill, al
ways said. for he owned just that
number and would be too mean to
leave either Of 'em behind him.
MI 80 asa. .-A-. 49,