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

bare feet till she reached her sisters
side and held her in a close embrace.
my darling! My own. own poor
darling" she cried softly. the tears
/ running down her cheeks. How wick
ed. how unjust, to serve my dearest
sister 80! Don't cry. my blessing,
don't cry! You frighten me! III take
care Of you. dear. Next time III inter-
fere. III scratch and bite. yes, III
strangle anybody that dares to shame
you and lock you out Of the house.
you, the dearest. the patientest. the
best!"
Waitstill wiped her eyes. Let US go
farther away where we can talk" she
whispered.
Where had we better sleep?" Patty
asked. ION the hay. l think. though
we shall stife with the heat" and
Patty moved toward the barn.
mo, you must 80 back to the house
at once, Patty, dear. Father might
wake and call you and that would
make matters worse. It's beginning to
drizzle or | should stay out in the air.
Oh. l wonder II fathers mind is going
and II this is the beginning Of the end:
II be is in his sober senses he could
not be SO strange. 8 . suspicious. so
unjust"
He could be anything. say anything.
do anything!' exclaimed Patty. Per
haps he is not responsible and perhaps
he is; it doesn't make much difference
to US. Come along, blessed darling!
Ill tuck you in and then Ill creep back
to the house IL you say l must. I'll go
down and make the kitchen fire in the
morning; you stay out here and see
what happens. A good deal will hap
pen. I'm thinking. If father speaks to
me Of you! l shouldn't be surprised
to see the fur flying in all directions.
I'll seize the first moment to bring
you out a cup Of coffee and we'll con-
suit about what to do. l may tell you
now I'm all for running away"
Waitstilrs first burst Of wretched-
ness had subsidized and she had recov-
cred her balance. I'm afraid we
must wait a little longer, Patty she
advised. Don't mention my name to
father, but see how he acts in the
morning. He was SO wild, so unlike
himself, that l almost hope he may
forget what he said and sleep it of
Yes, we must just wait"
NO doubt he'll be far calmer in the
morning If he remembers that, if he
turns you out. he faces the prospect of
three meals a day cooked by me-" said
Patty. That's what he thinks he
would face: but, rs a matter of fact,
| shall tell him that where you sleep
1 sleep. and where you eat l eat. and
when you stop cooking l stop! He
won't part with two unpaid servants
in a hurry. not at the beginning of
haying." And Patty. giving Waitstill
a last hug and a dozen fearful kisses.
stole reluctantly back to the house by
the same route through which she had
left it.
Patty was right. She found the fire
lighted when she went down into the
kitchen next morning. and without a
word she hurried breakfast on to the
table as fast as she could cook and
serve it. Waitstill was safe in the
barn chamber. she knew. and would
be there quietly while her father vas
feeding the horse and milking the
cows, or perhaps she might go up in
the woods and wait until she saw him
driving away.
The deacon ate his breakfast in 81
lence. looking and acting very much as
usual. for he was generally dumb at
meals. When he left the house. how
and climbed into the wagon. he
turned around and said in his ordinary |
gru6 manner Bring the lunch up to
the field yourself today. Patience. Tell
your sister | hope she's come to her
senses in the curse of the night.
You've got to learn. both Of you, that
my say so must he law in this house.
You can fuss and you can fume If it
amuses you any. but 'twOn't do no !
good. Don't encourage Waitstill in
any whinin' or %blubberin'. Jest tell her
to come in and 90 to work and I'll
overlook what she done this time. And
don't you give me any more Of your
eye snappin' and lip poutin' and head
in the air imperdence! You're under
age. and IL you don't look out you'll
get somethin' that's good for what ails
you! You two girls Jest aid an abet
another-that's what you do. aid
and abet one anOther-an' II you carry
1t any further ri find some wav O
separation you. do you hear?
Patty spoke never a word nor flutter-
ed an eyelash. She had a proper spirit.
but now her heart was cold with 8 !
fear, and she felt. with Waitstill.
that her father must he obeyed and his
kept within bounds until God
provided them a way Of escape.
She ran out to the barn chamber and.
not finding Waitstill. looked across the
field and saw her coming through the
path from the woods. Patty waved
her hand and ran to meet her sister.
Joy at the mere fact of her existence.
of being able to see her again and of
ho0rinp hor dear voice almost chOkin1 |