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SIX “The Story of Waitstill Baxter” Copyright, 1913. by Kite Dougin Wlggin Author of “Rebecca * Sunnybrook Farm" PUOLOGUE. Strength and interest of qvt < lives in the New England < three-quarters of a century ag provide the framework of “Th- Story of Waitatill Baxter. " Thn ie the skeleton. The flesh am blood of human beings, livin) mnd loving and moving in a world of their own that is a miniatur, picture of the greater world oul aide, are also there. The stor \ ie a cross section of life as sect and described by a woman wh has been well called “ America ! greatest living woman novelist.' Amid the hills of New Englam are many men and etomen lil< Waitetill and Patience Baxtc and their father, Ivory Boyntoi and, hie afflicted mother am funny Cephas Cole, who woo hopefully, but with small chanc of euocess. They find their wuy into books but seldom, for takes a master hand to dcscrib. faithfully the doings of rea people. And that is the rcasur. why ‘‘The Story of Waitstil Baxter" has won highest praise from critics who know a goo i' book wh'in they see one. (Continued Prom Yesterday.) “Be you ; ' Mind, 1 wm. have yon fullerin' Patience rouiul V'ou’ll only upset what I’ve done, hii anyhow I want you to keep away frou the neighbors for n few daya, till ul thla blows over." He spoke lirmly, though for 111 it mildly, for he still had the une:i\' feeling that he stood on the brink of . volcano, and, as a matter of fact, hi tumbled Into It she very next moment The meager supper was spread n plate of cold soda biscuits, a dried np pie pie and the usual brown teapot •were In evidence, and as her futliei ceased speaking Wattodll opened the door of the brick oven where the bean pot naposed, set a chair by the table ami tnmtiiK, took up her coat (lici another's old riding cloak. It was!, and put It on, reaching then for he flood and her squirrel tippet. • "Sou are goln’ out, then, spite o .rrtnt I said?” the deacon Inquired ■teraly. “Did you really think, father, that I (would sleep under vour roof after you 4>ad turned my slater out Into thi pnoor to lodge with whoever might gafta her In—my seventeen-year old SlAer thaf your wife left to my care, any little sister, the very light of my Uftrr Waltstlll’s voice trembled a trifle, lull Otherwise she was qnltq calm and free from heroics of sny sort. The deacon looked up in surprise "1 guess you’re kind o’ hysterirky," he paid. “Set down- set down an’ talk jthtngs over. I ain’t got nothin’ ag’lu you. an’ 1 mean to treat you right. Set Blown.- I The oM man.-was decidedly nervous and Intended to keep his temper until there was a safer chance to let It fly. Waltstill sat down. "There's noth fng to talk over," she said. "I have done all that 1 promised my etepmoth er the night she died, and now I am going If there's u duty owed between daughter and father It ought to work both ways. 1 consider that I have done my share, aud now 1 Intend to seek happiness for myself. 1 havener er had any. and I am starving for It." “An' you'd leave mo to git on the best I can after what I've done for you?" burst out the deacon, still trying to hold down his growing passion. "You gHVe me my life, and I'm thank fill to you for that, but you’ve given me little since, father.” "Haln't 1 fed an’ clothed you?’’ •'No more than I have (id and cloth ed you. You've provided the raw foisl and I've cooked and served tt. You'll bought cloth, and I have made shirts and overalls aud coats for you ami knitted your socks and comforters and mittens. Not only have 1 toiled ami saved and scrimped away my glrlhoiwl as you bade me. but I've earned for you. Who made the butter and took care of the hens aud dried the apples and ‘drew In’ the rugs? Who ralsis', and ground the pepper* for sale nnd tended the geese that you might sell the feathers? No. father. 1 don’t con elder that I’m In your debt!" Deacon Foxwell Baxter was com pletely nonplused for the first time In big. life- lie had nevgr allowed “*r KATE DOUGLAS WIGGiN \ y "-i / y gyfyln' ” In tils household, nnd there bod never been a clash of wills before tills when lie bad not come off swlftl) and brutally triumphant. This sltua tlon was complicated by the fact that he di<l not dare to apply the brakes as usual since there were more issues In volved than ever before, lie felt too stunned to deal properly with thK daughter, having emptied all the vials of his wrath upon the other one and being, In consequence, somewhat en feebled. It was always easy enough to cope with ratty, for her Imperti nence evoked such rage that the argil ment took care of Itself, lint tills gravi young woman was a different matter There she sat composedly on the edge of her wooden chair, her head lifted high, her color coming and going, hei eyes shining steadily like fixed stars; there she sat, calmly announcing hei Intention of leaving her father to shin for himself. Vet the skies seemed to have no thought of falling! He fell that he must make another effort to as sert his authority. "Nqw, you take off your coat," he said, the pipe In his hnnd trembling m he stirred nervously In his chair. “Yoti take your coat right off an’ set dowi to the supper table same ns usual, di yon hear? Mat your victuals an' tliet go to your bed an' git over this ernz’ fit that I’ntlenee has started workln In you No more nonsense now! in as I tell you!" “I have made up my tnlnd, father nnd it's no use arguing. All who tv to live with you fall sooner or late) You have hnd four children, father One boy rtn away; the other did not mind being drowned. I fear, since lift was so hard at home. Y’ou have Just turned the third child out for a slu of deceit, and disobedience she would nev er have committed for her nature Is as clear as crystal If you hnd ever loved her or considered her happiness 8o I have done with you, unless in your old age God should bring you to such a pass that no one else will come to your assistance; then I’d see some how that you were eared for and mir ed and made comfortable. You are not an old man; you are strong and healthy and you have plenty of money to gel a goo,| housekeeper. I should deeldt differently perhaps If all this were not true." "You lie! I haven’t got plenty of money!" And the deacon struck tin table a sudden blow that made tin china In the cupboard rnttle. “You'vi no notion wlmt this house costs me an' the food for the stock, an' you two girls, an' labor at the store, an’ the hayflcld, an’ the taxes an’ Insurance! I’ve slaved from sunrise to sunset, but I ain't hardly been able to lay up a cent. I s'pose the neighbors have been tillin’ you full o' tales about my mis' able little savin’s an’ leakin' ’em Into a fortune. Well, you won't git any of ’em, 1 promise you tlmt!” “You have plenty laid away. Every hotly knows, so what's the use of do uylng It? Anyway, I don't want u penny of your money, fnther, so good by. There's enough cooked to kec| you for a couple of days," nnd Walt still rose from her clinlr and drew on her mittens. Father and daughter confronted each other, the secret fury of the man met by the steady determination of the girl. The deacon was battled, almost •wed, by WaltsttU's quiet self control, but at the very moment thnt he was half uncomprehendtugly glaring at her. U dawned upon him that he was beat en, and that she was mistress of the situation. Where would she go? What were her pinna? For definite plana she had. or she could not meet his eye with so resolute a gaze, if she did leave him how could lie contrive to get her back again aud so escape the scorn of the village, the averted look, the lessened trade? "Where are you goln' now?" he ask ed, amt though he tried his beat, he could not for the life of him keep back one final taunt. "1 s'pose. like your slater, you've got a umn In your eye?" He chose this, to him, Impossible sag gestlon as being the most insulting one that lu> could Invent at the moment. "I have." repliod Waltstill, "a man In my eye and lu my heart. We should huve been husband and wife before this had we not been kept apart by ob stacles too stubborn for us to over come. My way has chanced to ope, first, though It was none of my con trlvlng.” Had the roof fallon in upon him th< deacon could not have been tuon dmnfounded. Ills tongue literally clov, to the roof of his mouth. His face fell and his mean, piercing eyes blinked uuder his shaggy brows as If seekluj light. Waitstill stirred the fire, closed the brick oven and put the teapot on the baek of the stove, hung up the long handled dipper on Its accustomed null over the sink and went to the door. Her father collected his scattered wits arid pulled himself to his feet b> the arms of the high backed rocker. “You shan't step outside this room till you tell me where you’re goin',” he said when he found his voice. “I have no wish to keep It secret. 1 am going to see if Mrs. Mason will keep me tonight. Tomorrow I shall walk down the river and get work at 1m “You might as well go to live on the poor farm!” the mills, but on my way I shall stop al the Boyntons’ to tell Ivory I am ready to marry him as soon ns he’s ready to take me." This was enough to stir the blood ol the deacon into one last fury. “1 might have guessed it if I hadn't been blind ns n bat an' deaf ns an ad der!” And he gave the table anothci ringing blow before he leaned on It to gather strength. “Of course it would be one o' that crazy Boynton crew you’d take up with!" he roared. "Noth In’ would suit either o’ you girls but ctiooain’ the biggest enemies I’ve got In the whole villager’ “You’ve never taken pains to make anything hut enemies, so whnt could we do 7“ “You might as well go to live on the poor farm! Aaron Boynton, was a dis rep’tnhle hound. Lois Boynton Is as crazy as a loon, the boy Is a nobody's child, an’ Ivory's no better than a com mon puuper!" "Ivory'B a brave, strong, honorable man nnd a scholar too. I can work for him nnd help him earn and save, ns I have you.” “How long's this been goln’ on?" The deacon was choking, but he meant to get to the bottom of things while be had the dunce. “It hast) t gone on at all. He has never said a word to me, and I have always obeyed your will In these mat ters, hut you can't hide love any more than you can hide hate. I know Ivory loves me. so I'm going to tell him that my duty Is done here nnd 1 am ready to help him." “Goln' to throw yourself at his head, be you?" sneered the deacon. "By the Lord. I don't know where you two girls got these loose ways o’ thinkln' an’ actin’. Mobile he won't tako you, an’ then where'll you he? You wou't git under my roof again when you've once left it, you can make up your mind to that!" "If you have any doubts about Ivo ry's being willing to take me you'd belter drive along behind me nnd listen while I ask him." Waltstlll's tone luid an exnltnnt thrill of certainty In It. She threw up her head, glorying In what she was about to do. If she laid aside her usual re serve and voiced her thoughts openly It was not In the hope of convincing her father, hut for the bliss of putting them into words and Intoxicating her self by the sound of them. "Come after me If you will, father, and watch the welcome I shall get. Oh, I have no fear of being turned out by Ivory Boynton. I can hardly wait to give him the Joy I shall be bringing! It'* selfish to rob him of the chance to speak first, hut I’ll do It!” And before Deacon Baxter could cross the room Waltstill was out of the kitchen door Into the shed aud flying down Town House hill like an arrow shot free from the bow. The deacon followed close behind, hardly knowing why, but he was no match for the girl, and at last he stood helpless on the steps of the shed, shak ing hi* fist and hurling terrible words after her. words thnt tt was fortunate for her peace of mind she could not hear. “A curse upou you both!” he cried savagely. “Not satisfied with disobey In' au’ defyln* me. you've put me to shame, an’ now you'll be setttn' Hie neighbors ag’ln me an’ ruinin' my trade. If you was freeztn' in the snow I wouldn't heave a blanket to you! If you was starvin' I wouldu't fling either of you a crust! Never shall you darken my door* again, an' never shall you git a iH-ntiy o' my money, not If I have to throw It Into the river to spite you!" • (To Be Continued Tomorrow.) THE AUGUSTA HERALD. AUGUSTA. GA. IN “REEL” LIFE miT HI ( Cone oh Novi f ■. ' -—— —— fW/ \"g7 nts lir , iSI ( f ll I! \ The pep-FORM«Nct- V i ijk HO LOITtfUNO ON I jjf ! \|| Ju_ THE *** fflfc jthtf nr m —j * X j (k ( WHERE The Dicxens ' I '' T*t Di? refill f W *Y DO""* You \ IP PtfT CH'fKtH i I a, t-nJn—. TURN ABOUT FAIR PLAY. As Sandy holed out on the first green his friend from over the border asked; "And how many strokes did you take?” "Eight." replied the Scot. “Ah!" said the Englishman, “I took seven; so that's my hole." The Scotchman ventured no reply, but when on the secoad green, the Englishman repeated his former ques tion and make inquiry a* to the num ber of strokes taken by his opponent the latter nobbed his head, and, with an expression of infinite wisdom on hi* face gently murmured: “Nay, nav, my mannie; this time it's my tur-rn to ask Ttrst.”—London Answers. WHAT FATHER SAID. A little 6-year-old tot had gone her first day to school. Teacher had quite a time getting her to tell her last name That evening after school she was playing with a little friend and the "last name" subject was brought up. Mabel said she wondered what God's last name was. “No, I don’t," was the short reply. "Why, It's Dam. 'cause I heard daddy say so." —National Monthly. In the fall of 1910 a man named Smith was running for Sheriff against a man named Jones. One evening Just before election. Smith rode up to the barnyard of an old farmer The form er was milking a cow and having dif ficulty with a lusty calf that continual ly tried to "butt in." The candidate, to gain the favor of the farmer, took the calf between his legs and held It until the milking was done. He then introduced himself: “I am Mr. Smith, the Republican candidate for sheriff of the county. I suppose you know th* man who's running against me? The farmer's eyes twinkled as he slowly drawled: “Waal, I reckon I da He's in the house now, holding the baby.”—Everybody's Magazine. FOR THE CAT. “Doctor," said he, "I'm a victim of Insomnia. I can't sleep If there's the least noise, such as a cat on the back fence, for Instance." "This powder will be effective," re plied the physician, after compound ing a prescription. "When do I take it, doctor?’ “You don't take It. You give It to the cat In some milk." —Exchange. ATURDAY. JUNE 6. IN REAL LIFE WHERE IT FELL. "I thought you were working on Jay Krank’s new house,” said a house painter’s friend. "I was goln’ to,” replied the house painter, “but I had a quarrel with him and he said he'd put the paint on himself.” • And jdld he do it?” “Yes. that is where he put most of it.”—Philadelphia Press. QUID PRO QUO. “That little mare of his certainly came back at Joe.” "How do you mean?” "First, he broke her for racing, then she broke him."—Baltimore American. Home rule wins for Ireland—foreign rule begins lu Majhcol Florida Tinies-L'aiun.