Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1878-08-17
MECTY TANNING.

Running. a. Dt'T lnOlilti S"sAiC i'iAO ~
room. "Do comb my hair out, my arms
are ready to drop out! DE-. Clements,
Jenny and little Joe. shall be giad 10
have Jenny to walk viii, she Is such
good style"
'.She is good. well-bred GIRL" said
Mrs Tanning. gently. ut seems vulgar
10 me to talk Of style, Hetty.
IIeitv shrugged her shoulders imDi-
tienlly, All The girls 90 it. Where on
earth is my pink crayat? Do get it for
me. | SUPPOSE it is in the very bottom
of my trunk. You haye such queer no.
tions OF packing"
Mrs. Tanning found the crlvat tied it
aboat Helty's while neck. topped up the
c,,rIs i'm n rose-colorcd ribbon,ahd watch
eel her 90 flutiering out of the house anu
across the sands. her own pale cheeks
flushed with pleasure. There was 10
preItier GIRL at the Point than her own
blessed darling; OF that She was sure.
She would liked To have kissed her as
she smnothcd the brown curls, but she
thought tI,lty had been impatient of
her Kisses of late. The little widow
CHECKED back a sigh as she turned to re-
pack the trunk.
There was so little i'm il. Her own and
IIetty's dresses were so few AMI po0r.tbat
she e.i,atcd 10 come to the beach. She
would like to see her pretty daughter
dressed rs daintily as any lady in the
land. like any otl,er foolish mother.
Mrs Tanning was widow with but
one child +: but She found her life barren
OF many things which might have made it
pleasant, for she n d no means OF sup
port but her salary as boOk-keeper III a
Chestnut street store.
,Sheu.her two weeks vacati3n came
this summer, she hesItated Il long time
before She determined To spend the few
dollars size had saved in the last year. To
take them 10 the little farm house by the
beach for the sea air and bathing, which
DIR. elements had recommended TO her.
But weak rs she WAS. how could she be-
.sin work again without making some
effort for her health? And theIl-tO give
lIetty few days pleasure like other
girls.
Til. Clements ana one or two Other
families came every summer to tlii' quiet
corner Of the Jersey SliUre. and brought
hack bewildering stories of picn'cs on
lovely i-lands, clam-bakes and fishing
parties.
Ietty turned once or twice as she
walked jauniily down the sands. ami see
iuy her mpIlrr'> pale. loving little face
sill watching Ier from the. window, she
niutterri impaiiently ana hurrieu Oh uiI-
ill Size rounded "a headlaus. OF white sand.
There "A young man. SLOWLY dressed,
with a pnsIc-d.amOnd pin g,aring on his
red scarf. lump.,i from The sand TO meet
her. and walled beside her, bending
down closely ami whispering. She eX-
claimed suddenly
There is .Ienry Clrmen :! Go. 90.
Robert. | ill be ready. You may de
peni upon me-
And not a word TO your mother. re-
member. Size wOul not understand the
necessity for secrecy"
No. Mama does not understand me.
sighed IIetty.
The Young man disappeared behind
some scrf-boats, and she ran on to join
Jenny.
$50 glad Won have GOMEZ" she cried.
''We have made up party to 90 down TO
Vasett's Cove. to see the moon rise over
The sea tonight, and il will be twice as
pleasant To have You with us"
..But the moon will no rise till ten,
said Jenny. why not look at iL from
our OWN beacb?'
20. we are going to take cake and cold
lam AMI coifce. and have supper on the
sand; make a fire and toast the bread
cook everything we can cook. The moon
is only the EXCUSE"
~. that will be splendid" cried Jenny.
IL didn't know you mean'ia picnic I'll
hurry home AMI tell papa and mama, or
they will not be ready"
Your papa and mama! Why,,yon
don't suppose we are going to have lhe
old people along? It's just halt dozen
girls aud their beauX."
Are you going without your mothcr?'
s.Why. certainly. I've been to Il dozen
picnicS since we came. and never took
her to one. She had her ,'ood time when
she was young" said Hetty, tossing her
head.
she has not very good time now
Jenny answered, gravely. 1T must be
very dull for her, sitting in the farm
house yOudei-when she has but two
weeks holiday, TOO"
.-IIetty's face grew red. then very pale
"Alone! did not think of mother be.
ing alone" she said, and walked on
gloomiIy-silent so long that Jenny
could not but suspect that some other
matter of graver importance than the pic
mic troubled her.
IL Think" she said presently, "lhat we
had better take the odd people, l can
not 30 If we do not"
Hetty did not speak for NOM mt.
Il cannot say what shall do" she said
at last, excit edly. sit is not the mere
going to il picnic. My whole life may
turn upon this question"
You read too many novels, Het..'
laughed Jenny. "YOu talk precisely as
the heroine does at the end of the second
volume. Whatever the question may be
YOU had better take your mother into
your confidancc."
The girls walked on for awhile in 81.
lcnce. Jenny saw that Hetty'S agitation
was real and deep, and wished she had
not laughed at her. sBut Het is so tire
some itely, with her romantic nonsense,
she thought. swinging her hat round By
the strings We'll. am | to come with
my famly?" She said, at last.
Yes, certainly. They meet at the
beach at five. Captain holland is TO take
them down.
..You will tell your mOthcr?"
Il don't know, II don't Know. will
decide before them"
She turned and went away abruptly.
Jenny looked after her uneasily. What
ever Hetty's fault had been, she hal new.
er been rude before.
Dinner time came AMI passed but lIet-
ty did not come back to the farmhouse.
Her mother tried not TO be anxious. but
could not eat or be quiet. and walked uE
and down the shore, coming back to
ply the old farmer with questions. Was
the tide in or out? Could the child have
been surprised by wave and swept out
IRON the shore? Could she be lost in the
marshes?
Late in the afternoon she saw Hetty-
her dress damp and limp-comlng acros:
the sands with slow, uncerttin steps All
the color Ind GONE ont of nInnar, ohnoI.c