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

tIu louLu tue uOuSC CIuIlS anu Tic
horse not in the stall. Of course he ask.
I'd where l was. and Cephas probably
said he had seen me drive up Saco hill.
He had no reason to think that there
was any harm In that"
III he had any sense he might know
that he shouldn't tell anything to "a
Their except what happens in the store
Patty insisted. Were you frightened
ont in the barn alone last night. poor
dear?"
II was too unhappy to think Of fear.
and l was chiefly nervous about you.
all alone In the house with father"
II didn't like it very much myself.
| buttoned my bedroom door and sat
by the window all night. %shivering and
bristling at the least sound. Every
body calls me a coward. but I'm not.
Courage isn't not being frightened.
It's not screeching when you are
frightened. Now. what happened at
the Boyntons?"
Patty. Ivory's mother is the most
pathetic creature l eve saw" And
Waitstill sat up on the sofa. her long
braids of hair hanging over her shout
ders, her pale face showing the traces
of her heavy weeping. II never pitied
any m SO much in my whole life.
To 60 up that long. long lane: to come
upon that dreary house hidden away in
the trees; to feel the loneliness and the
silence and then to know that she Is
living there like a hermit thrush in a
forest without a wOman to care for
her it is heart breaking!"
How does the house loOk-dread
ful?"
mo. Everything Is as neat as a
She isn't crazy Patty. as we under.
stand the word. Her mind is be,
clouded somehow, and it almost seems
as If the cloud might lift at any mo
ment. She goes about like somebody
in a dream, sewing or knitting or cook
ing. 1t is only when she talks. and
you notice that her eyes really see
nothing. but are looking beyond you.
that you know there is anything
wrong"
III she appears so like other people.
why don't the neighbors 60 to see her
once in awhile?"
Callers make her unhappy, she
says. and Ivory told me that he dared
not encourage any company in the
house for fear Of exciting her and
making her an object Of gossip be
sides. He knows her ways perfectly
and that she is safe and content with
her fancies when she is alone. which
is seldom, after ALL"
Patty.
Her husband mostly. She is expect
ing him to come back daily. We knew
that before. of course. but no one can
realize it till they see her setting the
table for him and putting a saucer OF
wild Strawberries by his plate. goin"
about the kitchen softly. like a gentle
ghost"
1T gives me the shudders!" said
Patty. II couldn't bear it. If sh,
world did she make Of you? How did
you begin?"
81 told her | had known Ivory eve,
since we were school children. Sh'
was rather strange and Indifferent al
first and then she seemed to take -
fancy to me-"
That's queer" said Patty. smilin-
fondly and giving Waitstill's hair tn,
hasty brush of a kiss.
"She told me she had q girl baby
born two or three years after Ivor!
and that she had always thought i
died when it was a few weeks old
Then suddenly she came closer to me-"
"Oh. Waity. weren't you terrifed:'
mo. not in the least. Neither wouh
you have been il you had been there
She put her arms round ME and all at
once l understood that the poor thing
mistook me just for IA moment for hen
own daughter come back to life. |,
was a sudden fancy. and | don't think
it lasted, but | didn't know how t.
deal with it II contradict it. 80 ! sim
ply tried to sOOthe her and let he'
ease her heart by talking t me. She
said when l left her: Where is your
house? l hope it is near: Do rome
again and sit with me. Strength flows
into my weakness when you hold IN!
hand! | somehow feel. Patty. that she
needs a woman friend even more thar
Il doctor. And now. what am I to do:
How q | forsake her. and yet here l.
this new difficulty with father?
81 shouldn't forsake her. Go there
when you can. but he nor careful!
about it. You told father that you
didn't regret what you had done. and
that when be ordered you to de- I'LL
reasonable things you should disobe!
him. After all. you are not q blac!
slave. Father will never think Of tina,
particular thing again. perhaps. IN,
more than he ever alluded to my div
ing tt SacO with Mrs. Day after 20"
had told him it vas necessary for ny
Of Is to 20 there occasionally. II
knows that If he is too hard on us Dr.
Perry or Uncle Bart would take hiup
in hand. They would have done Il
long ago If we had ever given any ON,