Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-12-18
9ai1y eagle
THE UNION PICNIC.

At 4 O'Clock In the morning auy but the
German descended settlement below the Penn.
sylva.6a cs.y would have BEEN asleep, but
when Sam Schraader. his daughter, and
Henry verhauk drove up the road the bust
ness of the day bad begun all along. They
met tso neighboFs With thsir market wagons
on their wsy % the city, and enc with load
of bone phosphate already ret1rzing from
the near factory. Women were opening their
front doors or drawing water in quiet com
raenremnelst Of their long days work.
Ii was August. A ittIe later aud an ex-
cessfve heat would dawn. Even now, before
the sun had risen, Ii WIS damp rnther than
cool s4ong stse dew wet ROAD Schraader had
his LAT Of, and wiped pise perspdrstdon from
bis broad face Schraader's waS 4 peadler's
wagon, with an umbrella over the seat, wh'oh
was not meant TO accommodate thres. ScAraa-
Sers Isrgp 5ak was deposited IL pne laps Of
his dsua1ter and He2rJ Fe,ha~s, with dis
comfort to al. But Henry was one Of the
family. He had been neighbor al his life,
snd he was to marry Mary Ssrhrs:,deT when
ever their rraaet.2i, unAurrying niuds should
agree upon it; 10 was past 50 and she 70, and
it had been for several weeks arranged thai
they saoua %, tae day OF the Union Sunday
school picaio al EBats grove, twelve miles
away, give Hanry a lift, for Henry was going.
Schreader hsd 0otiay new stock OF tin
ware and small merchandise he sold, and he
and Mary, who hslpeG her father on his
buster trips lad made an early start But
Henry hsd bsen ready AID waiting. He vas
rs Dleased TO gu TO tie picnic as hs would
have been twenty yeaEs back. He sat With
a urininess that characterized him. slim
form "a silt Of white linen and a broad
briu,rred white hat with green hrHng. His
face, cieaa shaven AVID guilsless, shone with
his happiness in his coming treat. He would
attain his wish by waking seven miles and
twelve miles book THAI night; but in his
bright anticipated the cost was small The
simplicity Of his soul looked out from his
honest blue eyes.
Nobody spoke as they drove on. They had
lived their lives together till their infcrIns-
tion ras ali but identical and their ideas.
This acItisa 30 their rustic slovnesso Of tongue,
made it likely shat when Henry came TO see
Nary Snndey evenings they would maiE-
tain lrnbreAe ca silence from beginaiay to end
o. the Interview, nor feel anything bus Sc
rene content; and they joggsa ora now unem-
barxessed, in tie calnnRass OF thet thorough
Irl1Itlla; knegletge which Is the slFeet prom
ise of married hapI6rzess, the tSrEwEge keeping
up a drowsy rasGling. When they reeched
the turn which separated them, Henry got
down
Its going to be hotter n twas Yesterday
You betteraake it slow Schraader sad, and
Nary turned beg sriozs face, broad, Ike her
father's and plain, and looked after him as
he tramped on aieils
He ress off his hat in the shade of the
woods Oh. both sides tbsci; and eiark and vi
brant with wild sounds, and wsEEed briskly.
He was almost agiow with his boyish eager
ness He had 50 early a start that Ese thought
he should get there In time to MASS none OF it,
Tho rustling grove was thickly bordered
with tae pehicfes which had brought the pic
Iaic1eus iafher. or the latter there were in
The neig sssoTsinei of Thousand. EeuGnaliy
1t was the FoaYss unien picnic of the Sunday
schools Of half DOZEN rxsighhoring villages,
but the Sunday schools brought with them
he settlements almost entire
Henry sat on q fallen tree IN the thick of
he scene He had been almost the first ar
rival Now it Was L.. and the picnic was
well under way Thus far he han enjoyed
every nomslt He had Travelled round tho
grove, watching the constant arrivals; now
and then lie had embarrassed and hitrhed
he horses Of women who had come without
raea. and had taken one TO the watering
trough He'ksd locked on I'd the erection Of
the various vendors stands, and had watched
TIE Assembling Of the ministers of the con-
grsgoalons on the platform, before which ran
q few square rods of board benches. Now
there had been full activity for an hour A
merry -go-rernd was in operation, the re-
iraslrieiit stands wore gS.usEg patroelags,
and up and down, 10 and out, FOUND and
roa1d, wandered the Thousand pfcniclsrs.
10 Henry il was a marvellous scene. He sat
with his hands on h;s knees and his lirs apart,
unconscious OF ali but his simple, half bewil-
dered entertainment
Two giYis hsG been for some time strolling
bach and forth before him with arms later
tvined. Henry had seen them arrive, with
dozen other girls and youths, IN the bottom
Of al evergreen trimmed lumber wagon. A
couple Of the latter ranged after them at a
distance, exchanging occasional insinuatinx
sslhes, but fos the present held at bay with
pert, conscious independence, the forerunner
of the full and gigging surrender intended
They had looked at Henry as they passed
and repassed him, braaSing with the litter
Ings which marked their youth into whIs-
pered ridicllle,
Whats he gawping stp
"GoodnesS EnOwS,'
Locks as though he were stuck there, don't
beT
81 guess he is Dave said he'd been setting
there since O'Clock this morning"
They Uttered in unison. Dave was one Of
.he pursuing youths
''l'd Ike to know II be can stir. I guess
I'll see,' said the other. She nndged her
tossed her head daringly, and az
hey eane opposite him dropped her hsrdker- .
,hief
He looke3-at her. pleasantly smiling He
lad thought they might be speaking of him, /
nd wondered what they were Saying. Now |
hey were stsndtng ioitcTing, their eyes upon +
i'm, and as his own Travelled from them 10
he handkerchief and back again, be got UP
md picked 1t up. Brt neither took il.
It's LIS said its owner.
''YoU know better; you dropped il YOUR /
Elf" Lii retcrted with n stiAed Shrek
IBID / = she demanded. she threw up her .
hin, with bright eyes upcu him.
II didn't see" he answered. still smiling. I
He stood straight, with his feet close TO-
ether, 50 was his won't, and looked at her. .
She was - tall girl Of fifteen. red-cheeked and .
lump. She wore white dress. with trim
nmgs Of embroidery, and blue sash and .
lair ribbon, from which her hair fell in those
- -, Ill e
black rubber CHAIN ana bracelets did duty