The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-01-08
offers EOfn rsIu,nl VA IvMt u SECOND
shift to their backs

shift to their backs"
Cephnx' mind was far away during
this philosophical dissertation on the
ways of women. He could see only q
sunny head fairly rioting with curls. q
pair Of eyes that held his like magnets.
although they never gave him Il glance
or love: Il smile that lighted the world
FAR better than the SUM-. u dimple into
which his heart fell headiong when
ever he looked at it
You're right. father: faint no use
kickin' ag'in EN-" he said as he rose
to his feet preparatory to opening the
Baxter store. When l said that bout
trainin' up u girl to suit me. l kind .
forgot the one I've picked out. I'm
cOnsiderin' several. but the one IA
vor most-well. l believe she'd fire III
at the first sight O. trainin'. and that's
the gospel truth"
"Considerin' several. be you, C
phase" laughed Uncle Bart. I'VE
all l hope Is that the one you favor
most-the girl you've asked once
a'ready-is considerin' your
Cephas went to the pump and. wet
ting a large handkerchief, put It III
the crown Of his straw hat and saun
tered out into the burning heat of the
open road between his fathers shO,,
and Deacon Bakers store.
II shan't ask her the next time till
this hot spells over" he thought, land
l won't do it in that dodgasted old
store ag'in. neither. l amt 50 tongue
tied outdoors, an | kind o think I'd
be more in the sperit of it after sui
down some night after support"
Waitsull found u cool and shad.
place in which to hitch the old mare
~loosening her c%heckrein and putting II
sprig of alder in her headstall to as
sist her in brushing of the dies.
One could reach the Boynton hOus,
only by going up a long grass grown
lane that led from the high road. 1t
was q lonely place and Aaron BoyntOn
had bought 1t when he moved from
Saco simply because he secured it al
a remarkable bargain, the owner hav
ing lost his wife and gone to live in
Massachusetts,. Ivory would have sold
it long ago had circumstances been
different, for 1t was at too great a dis
lance from the schoolhouse and from
Lawyer Wilson's Office to be at all o
venient, but he dreaded to remove his
mother from the environment to which
she was accustomed and doubted very
much whether she would be able to
care for a house to which she had not
been wonted before her mind became
affected.
Here in this safe, secluded corner
amid familiar and thoroughly known
conditions. she moved placidly about
her daily tasks. performing them with
the same care and precision that she
had used from the beginning Of he,
married life. All the heavy work was
done for her by Ivory and Rodman:
the boy in particular being the feeteSt
footed, the los willing and the neat
est of helpers: washing dishes. sweep
ing and busting. laying the table as
deftly and quietly rs a girl. Mrs
Boynton made her W simple dresses
Of gray calico in summer. or dark lin
sey-woolsey in winter by the same
pattern that she had used when she
first came to EdgewOod: in fact. there
were positively no external changes
anywhere to be seen, tragic and terri
BILE as had been those that had wrought
havoc in her mind.
Waitstill's heart beat faster as she
neared the Boynton house. She had
v so much as een IvOry's mother
for years. How would she be met:
Who would begin the conversation and
what direction would it take: What If
Mrs. Boynton should refuse to talk to
her at all? She walked slowly along
the lane until she saw a slender. gray
clad figure STOPPING over a flower bed
in front Of the cottage The woman
raised her head with a fawn-like ges
ture that had something in it of timid
ity rather than fear. picked sCme loose
bits Of green from the ground. and.
quietly turning. her hack upon, the on.
coming stranger. disappeared through
the open front door.
There could he no retreat on her own
part now. thought Waitstill. She wish
ed for 4 moment that she had made
this first, visit under Ivory's prote4:
ton. but her idea had been to gaiu
Mrs. Boynton's confidence and have !;
quiet friendly talk. such Il one as would
be impossible in the presence Of a
third person. Approaching the steps
she called through the doorway in he:
clear voice: Ivory asked me to COME
and see you u day. Mrs. BoyntOn. |
am Waitstill Baxter. the little girl OF
Town House hill that you used to
know"
Mrs. BOyntOn came from an inneI
room and stood ON the threshold. TIL
name 'Waitstill" had alwa.:s had il
charm for her ears. from the time SHY
first heard it years ago until it fen
from lvory's lips this summer. aud
again it caught uer fancy
"Waitstill!" she repeated softly.