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

Ing OF her preserves ind pickles, and
arranged her meals for the next week.
during the progress Of those sermons.
Patty watched the parson turn leaf
after leaf until the final II was reach
I'd. Then came the last hymn, when
the people stretched their aching limbs
and rising. turned their back on the
minister and faced the choir. Patty
looked ut Waitstill and wished that
she could put her thrObbing head on
her >isterly shoulder and cry-mostly
with rage. The benediction was said.
sni with the final Amen the pews
were opened and the w%orshipers crowd
cd into the narrow aisles and moved
toward the doors.
Patty's plans were all made. She
was ont of her pew before the Wilson's
could possibly leave theirs and in her
progress down the aisle securely an
nexed her old admirer. old DR.. Perry.
rs well as his son Philip. Passing the
singing seats. she picked up the hum
BILE Cephas and carried him along in
her wake. chatting and talking with
her little party while her father was
ut the horse sheds making ready to go
home between services. as was his
habit, Il cold bite being always set out
on the kitchen table according to his
orders. BY means of these clever
maneuvers Patty made herself the TO-
u of attention when the Wilson par
ty came out on the steps and voucE-
Snfnl Mani nplV- - n,II ~ mad
airily fiinging Il little greeting with the
nod. just a "How dye do. Mark: Did
you have a good time in Boston,"
Patty and WaitStill. with some Of
the girls who had come long distances.
ate their luncheon in Il shady place I'M
der the trees behind the meeting
house, for there was an afternoon serv-
ice to come. a service with another
long sermon. They separated after the
modest meal to walk about the rom
mon or stray along the road to the
academy, where there was Il fine view.
Two or three times during the sum-
mer the sisters always went quietly
and alone to the Baxter burying lot.
where three grass grown graves lay
beside n another. unmarked save by
narrow wooden slabs. so short that the
initials painted on them were almost
hidden by the tufts OF clover. The
girls had brought roots Of pansies and
sweet alyssum and with a knife made
holes In the earth and planted them
here and there to make the spot a trifIe
less %forbidding. They did not speak
to each other during this sacred little
ceremony. Their hearts were too full
when they remembered afresh the alb
of headstones. the lack Of care.
in the place where the three women
lay who had ministered to their father.
borne him children and patiently Ell
dured his arbitrary and ~loveless rule.
Even Cleve Flanders ~grave-the Edge
wood shoemaker. who lay n~ext-even
his resting place was marked and. with
a touch of some one Imagination.
marked by the old mans own lap
stone. twenty-five pounds in weight. a
monument of his wOrkaday life.
Waitstill rose from her feet. brush
ing the earth from her hands. and Pat
ty did the same. The %churchyard was
quiet. and they were alone with the
dead, mourned and unmourned. loved
and unlOved.
Il planted one or two pansies on
the first ones grave" said Waitstiil
soberly. Il don't know why we've
never done it before. There are No
children to take notice Of and remem
Der her; it's the least we can do, AMI
after all, she belongs to the family"
There is no family and there never
was" suddenly cried Patty. "Oh.
Waity, Waity. we are 50 alone. you
and l! We've only each other in all
the world, and I'm not the least bit Of
help to you as you are to me: I'm a
Silly. vain, conceited. Ill behaved thing