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SIX -THE STORY OF WAITSTILL BAXTER" Copyright. 191.1. by Kate Dougli* Wigfiin Author of “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" PROLOGUE. Strength and interest of quit lives in the New England < three-quarters of a century ag< provide the framework of "Tin Story of Waitstill Baxter. " Tha is the skeleton. The flesh urn: blood of human beings, tivin< and loving and moving in a worlc of their own that is a minia/uri picture of the greater world ou side, are also there. The sto/ is a cross section of life as seer and described by a woman win has been well called "America's greatest living woman novelist." Amid the hills of New Englaru . are many men and women lik< 'Waitstill and Patience Baxter and their father, Ivory Boynton and his afflicted mother ana funny Cephas Cole, who worn hopefully, but with small chanc of success. They find their way into books but seldom, for it takes a master hand to descrtbi faithfully the doings of real people. And that is the reason why "The Story of Waitstitl Baxter" has won highest praise from crilics who know a good book when they see one. CHAPTER I. Th« S'stsra. FA I!, far up lu tin- bosom of New Hampshire* granite hills the (taco luis Its birth. Am the momitalii till gathers strength It take* Through Rartlvtt’a v»ln» lu tuneful way Ur hole* in tons'*)* flagrant brakes Unrealuia from the glare us day. Now It leaves the inouutHlllH and flows through “gl'eeii I'l'yshurgs wood* ami farina In the comae of Ita frequent turn* anil iwltta anil hernia It meets with tunny another stream and semis It fuller and stronger, along Ita rejoicing way. Wliru it Itaa Journeyed more thau Inn miles anil la nearing the oceim It grtsU* the (ireat Uhnl|m*c river ami accept' It', crystal tribute. Then In Its turn the l.lltle Oaalpee jolna forces and the river, now a splendid atrenui flown onward to llonny Ksgl«*. to Mod erntion and to Salmon fulls, where ll dashes over the dam like a young Niagara and hurtle* In a foamy torrent through the lagged defile cut between k>fiy hank t of solid rock Widening cut placidly for n moment's rest In the siinnj renebes near Fleas ant point it gathers Itself for a new plunge at I cion lalla, after which It B|Mssiil,\ tm :cs Itself In the bay and Is fresh water no more. At one ol the falls on the (taco tin two littls hamlet* of Kdgewood ami Rlverborv m-stle together at the bridge and make one village. The stream Is a wonder of Iwauty .lust here, a mirror of placid loveliness above the dam. s tawny, routing wonder at the fall am! a mad, white flecked torrent as It dashes on Its way to the ocean. The river ha* seen strange sights In Ita time, though the hlatory of the-, two tiny village* Is quite unkuown to the great world outside They have been horu. waxed strong and fallen almost to decay while Saco water Imi tumbled over the rooks and spent Itsell lu Ita Impetuous Journey to the sea It remembers the yellow moccaslnd Sokokls as they issued from the Indiun Cellar and carried their birchen canoes along the wooded shore. It was In those years that the silver skinned sal toon leaped lu Its crystal depth*, the otter and the beaver crept with aleck wet skins upou Its shore aud the brown deer catne down to quench his thirst at Its brink, while at twilight tbe stealthy forms of tvenr aud panther and wolf were mirrored In Ita glassy eurface. Time sped. Men chained the river's turbulent forces and ordered It to grind at tbe mill. Then bouaes aud barns appeared along Ita bank* bridge* were built, orchards planted formats changed Into farm*, white painted meeting houses gleamed through tbe trees, and distant bells rang from their steeple* on qutet Buu day morning* All at once myriads of great hewn logs vexwl Ita downward course. *len der logs linked together in long rnfts and huge log* drifting down singly or In pairs Men ap|>esred. running hltb or and thither like ants and going through mysterious operation* Use tea KATE DOUGLAS WIGGtN •on for which the river con Id never Cuphh But tin* mill wheels turned the Krent sown buzzed, the smoke from tavern chimneys rose In the air, and the rattle and clatter of stagerosches resounded along the road. Now children paddled with bare feel In the river's sandy coves and shal lows, and lovers sat on Its alder shaded banks and exchanged their vows just where the shuffling hear was wont to eomc down and drink. The Saco could remember the “cold year," when there was a black frost every month of the twelve, and though almost all the corn along Its shores shriveled on the stalk, there were two farms where the vapor from the river saved the crops, and all lin seed for the next season came from Un favored spot, to be known as “Egypt' from that day henceforward Strange, complex things now began to happen, and the river played Its own part In some of these, for there were disastrous freshets, Uie sudden break lug up of great Jams of logs aud the drowning of men who were engulfed In the dark whirlpool below the rapids Caravans, with menageries of wild boasts, crossed the bridge now every year. An Infuriated elephant, lifted Un able of the old Kdgewood tavern ham and the wild laughter of the roistering ruin drinkers who were tantalizing the anlmnls floated down to the river’s edge. The roar of a lion, tearing ami chewing the arm of one of the by slanders, and the cheers of the throng when a plucky captain of the local id 1111 in thrust s stake down the beast's thront -these sounds displaced the for mer warwboop of the Indians and tin ring of the ax In the virgin forest* along the shores. There were days and raoonllgh: nights, too, when strange sights anti Bounds of quite another nature conic have been noted by the river as It flowed under the hrtdgo that united the two little villages. Issuing from the door of the Hirer boro townhouse aud winding down tin hill through the long row of teams sml carriages that lined the roadside, came a processlou of Hinging men and sing lng women Convinced of sin, but eti. tranced with promised pardon, spirit it ally Intuxlratod by the glowing elo queues of the latter day prophet they were worshiping, the l>and of "Coolt ranltcs" mu re lied down the dusty road and across the bridge, dancing, sway lng, waving handkerchiefs and shout lng hosannas. tied watched and listened, knowing that there would be other prophets true and false, in the days to come and other processions following them And the river watched and listened, too. as It hurried on toward the sea with Ita story of the present that was aonte time to be the history of the past When Jacob Oechrane was lending his overwrought, ecstatic bsnd across the river, Waltstill Itaxter, tlieu a child was watchlug the strnnga, noisy company from the window of a little brick dwelling on the top of tko Town Mouse hill. Her stepmother stood tteslde her with a young baby In her arms, but when she saw what held tbe gaae of the child she drew her away, saying. •*We mustn't look, Waltstill; your fa ther don't like It!" "Who was the big man at the head, mother T” "Hl* name Is Jacob Cochrane, but you mustn't think or talk about him. He la very wicked,” "He doesn't look any wickeder than the others,” said tbe child. “Who was tbe man that foil down In tbe road, mother, and the woman that kuelt and prayed over him? Why did be fait, aud why did ahe pray, mother?" 'That was Master Aaron Royaton. the schoolmaster, and his wife. Hr ouly made believe to fall down, aa the Cochranltes do; the way they carry on Is a disgrace to the village, and that’s the reason your father won't let ua took at them.” “t played with a alee boy over to Boynton's," mused the child “That was Ivory, their only child He la a good little fellow, but his mother and father will spot! him with their ertty ways." ”1 hope nothing will happen to hliu foi I love him." said tbe child gravely ”He showed me a humming bird's nest, the first I ever saw, and the Uttleat!" “Don’t talk about loving him." chid ed the woman. "If your father should hear you he'd send you to bed without your porridge." "Father couldn't hear me. for I nevet sneak whoa tie’s at home." said frave little Waitstill. "And I'm used to going to bed without m,v porridge." • »••••» The river was still naming under the bridge, but the current of time had swept Jucob Cochrane nut of sight, though not out of mi.-id. for lie had left here uud there n disciple to preach hie strange ?.ud uncertain doctrine. Wait still. the chili! who never spoke in In-r father’s presence, was a young woman now, the mistress of the house; the stepmother was dead and the hahy a girl of seventeen. The brick cottage ou thv, hilltop had grown only a little shabbier. Deacon Fox well Baxter still slummed Its door behind him every morning at 7 o'clock and. without any such cheerful conVen tlons as goodbys to his girls, walked down to the bridge to open hia store-. The day. properly speaking, had opened when Waitstill and I’atience had left their beds at dawn, built the Are, fed the hens and turkeys nnd pre pared the breakfast, while the deacon was graining the horse and milking the cows. Such minor "chores" as carrying water from the well, splitting kindling, chopping pine or bringing wood into the kitchen were left to Waitstill, who had a strong hack or If she had not hud never been unwise enough to mention the fact In her fa ther's presence. The almanac day, however, which opened with sunrise, had nothing to do with the real human day, which always began when Mr. Baxter shimmed the door behind him and reached Its high noon of delight when be disappeared from view. "lie’s opening the store shutters!" chanted Patience from the helghta of a kitchen chair by the window. “Now he's taken his cane and lieafen off the Boynton puppy that was sitting on the steps as usual. 1 don't mean Ivory's dog" (here the girl gave u quick glance at her sister), "but Hodman’s little yel low cur. Itodinnn must have come down to the bridge ou some errand for Ivory. Isn’t It odd when that dog has •11 the other store steps to stt upon he should choose father’s when every bone In his body must tell him how father hatea him nnd Uie whole Boyn ton family?’’ “Father Inis no real cause that I ever heard of. But some dogs never know when they’ve had enough besting noi some people either," said Wuftstili, speaking from the pantry. “Don’t be gloomy wheu It’s my birth day, sis. Now he's opened the door and kicked the cat. All Is ready for bus! ness at the Baxter store." "I wish you weren’t quite so free with your tongue. Patty." "Somebody must talk," retorted the girl, jumping down from the chair nnd shaking back her mop of red gold curls. "I'll put this hateful, childish, round comb In Hiid out Just once more, then It will dlsuppeiir forever. This very afternoon up goes my hair!" “You know it will be of no uae unless yon braid It very plainly and neatly. Father will take notice aud make you smooth it down." “Father hasn’t looked me square In the face for years, besides my hair won't braid and nothing can make It quite plain Hiid neat, thank goodneasl Dot us be thankful for small mercies, as Jed Morrill snhl when the llghtniug •truck his mother-ln law and skipped his wife." "Patty, I will not permit you to re peat those tavern stories, they are not seemly on the lips of n girl!" And Waitstill came out of the pantry with • shadow of disapproval In her eyes and In her voice. Patty flung her arms around her sis ter tempestuously and pulled out the waves of her hair so that It softened her face. "I’ll be good," she snld, “and oh, Watty, let's Invent some sort of /At, 45 ij S * ffit jlm.'fin yfflM "M*’a opening ths (tors shuttsra.” cheap happiness for today! I shall never be seventeen again and we have so many trouble* let's put oue of the cows In tbe burse's stall and tee wbat will happen: Ur left spread up our last* with tlw head at tbe foot sad put the chest of drawers on the other side of the room, or let’s make candy! Do you think father wotild mis* the molasses ts we only use a cupful? Couldn't we strain the milk, but leave the churning and tbe dishes for an hour or too. Just once? If you ssy its' 1 csjp think of something wander THE AUGUSTA HERALD, AUGUSTA, GA. ful to no. "Wlint Is it?" asked Waitstill, relent Ing at the sight of the girl's eager roguish face. “Pierce my cars!” cried Patty. “Say you will!" "Ob! Patty. Patty. I am afraid yon are given over to vanity! 1 daren't let you wear eardrops without father’s permission." "Why not? I.ots of church member* wear ihem. so It can’t he a mortal s!n Father Is against all adornments, but that’s because tie doesn’t want to buy them. You've always said I should have your mother's coral pendants when I was old enough. Here I am. seventeen today, and Dr. Perry says I am already a well favored young wo man. I can pull my hair over my ear for a few days, and when the holes an all made and healed even father can not make me fill them up again. Be aides, I'll never wear the earrings at borne!” "Oh. nvy dear, my dear!” sighed Waitstill. with a half sob In her voice. “If only I was wise enough to know how we could keep from these little deceits, yet have any liberty or can fort In life!” "We can’t! The Lord couldn’t expect us to bear all we bear.” exclaimed Patty, “without our trying once In a while to have a good time in our own way. We never (lo a thing that we are ashamed of or that other girls don’; do every day in the week; only oui pleasures always have to be taken be bind father's buck. It’s only me that’s ever wrong, anyway, for yon are nl ways an angel. It’s a burning Nbaine and you only twenty-one yourself, i'l pierce your ears If you say so and let you wear your own coral drops!” "No, Patty! I’ve outgrown those long lngs years ago. When your mother died and left father and you and the house to me my girlhood died, too though 1 was only fourteen." “It was only your inside girlhood that died.” Insisted Patty stoutly. “The outside Is na fresh iib the paint on Uncle Itnrty's new ell. You've got the loveliest eyes and hair In Klver boro, and vmi know it: besides, Ivor,\ You May Be Happier Than You Know . .... „. i ~ .„ „ „ Study the man on the left in the three pictures and the woman on the right, and ask yourseh “Which is the richer?” The man thinkc he is the richer, and the womar thinks she is the poorer. Bnt a big library that does not interest you is not as good as a few books that feed you. Boynton wornu ten you so If you didn't Come and bore my ears, there’s a dar ling!" "Ivory Boynton never speaks a word of my looks, nor a word that father and all the world mightn't hear.” And Waitstill flushed. "Then it’s because he's shy and silent and has so many troubles of his own that he doesn’t dare say anything. When my hair is once up and the coral pendants are swinging in my ears I shall expect to hear something about my looks, I can tell you. Walty, after all, though we never have what we want to eat and never a decent dress to our backs, nor a young man to cross the threshold. I wouldn’t change places with Ivory Boynton, would yon?" Here Patty swept the hearth vigorously with a turkey wing and added" a Tew corn cobs to the fire. Waitstill paused a moment in her task of bread kneading. "Well,” she answered critically, "at least we know where our father is.” “We do Indeed. We also know that he Is thoroughly alive." "And, though people do talk about him, they can't say the things they say of Master Aaron Boynton. I don’t be lieve father would ever run away and desert us." "I fear not." snld Patty. "I wish the angels would put the Idea into his head, though, of course. It wouldn’t be the angels They'd be above It. It would have to be the ‘old driver,’ as Jed Morrill calls the evil one. But whoever did it the result would be the same—we should be deserted and live happily ever after. Oh, to be deserted and left with you alone on this hill top, wbat joy It would be!" CHAPTER 11, Daacon Baxter’s Wives. WAITSTILL frowned, but did not interfere further with Patty’s Intemperate speech. She knew that she was sim ply serving as an escape valve and that after the steam was “let otT” she would be more rational. “Of course we are motherless,” con tinued Patty wistfully, "but poor Ivory Is worse than motherless.” “No. not worse, Patty,” said Wait still, taking the bread board and mov ing toward the closet. “Ivory loves his mother, and she loves him with all the mind she has left. She has the best blood of New England flowing In her veins, and I suppose it was a great comedown for her to marry Aaron Boynton, clever and gifted though he was. Now Ivory has to protect her poor, daft, innocent creature —and hide her away from the gossip of the vil lage. He Is surely the best of sons, Ivory Boynton." “She Is a terrible care for him and like to spoil his life.” said Patty. “There are cares that swell the heart and make It bigger and warmer, Patty, Just as there are cures that shrivel It and leave it tired and cold. Love light ens Ivory’s afflictions, but that is something you and I have to do with out, so it seems." “I suppose little Rodman is some comfort to the Boyntons, even if he is only ten?” Patty suggested. “No doubt. He's a good little fel low, and, though it’s rather hard for Ivory to be burdened for these last five years with the support of a child who’s no nearer kin than a cousin, still he’s of use, minding Mrs. Boyn ton and the house when Ivory's «way The schoolteacher says he is wonder ful at his books and likely to be a great credit to the Boyntons some day or other." “You've forgot to name our one greai blessing, Walty, and I believe, any way, you’re talking to keep my mind off the earrings!" "You mean we’ve each other? No. Patty, I never forget that day or night. ’Tis that makes me willing to boar any burden futher chooses to put upon us. Now the bread is set, but 1 don’; believe I have the courage to put a needle into your tender flesh, Patty I really don't.” “Nonsense! I’ve got the waxed silk all ready aud chosen the right sized needle, and I’ll promise not to jumi or screech more Ihan I can help. We'l ft few etw<s which ftsc ft PEueor.”” " twaHft* A rich table without appetite, is not as good as tha simple fare with “I am hungry as a bear” sauce. The man too sleepy to see the opera is less to be envied than the woman occupying a seat that cost five cents—NEXT TO A MAN THAT SHE REALLY LIKES Find comfcrt in these pictures—for thev have plenty of comfort for millions of us. SATURDAY. MAY 9. “We can’t! The Lord couldn’t expee us to bear all that we bear.” make a tiny Tiad'pencll dot right inThe middle of the lobe, tben you place the needle on It. shut your eyes and jab bard! I expect to faint, but when 1 ‘come to’ we can decide which of ns will pull the needle through to the other side. Probably It will bo you, I’m such a coward. If it hurt* dread fully I’ll have only one pierced today and take the other tomorrow, and if it hgrts very dreadfully perhaps I’ll go through life with one earring. Aunt Abby Cole will say it’s Just odd enough to suit me!” "You’ll never go through life with one tongue at the rate yon use It now,” chided Waitstill, "for It will never last you. Come, we'll take the workbasket and go out lu the bam where no one will see or henr us.” (To Be Continued Tomorrow.)