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EIGHT “7he Story of Waitstill Baxter” (Continued from Wednesday.) Tty this time i was mentally Ix-wil dered When the iron first entered m,< soul, when I first heurd the truth nb"U your father, nt that moment m.v niitu give way—l know it now." “Poor, f»oor mother! My poor, genth little mother!" murmured Ivory bro kenly as lie stroked bur bund. “Don't rry. tn.v son; It 1* all pnst the sorrow and the bitterness and the struggle. I will .lust finish the story, and then we’ll close the book forever The woman gave me some bread and ten. nod I flung myself on the bed without undressing. I don’t know how long afterwtird It wits, but the door Opened and a jlttie hoy stole In, a sad, strange, dark eyed little boy who snld: Tan I sleep up here? Mother's seremn lug and I'm afraid.' He climbed op t< the couch. I covered him with a Him ket, and I soon heard his deep breath lng. Rnt later In the night, when I must have fallen asleep myself, I sud denly awoke and felt him lying beside me. He had dragged the blanket along and crept up on the bed to ggt close to mj aide for the warmth I conld glvi or the comfort of my nearness. The touch of Mm almost broke my heart I could not push the little creatun sway when he was lying there so near and warm and oonfldtng— he, til uncon ■clous of the agony hla mpre existence was to me. I must have slept again and when the day broke I was alone I thought the presence of the child In the night was a dream, and 1 could not remember where I wus or why 1 was there." “Mother, dear mother, don’t tell uic u; more tonight. I fear for join strength,” urged Ivory, hla eyes full of team at tbe remembrance of bei sufferings. “There la only a little more and tin weight will be off my heart and or youra, my poor aon. Would that 1 nee not tell you! The house wart hi ill, an I thought at first that no one \vu ■wake, but when I opened the nit tin room door the child ran toward me air took mjr hand aa the woman came In from the alckroorn. 'Go Into the ktteli an, Rodmuu,' she aaid, ‘and lace up your boot*. You’re going right out with this lady. Hetty died In the night, she continued impassively. ’The doe tor waa here about 10 o'clock, and I've never seen her ao lied, lie gave hei a big dose of aleoplng powder and pul another In Ibe table drawer for me to mix for ber toward morning. She whm helpless to move, wu thought, but all the aauie ahe uiuat have got out of lied when my bark war turned nml taken the powder dry on her tongue, for It waa gone when I looked for It. It didn't haaien thing* much, and 1 don't blame her. If ever there waa a wild, reckless creature It was Hetty Hod man. Hut I, who am Juat the opposite, would have done the name If I'd beeu her.’ “She hurriedly gave in* a cup of cof fee and, putting a coat and a cap on the boy, literally pushed me out of the bouae. ‘l've got to report things to the doctor,* ahe said, ‘and you're better «jHt of the way. Go down rliat aide street to the station, and mind you suy the boy belonged to your ahiter, who died and left him to yon. You're a Cochraulte, ain’t you? So waa,Hetty, and they're all slaters, ao you'll lie tell lag no Ilea. Goodby, Hodman. He u good boy and don't he any trouble to the lady.’ "How 1 found the station 1 do not know, nor how I made the Journey, nor where I took the stagecoach. Tbe soon began to fall, and by noon there was a drifting atoriu. 1 could not remember where I waa going nor who the hoy was, for Just ns the snow was whirl ing outside so it was whirling In my brain.” "Mother. 1 can hardly bear to hear any more. It Ut too terrible!” cried Ivory, rising from his chair and pac ing the door. "I can rucall nothing of any account till I awoke In my own bed week* aft erward The strange lit Ue> boy was there, bat lire. Day and Dr. Derry told ma what 1 must have told them-that ha wee tho child of my dead alatcr Thoae were the I net wonts uttered by the woman In Krentvllle. I carried them strain hi through my lllneaa and brought them out on the other aide more flrul)’ Intrenched than ever." "If only the truth bad come back to yon Booner"' sighed Ivory, coming tan k to her bedside. *’l could have helped yon to bear It all these years Sorrow le eo much lighter wbeu you can share it with some one else And the gtrt who AM trig called n*<tty Hodman then, aol she simply gave the child her "las. poor, suffering creature. I feel no mpir against her has burn •d itself all away— nor do I feel any blttprmsan against your father. I for got all this miserable story for ao long loving and watrbing for him all the ttma. that It la aa if It did not belong to my own life, bat Imd to do with some unhappy stranger. Can you for glee. goo. Ivwy V “I can try,” he answered '•(rod knows 1 ought to be able to if you cans "And win it turn you away from Rod-” "No. It drgws me netw to him than ever, lie shall never know the truth. Why should he? Juat ai he erupt close k> you that night, all un conscious of the reason you had for ■brlnklng from him. ao be haa erupt rinse to me in these years of trial When your mind has been wandering." "Lit* if so etrauiie. Ta think that this child, oi all others, should have been a comfort, to you! The Lord’s hand is in it!” whlßpered Mrs. Boyn ton feebly. “His boyish belief In me, bis com panionshlp. have kept the breath of hope alive In me. That’s all 1 can say.” “The Bible story Is happening over again in oar lives, then. Don’t yon re member that Aaron’s rod budded and blossomed and bore fruit and that the miracle kept the rebels from murmur ing?“ “This rebel never will murmur again, mother," and Ivory rose *to leave tile room. “Now that you have abed your burden yon will grow Stronger nnd life will he all joy, for Waitstill will come to us soon, and we can shake off these miseries and be a happy family once more." “It Is sir* who hue helped me most to find the thread, pouring sympathy and strength into me, nursing me, lut ing me, because ahe loved my wonder ful son. Ob, how blest among women I am to have lived long enough to see you happy!” And as Ivory kissed bis mother and blew out the candle she whispered to herself, "Uven so, Ixird Jesus, come quickly!" CHAPTER XXIX. The Deacon’s Waterloo. MRS. MAHON'S welcome to Waitstill was unexpectedly hearty, much heartier than it would have been six months before, when she regarded Mrs. Royn ton as little less than a harmless luna tic, of ne use us a neighbor, and when she knew nothing more of Ivory than she could gather by Uls occasional drive or walk past her door with a civil greeting. Ivory made himself quickly at home nnd helped the old lady to get a room ready for Waitstill before he drove back for u look at hla mother and then on to cyrry out hla impetuous Htid ro mantic scheme of routing out the town clerk and announcing bis Intended marriage. Waitstill slept like the shepherd boy In “The I’ll grim's Progress, ’’ with the “herb called heart’s ease” In her bos om. She opened her eyes next morn lug from the depths of Mrs. Mason’s best feather bed nnd looked wonder- Ingly about the room, with all its tin accustomed surroundings. Rhe heard the rattle of fire Irons and the clatter of dishes tx*iow, the first time in all her woman's life that preparations for breakfast had ever greeted her ears when she had uot been an active par ticipator In them. She lay quite still for a quarter of an hour, tired In body and mind, but Incredibly happy In spirit, marveling at the changes wrought tn her during the day preceding, the most eventful one lu her history. The Image of Ivory had been all through the night In the foreground of her dreams and In her moments of wakefulness, both made blissful by the heaven of anticipation that dawned upon her. Was ever man so wise, so tender and gentle, ho strong, so com prehendlng? What mattered the ab sence of worldly goods, the presence of care and anxiety, wheu a woman had a steady bund to bold, a steadfast heart to trust, a man who would love her and staud by her, whate’er befell? Then the face of 1 Tory's mother would swlui luto the mental picture; the pale face, as white us the pillow It lay upon; the face with Its aureole of ashen hair, and the wistful blue eyes that begged of God and her chll dreu some peace before they closed ou life. Th* vision of her sister was a Joyful one, and her heart was at peace about her, the plucky little princeas who bad biased the way out of the ogre's castle. She saw Hatty clearly as n future tine lady, in velvets aud satins and furs, bewitching everybody by her gay spirits, her piquant vivacity, aud tbe loving heart that lu.v underneath all the nonsense aud gave It warmth and color. The remembrance of her father alone on tile hilltop did indeed trouble Walt still. Self reproach, in the true sense of the word, she did not. could not, feel. When she was thankfully eating ber breakfast with Mrs. Mason a little later and watting for Ivory to call for them both and take them to the Bo.vn ton farm, ahe little knew what was going on at her old home In these very boura, when, to tell tbe truth, she would have liked to slip In, had It heea possible, wash tbe morning dishes, aklm the cream, do the week's churn Ing. make her father's bed and slip out again Into the dear shelter of loTe that awaited ber. The dee con had passed a good part of the night In scheming and eontrlv Ing, and when he drank his self nude cup of muddy coflee at 7 o'clock uexl rooming he had formed several plans that were to he Immediately frustrat ed, bad he known it, by tbe exasperat- Ing and suspicious nature of the ladies Involved In them. At 8 he txui left the house, started ntU Morrill at the store and was on tbe road do search of vengeance and a housekeeper Old Mrs. Atkins of Deer wander sniffl'd at the wages o(fared. Ml** Deters of Union Palls, an aged spinster with week lungs, bail the im l>er<lne«ics to tell him that she feared she couldn't stand tbe cold la hi* hone*; she bad beard he v wa* very par ticutar about the amount of wood that waa banted. There was not another free woman within eight utiles, and the deacon waa chafing under the uior tifictition o l being continually oblige?, to state the reasons of his needing a housekeeper. The only hope, It seem ed. lay In going to Saco and hiring a stranger, a plan not at all to his lik ing, as it was sure to Involve him in extra expense. Muttering threats against the uni verse In general, he drove home by way of Mllliken’s mills, thinking of the unfed henß. the unmilked cow, the ASM« W mr J )/ J/ \ i »-j Tppfl f “Do you want to corns and housekeep for me?” unwashed dishes, the unchurned cream and, above nil, of bis unchasteued daughters, his rage Increasing with ev ery step until It was nearly at the white heat of the night before. A long stretch of hill brought the tired old mare to a slow walk nnd en abler! tbe deacon to see the Widow Tillman clipping the geraniums that atood in tin cans on the shelf of her kitchen window. Now, Foxwell Baxter had never been a village Lothario at nuy age nor fre quented the society of such. Of late years. Indeed, he had frequented no so ciety of any kind, so that he had miss ed. for Instance. Abel Day’s descrip tion of tbe Widow Tilluiau as a “reg'- lar ayreen,” though he vaguely remem bered that some of the Baptist sisters had questioned the authenticity of her conversion by their young and attrac tive minister. She made a pleasant picture at the window. She was a free woman. She was a comparative new comer to the village, and her mind bad not been poisoned with femLntne gos sip—ln a word, she was a distinctly hopeful subject, and. acting on a blind ■rod sudden impulse, he turned Into the yard, flung the reins over the mare’s ■eck aad knocked at the back door. "Her character'a no worse than mine by now if Aunt Abby Cole's on the road,” he thought grimly, "an' If the Wilsons see my sleigh inside of a wid der’s fence so much the better. It'll give ’em a Jog. Good mornin', Mis' Tillman,” he HHid to the smiling lady. “I’ll come to the p’int at once. My youngest daughter has married Mark Wilson against my will an' gone away from town, an’ the older one's chosen a husband still less to uiy likin'. Do you want to come and housekeep for me?” “I surmised something was going on,” returned Mrs. Tillman. “1 saw I’atty aud Mark drive away early this morning, with Mr. and Mrs. Wilson wrapping the girl up aud putting a hot soapstone in the sleigh nnd cousid'able kissing and hugging thrown in.” This knowledge added fuel to the flame that was burning fiercely in tbe deacon’s breast. "Well, how Hbout the housekeeping” he asked, trying uot to show bis eager ness and not recognizing himself at all in the enterprise in which he found himself indulging “I’m very comfortable here." the lady responded artfully, “and 1 don't know's I care to make any chunge, thank you. 1 didn't like the village much at first, after living In larger places, but now I’m acquainted it kind of gain* ou me.” Her reply was carefully framed, for her uitud worked with great rapidity, and ahe was mistress of the situation almost aa soon aa she saw the deacon alighting from his sleigh. He waa not the sort of a man to be a caauul caller, and bis manner bespoke an urgent er rand. Sbe had a pension of sti a mouth, but over and above that sum her living was precarious. She made coats, and she had never known wnut. for she waa a master hand at dealing with the opposite sex. Deacon Bax ter, according to common report, bad ten or fifteen thousand dollars stowed away In the banks, so tbe situation would be as simple as possible under ordinary circumstances. It was as easy to turn out one inau's pockets as another's when he was a normal hu man being, but Deacon Baxter was a different proposition. *T wonder bow long he's likely to Bv«," she thought, glancing at bin covostly out of the tail of ber eye "His evil temper must have driven moos then on* nail lu hts cofflu. I wonder If I Mfuse to housekeep whether I'll get—s better offer. I wonder If 1 could msuage him If I go him. I'd rather like to set In the Bax ter pew at rile orthodox meeting limn, after the way some of the Baptist »!• ters bnv* snubbed roe since I com here." Not a vestige of these Incendinr, thoughts showed tu her comely con THE AUGUSTA HERALD, AUGUSTA, GA. teuu uce. “I’d make the wages fair." urged tin deacon, looking round the clean kitch en. with the breakfast table sitting near the sunny window and the odor of corned beef and cabbage issuing temptingly from a boiling pot on tin fire. "I hope she ain’t a great meat eater," be thought, “but it’s too soon to cross that bridge yet awhile." "I've no doubt of It." said the wld ow, wondering if her voice rang true, “but I’ve got a pension, aDd why should I leave this Cozy little home! Would I better myself any—that’s tin question? I'm kind of lonesome here That’s the only reason I’d consider u move.” “No need o' bein' lonesome down ti the Falls,” said the deacon. "And I’m in an' out all day, between the barn an’ the store.” This, Indeed, was not a pleasant pros peet, but Jane Tillman had faced wors. ones 1n her time. “Ita no hand at any work outside the house,” she observed, as If reflect lng. “I can truthfully say I’m a good cook and have a great faculty for mnk lng a little go a long ways." (Sin considered this a master stroke, and in fact. It was, fqr the deacon's mouth absolutely watered at this apparently unconscious comprehension of his dis position.) "But I’m no hand at any chores in the barn or shed." she eon tinued. “My husband would never nl low me to do that kind of work." “Perhaps 1 could git a boy to help out I’ve been kind o’ thinkln' o' that lately. What wages would yon expect If I paid, a boy for the rough work?’ asked the deacon tremulously. “Well, to tell the truth. 1 don't quite fancy the idea of taking wages. Judge Dickinson wants me to go to Alfred and housekeep for him and named sl2 a month. It's good pay, and I haven't said "No. - But my rent Is small here I’m my own mistress, and I don’t feel like giving up ray privileges.” "Twelve dollars a month!” He had never thought of approaching that sum. and he saw the heap of unwashed dishes growing day by day and the cream souring on the milk pans Sud denly an idea sprang full born into the deacon's mind. t.led Morrill’s “Old Driver" must have been close at baud!i Would Jane Tillman marry him? No woman in the three villages would be more obnoxious to his daughters; that in Itself was a distinct gain. She was a fine, robust figure of a woman in her early forties, and he thought, after all. that the hollow chested, spindle shank ed kind were more expensive to feed on the whole than their better padded sisters. He had never had any difil culty In managing wives and thought himself quite equal to one more bout, even at sixty-five, though he had just the faintest suspicion that the high color ob Mrs. Tillman's prominent cheek bones, the vigor shown In the coarse black hair und handsome eyebrows, might make this task a little more dif ficult than bis previous ones. “If you'd like to have a borne o’ your own 'thout payin’ rent, you’ve only got to say the word an' I’ll make you Mis' Baxter,” said the deacon “There’ll be nobody to Interfere with you, an’ a handsome legacy If I die first, for none o' my few savin's is go lu' to my daughters, 1 can promise you that!” The deacon threw out this tempting bait advisedly, for nt this moment he would have poured his hoard into the lap of any woman who would help him to avenge Ida fancied wrongs. This was information indeed! Tbe “few savings" alluded to amounted to some thousands, Jane Tillman knew Had she not better burn ber ships be hind her, take the risks and have faith In her own powers? She was getting along in years, and her charms of per son were lessening with every day that passed over her beau. If tbe deacon's queer ways grew too queer, sin thought, an appeal to tbe doctor nml the minister might provide a way of escape aud a neat little income to boot So, on tbe whole, the marriage, though much against her natural Inclinations seemed to be providentially arranged if Jaue Tillman became Mrs. Bitxlei she Intended to get the whip band and keep it but nothing was further from her Intention than to make the deacon miserable If she could help It. That was not her disposition, and so, when the deluded man left her bouse, he had made more concessions In a single hour than In all the former years of bis life. His future spouse was to write out a little paper for Ills signature; Just a friendly little paper to be kept quite private and confidential between them selves. stating that sbe was to do no work outside of the bouse: that ber pension was to be her own; thnt she was to have $3 In cash on tbe first of every month In lieu of wages, and that In case of hi* death occurring first sbe was to hsve a third of bis estate, and tbe whole of It If ut tbe time of his decease he waa still pleased with bis bargain The only points In tbla con tract that the deacon renlly under stood were that he was paying only s!> a month for a housekeeper to whom n Judge had offered sl2; thnt. as he had expected to pay nt least SB, he could get a boy for the remaining $3, and so be none the worse In |H>cket: nls*. tbnt If he cornu keep hi* daughters from gettlug Ills money, he didn't care * bang wtiii tuid it. ns tie hated it "hole bum.in race with entire tmpui tiallty. Jf Jane Tillman didn't be Inn herself be had pleasing visions of con verting most of his fortune into ensi and having It dropped off the brtdg. some dark night, when the doctor had given him up ami proved to bis satis faction that deutb would occur In tin near future. All this beiug harmoniously settled the demon drove away and cause the nunuuuceiqcnt of Ills liuiuediub marriage to he posted directly beloo that of Wnltstill aud ivory Boyntou A "sjtlte match," the coiuuiuuity i; gene. . and many ;t man aml many a woman too, regarding the amazing publishing notice In the frame up at the meeting bouse, felt tbut in Jane Tillman Dea con Baxter bad met bis Waterloo. CHAPTER XXX. Two Heavens. A T tbe very moment that Deacon Bnxter was starting out on bis quest for a housekeeper. Patty and Mark drove into tbe Mason dooryard. and tbe sisters flew into each other's arms. The dress that Mark bad bought for Patty was tbe usual (-banning and unsuitable of sering of a man’s spontaneous affec tion, being of dark violet cloth with a wadded cape lined with satin Waitstill in her plain linsey-woolsej was entranced with Patty’s beauty and elegance, and the two girls had a few minutes of sisterly talk, of Inter change of tadlaut hopes and confi deuces before Mark tore them apart their cheeks wet with happy tears. As the Mason house faded from view Patty waved her muff until the lasi moment, turned in her seat and said: “Mark, dear, do you think your fa ther would care if 1 spent the twenty dollar gold piece he gave me for Walt still? She will be married in a fort night, and if my father does not give her the few things she owns she will go to her husband more 111 provided even than I was. I have so much dear Mark, and she so little.” “It’s your own wedding present to use as yon wish." Mark answered, “and it’s exactly like you to give it away. Go ahead and spend it if you want to. I can always earn enough to keep you without anybody’s help." And Mark, after cracking the whip vaingloriously, kissed his wife jusl over the violet ribbons, and, with sleigh bells jingling, they sped over the snow toward what seemed Para dise to them, the New Hampshire vil lage where they had been married and where their new life would begin. So a few days later Waitstill receiv ed a great parcel which relieved her of many feminine anxieties, and she began to shape and cut and stitch dur lng nil the hours she had to herself They were not many, for every day she trudged to the Boynton farm and began with youthful enthusiasm the household tasks that were so soon to be hers by right. “Don’t waste too much time and strength here, my dearest," said Ivory “Do yon suppose for a moment I shall keep you long ou this lonely farm? I am ready for admission to the bar or I am fitted to teach in the best school in New England. Nothing has held me here but my mother, and in her pres ent condition of mind we can safely take her anywhere We will never live where there are so many memo ries and associations to sadden and hamper us. but go where the best op portuuity offers and as soon as may be. My wife will be a pearl of great price.” be added fondly, "and I intend to provide a right setting for her!" Ivory was right. Waitstill Baxter was indeed a Jewel of a woman. She bad little knowledge but much wis dom, and after all knowledge stands for tbe leaves on a tree and wisdom for the fruit There was infinite rich ness in the girl, u richness that had been growing and ripening through tin years that she thought so gray am wasted (To Be Continued Tomorrow.) ST. LUKE’S CHOIR. The choir of the St. Luke Methodist Church meets tomorrow night for (Practice. The choir is arranging for special music and all members are urged to attend. This meeting will be called at 8 o’clock. 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