Newspaper Page Text
FRIDAY. JUNE 5.
“1 he Story of Waitstill Baxter”
''ill
Copyright, 1913, by
Kate Douglas Wiggin
i Author of “Rebecca
PROLOGUE.
Strength and interest of qv*
lives in the New England
three-quarters of a century a;
provide the framework of “Tl
Story of Waitstill Baxter. " Thi
is the skeleton. The flesh ar
blood of human beings, livir.
and loving and moving in asvorl
of their own that is a minialw
picture of thh greater world ou
side, are also there. The stor
is a cross section of life as see
and described by a woman wh
has been well called “America
greatest living woman novelist.
Amid the hills of New Englan
are many men and women lih
Waitstill and Patience Baxtc
and their father, Ivory Boynto
and his afflicted mother an.
funny Cephas Cole, who woo
hopefully, but with small chanc
of success. They find their wa
into books but seldom, for i
takes a master hand to descnb
faithfully the doings of rea
people. And that is the reasoi
why “The Story of Waitstill
Baxter" has won highest prais
from critics who know a gooc
book when they see one.
(Continued Prom Yesterday.)
The Deists mi the whip i.
taxed, and lie fell back a little in slier
astonishment at the bravado of th.
girl, ordinarily so quiet and self eon
tained. He was speechless for a see
ond and then recovered breath enough
to ahout to the terrified Patty: "I won'
use the whip till I hear whether you’vt
got any excuse for your scandalous
behavior. Hear me tell you one thing
This little pleasure trip o’ yourn won':
do you no good, for I’ll break the mar
rlage! I won’t have a Wilson in np
family if I have to empty a shotgui
into him. but your lies and your lou
conduct are so beyond reason I can'i
believe my ears. What’s your excuse
I say?”
“Stop a minute, Patty, before you
answer, and let me say a few thing
that ought to have been said befon
now,” interposed Waltstill. “If Patt.'
has done wrong, father, you've no on:
but yourself to thank for it, and it'.-
only by God’s grace that nothing worse
has happened to her. What could yoi.
expect from a young thing like that,
with her merry heart turned into a
lump in her breast every day by your
cruelty? Did she deceive you? Well,
you’ve made her afraid of you evei
since she was a baby in the cradle
drawing the covers over her little
head when she heard your step. What
ever crop you sow is bound to come
up. father; that's nature's law and
God's as well.”
“You hold your tongue, you, readin'
the law to your elders an' betters,”
said the old man, choking with wrath
“My business is with this wuthless
sister o' yourn, not with you! You've
got your coat and hood on, miss, so
you Jest clear out o’ the bouse, an’ if
you’re too slow about It I’ll help you
along. I've no kind of an idea you're
rightly married, for that young Wilson
sneak wouldn't pay so high for you as
all that. But If it amuses you to call
him your husband go an’ find him an'
stay with him. This is an honest house
an' no place for such as you!”
Patty had a good share of the Bax
ter temper, not under such control as
Waltstlll's. and the blood mounted Into
her face.
“You shall not speak to me so!” she
said intrepidly, while keeping a dls
creet eye on the whip. "I’m npt a—a
caterpillar to be stepped on. I’m a
married woman, as right as a New
Hampshire Justice can make me, with
a wedding ring and a certificate to
show if need be. And you shall no;
call my husband names. Time will
tell what he is going to be, and that's
a son-in-law any true father would be
proud to own!”
“Why nre you set against this match,
father?" argued Waltstill. striving to
make him hear reason. "Patty ha*
married Into one of the best families
in the. village. Mark is gay and
thoughtless, but never has he been seer
the worse for liquor, and never has he
done a thing for which a wife need
hang her head. It Is something for ii
young fellow of four and twenty to h<
able to provide for a wife and kee|
her in comfort, and when all Is said
ami done ft Is a true love match.”
hMdouguswiggin
* Sunnybrook Farm"
Patty seized ttiis inopportune me
ment to forget her father's presenet
and the tragic nature of the occasioi
and. in her usual impetuous fashion
flung her arms around Waitstill's uecl
and gave her the hug of a young bear
“My own dear sister," she said. “I
don’t mind anything so loug as yoi
stand up for us."
“Don't make tier go tonight, father.'
pleaded Waitstill. "Don't send you
own child out into the cold. Remem
her her husband is away from home."
“She can lind another up at the Mill
as good as he is or better. Off with
you, I say. you trumpery little baggage
you!"
“Go, then, dear: it is better so. Un
cle Bait will keep you overnight. Run
up and get your tilings;” and Waitstil 1
sank into a chair, realizing the hope
lessness of the situation.
“She'll not take anything from my
house. It’s her husband's business to
find her in clothes.”
“They’ll be better ones than ever you
found me,” was Patty’s response.
No heroics for her; no fainting fits
at being disowned; no hysterics at be
ing turned out of house and home; no
prayers for mercy, but a quick retor!
for every gibe from her father, and her
defiant attitude enraged the deacon.tin
more.
“I won't speak again.” he said, in a
tone that could not be mistaken. “Into
the street you go with Uie clothes you
stand up in or I’ll do what I said
I’d do.”
“Go, Patty! It’s the only thing to be
done. Don’t tremble, for nobody shal
touch a hair of your head. I can trus
you to find shelter tonight, and Marl
will take care of you tomorrow.”
Patty buttoned her shabby coat am
tied on her hood as she walked fron
the kitchen through the sitting rooo.
toward the side door, her heart heav
lng with shame and anger, and above
all, with a child's sense of helpless
ness at being parted from her sister.
“Don't tell the neighbors any mor<
lies than you can help,” called her fa
ther after her retreating form, “an’ il
any of ’em dare to come up here an
give me nny of their lmperdenee they'l.
be treated same as you. Come back
here, Waitstill. and don't go to slob
berin’ any goodbys over her. Shi
ain’t likely to get out o' the village foi
some time if she’s expectin' Mark Wil
son to take her away.”
“I shall certainly go to the door witl
my sister." said Waltstill coldly, suit
ing the action to the word, and follow
ing Patty out on the steps. “Shall yoi
tell Uncle Bart everything, dear, anr
ask him to let you at his house?
Both girls were trenililiug with ex
citement. Waitstill. pale as a ghost
Patty flushed and tearful, with deli
ant eyes aud lips that quivered rebel
liously.
“I s'pose so." she answered dolefully
“though Aunt Abby hates me. on ne
count of Cephas. I'd rather go to Dr
Perry’s, but 1 dou't like to meet Phil
There doesn’t seem to be any gooi!
place for me, but it’s only for a night.
And you’ll not let father prevent your
seeing Mark and me tomorrow, will
you? Are you afraid to stay alone*
I’ll sit on the steps all night if you sav
the word.”
“No, no. run along. Father hns vent
ed his rage upon you. anrl I shall not
have any more trouble. God bless and
keep you, darling. Run along!"
“And you're not angry with me now.
Waity? You still love me? And you’ll
forgive Mark aud come to stay witii
us soou, soon, soon?”
“We’U see, dear, when all this tin
happy business is settled, and you are
safe and happy in your own home. I
shall have much to tell you when we
meet tomorrow.”
• *••••*
Patty had the most ardent love for
her elder sister, and something that re
sembled reverence for her unselfish
ness, her loyalty aud her strength of
character, but if the truth were to d.
she had no great opinion of Waltstill'.-
ability to feel righteous wrath, nor o
her power to avenge herself in th
face of rank Injustice. It was the con
viction of her own superior finesse and
audacity that had sustained I’atty nil
through her lute escapade. She fell
herself a lucky girl. Indeed, to achieve
liberty and happiness for herself, but
doubly lucky If she had chanced to
open a way of escape for her more
doolie and dutiful sister.
She would have been a trifle aston
ished had she surmised the existence
of certain mysterious waves that bad
Iteen sweeping along the roasts of
Waltstlll's mind that afternoon, break
ing down all soils of defenses and car
rying her will along with them by
sheer force, but it is a Irulsm tjxut two
other for half a century and yet con
tinue strangers.
Patty's elopement with the youth of
her choice, taking into account all its
attendant risks, was indeed an exhibi
tion of courage and Initiative not com
mon to girls of seventeen. But Wait
still was meditating a mutiny more
daring yet—a mutiny, too, involving a
course'' of conduct most unusual in
maidens of Puritan descent.
She walked lmck into the kitchen to
find her father sitting placidly In the
rocking chair by the window. He had
lighted his corncob pipe, in which he
always smoked a mixture of dried
sweet fern as being cheaper than to
bacco. and his face wore something re
sembling a smile—a foxy smile—as he
watched his youngest born plowing
down the hill through the deep snow,
while the more obedient Waitstill
moved nlmut the room setting supper
on the table
Conversation was not the deacon’s
forte, but it seemed proper for some
one to break the ice that seemed sud
denly to be very thick in the immedi
ate vicinity.
“That little .lid go-over-tlie-ground
will give the neighbors a pleasaut even
in' fellin' 'em 'bout me," lie chuckled.
“Aunt Abby Cole will run the streets
o’ the three villages by sunup tomorrer.
But nobody pays any 'tention to a wo
man whose tongue is hung in the mid
dle and wags at both ends. I wa'u't
intendin' to use the whip on your sis
ter. Waitstill." continued the deacon,
with a crafty look at his silent daugh
ter, “though a trouncin’ would 'a' done
her a sight o' good. But 1 was ouly
tryin’ to frighten her a little mite an'
pay her up for bringin’ disgrace on us
the way she's done, tankin' us the talk
o’ the town. Well, she's gone, an’
good riddance to bad rubbish say I!
One less .mouth to feed an’ one less
body to clothe. You'll miss her jest at
first on account o' there bein’ no other
women folks on the hill, but 'twon't
last long, i'll have Bill Morrill do
some o' your outside chores so 't you
can take on your sister's work, if she
ever done any."
This was a most astoundingl.v gener
ous proposition ou the deacon's part,
and, to tell the truth, be did not him
self fully understand his mental
processes when he made it. but it
seemed to be drawn from him by a
kind of instinct that he was not stand
ing well in his elder daughter's books.
CHAPTER XXV.
Waitstill Speaks Her Mind.
THOUGH the two girls had nev
er made any demonstration of
their nffectiou in his presence,
Deacon Baxter had a fair idea
of their mutual dependence upon each
other; not that he placed the slightest
value on Waitstill's opinion of him or
cared in the smallest degree what she
or any one else in the universe thought
of his conduct, but she certainly did
appear to advantage when contrasted
with the pert little hussy who had
Just left the premises; also Waitstill
loomed large in his household com
forts and economies, having a clear
head, a sure hand and being one of
the steady going, reliable sort that can
be counted on in emergencies, not, like
Patty, going off at half cock at the
smallest provocation. Yes, Waltstill,
as a product of his masterly training
for the last seven years, had settled
down, not without some trouble and
friction, into a-»tolerably dependable
pack horse, and he intended in the fu
ture to use some care in making per
manent so valuable an aid and ally.
She did not pursue nor attract the op
posite sex, as his younger daughter
apparently slid; so by continuing his
policy of keeping nil young men rigid!
at a distance he could count confident
ly on having Waltstill serve his pur
poses for the next fifteen or twenty
years or as long ns be himself should
continue to ornament and enrich the
earth.
He would go to Saco the very next
day and cut Patty out of his will, ar
ranging his property so that Waltstill
should be the chief legatee as long as
she continued to live obediently under
his roof. He intended to make the
fast point clear If he had to consult ev
ery lawyer In York county, for he
wouldn t take risks on any woman
alive. If he must leave his money
any where—and it was with a bitter
pang that he facts] the inexorable con
viction that he could neither live for
ever nor take his savings with him to
the realms of bliss prepared for mem
bers of the orthodox church in good
nnd regular standing-ls he must leave
his money behind him, he would dig a
hole in the ground nnd bury It rather
than let it go to any one who had an
gered him In his lifetime.
These were the thoughts that caused
him to relax Jits Iron grip and smile as
he sat by the window smoking his
corncob pipe and taking one of his very
rare periods of rest.
Presently lie glanced at the clock
“It's only quarter past -1,” he said. “I
thought t wus later, but the snow
makes it so light you can’t Jedge the
time The moon fulls tonight, don’t
It? Yes; come to think of it. I know
it does. Ain't you settln' out supper a
little mite early. Waitstill?”
This was a longer and more amiable
speech thau he had made In years, but
Waltstill never glanced at hint as she
said: "It Is a little early, but I want
to get It re: 1 I '■ i leave."
(To Be Continued Tomorrow.)
READ HERALD WANT ADS
ME AUGUSTA HERALD. AUGUSTA. GA.
MID-SUMMER REDUCTIONS
IN JUNE ON
Men's and Boys' Woolen Summer Suits
I
SHOES FOR
MEN
White Canvas
Bluchers and
Oxfords
$3.00 to $4.00
Palm Beach
Cloth Shoes,
$3.50
GAME LAWS FOR
SOUTH’S STATES
Strict Provisions Made For
the “Bull Bat”—Are Valuable
As Check to 801 l Weevil.
Washington.—Strict game laws in
Southern states for protection of the
nighthawk or "bull bat,” whose pres
ence in coton sections is declared to
be of inestimable value as a check
to boll weevil, vVas recommended in
a special bulletin issued today by the
department of agriculture. The night
hawk together with several sorts of
swallows, says the bulletin, feed on
the weevel while on the wing, while
wrens and martins render valuable
service to the farmer by picking the
insects from refuse in the cotton
fields and from the growing plants.
French Remedy for
v Stomach Troubles
The leading doctor* of France havs
for year* u»ed a prescription of vege
table oils for chronic stomach trouble
and constipation that acta like a charm.
One dole will convince you. Severe
cases of yeirs’ standing are often greatly
benefited within 24 hour*. So many
people are getting »urpr!*in|f result*
Chat we feel all perions suffering from
conatipation, lower bowel, liver and
(tomaeh trouble* «hould try Mayr'*
Wonderful Stomach Remedy. It i* now
told here by
T G. Howard's Drug Stores and drug
gists everywhere.
this er.ticsl period of their
fount 1lee«. Thousands of mothers arold th#
rlnnif'-rn, rastlssso—s. and suffering of toothing
tune with
TEETHINA
(Teething Powder a)
A prmcripCon osed rewularly by Dr. C. J.
Moffett, a Joffer*on Medical College gru lusts of
Philadelphia, *o bis oso successful prsctiea for
over 40 years.
He always considered It his best prescription
remedy for choiera-infantum, cholera-morbus,
colic,wom s. dysentsry.disrrhocasndotherdresd
©d ailments no comoion aiming infants during teeth
ing time. Teethina was found to help the child,
making teething easy and relierlng the mother or
rnariy • nxlous rriornents and sleep-
\
sjaCgj’tsms asT wflj \ J
C jjleftn Nafc^CaA
Every Wool Fabric Suit in the Department Reduced 25%
Thank the backward season for this early reduction of White’s splen
did suits for men—suits that pay better interest than a bank, making a. re
turn of 100 per cent in style, service and all-round satisfaction.
Here are Prices
All $15.00 Serges, Mohairs and
Worsteds ~511.25
All SIB.OO Serges, Mohairs and
Worsteds ~.513.50
All $20.00 Serges, Mohairs and
Worsteds . ~ $15.00
All $22.50 Serges, Mohairs and
Worsteds $16.90
All $25.00 Serges, Mohairs and
Worsteds $18.75
All $27.50 Serges, Mohairs and
Worsteds $20.63
All $30.00 Serges, Mohairs and
Worsteds .. $22.50
Boys' Fancy Mixtures Only ,
Knickerbocker Styles
$4.00 Suits. ..$3.20 SB.OO Suits .. $6.40
$7.50 Suits. ..$6.00 SO.OO Suits .. $4.30
$5.00 Suits .. $4.00 SIO.OO Suits . .SB.OO
$12.00 Suits $9.60
Weather:
' The department declares the night
hawk’s value to sportsmen and as
food is infinltesmal compared to the
benefit it renders cotton grower*.
Att’y Gen’l Doesn’t Like
Defiance of the L. & N.
Washington.—Attorney General Mc-
Reynolda today filed in the supreme
court, an appeal from the federal dis
Great June Clearance Sale of Up-to-
Date Gents’ Furnishings and Hats at
DIETZ BROS.
Any Hat in the House, Straws and
Felts, Values up to $3.00 at $1.50
MEN’S SHIRTS
SI.OO Shirts at 75^
$1.50 Shirts at sl.lO
$2.00 Shirts at $1.45
$2.50 Silk Shirts at $1.50
$3.50 Silk Shirts at $2.50
$5.00 Silk Shirts at $3.75
NECKWEAR.
75c kind at ' 39^
50c kind at 25^
MEN’S NIGHT SHIRTS and PA
JAMAS.
SI.OO Night Shirts at 69^
$1.50 Night Shirts at .sl.lO
$2.00 Night Shirts at .. .. .. $1.45
$1.50 Pajamas fit sl.lO
$2.00 Pajamas at $1.45
Don’t Miss This Great Money Saving Opportu
nity of Standard Brands of Merchandise, at
DIETZ BROS.
1022 Broad St.
trlct court in Kentucky, denying the
application of the government for an
order compelling the Uoulsville and
Nashville Railroad Company to permlf
examiners of the Interstate commerce
commission to examine Its tiles of cor
respondence. The examiners were de
nied access to the correspondence In
the investigation of the road's rela
tion to other railroads In Tennessee
and to political campaign funds. In ac
cordance with a seriate resolution.
The attorney general contends In the
appeal that a railroad can have no sec
rets from the government. The case
Is regarded of high importance.
for You
SI.OO Neqligee
Coat Shirts,
with Cuffs
Attached , 89c
| imiiii iii^
Such shirts as are sel
dom sold so cheaply. Fine
materials, splendid work
manship, well fitting and
good looking. You’ll like
these.
Thiw “Heath Hand of Segundo” out
In Colorado may he a upecial version
of the Black Hand adapted for use in
such places as Colorado has come to
be.—St. Louis Republic.
Ayer’s Sa.
Away back in 1841. Old enough to re
member those days? Still used for
coughs and colds. Sold for 70 years.
Aafc Vour Doctor
UNDERWEAR.
50c kind at .39^
75c kind at 55^
SI.OO kind 65^
$1.50 kind ;it sl.lO
50c Elastic Scam Drawers at .. .39^
HOSIERY.
50c Silk l/ollose at 39^
25c Silk i/JioHc at .. ~ .... 19<
CAPS.
SI.OO kind at 69^
50c kind at 39^
MEN’S BELTS.
SI.OO kind at 69^
50c kind at 39^
25c kind at.. 19^
SEVEN
Augusta, Ga.