The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-29

Iahfe. Hoo oniy said that to vex thee.
( Salomen
40 vex mel"
what else, Everybody knows that Nan
! is gradely fond o. Hugh, an everybody
| knows too, that he is very much ta'en up
knows, Salome, as well as anybody who
an what | meeun.n And Nell dug her
| elbow into her friends side.
Il know that Hugh Eastwood is nothing
| TO me, Mellon my word he isn't. And
believe that you and all the rest are mis-
taken when you think he cares for me-"
Get Off wi thee! All tell thee again that
everybo can see where Hugh's fancy lies,
an that's what makes Nan Blackledge 50
nasty at tanmes. Hoo's jealous o. thee"
Its without occasion then, believe me.
Why, Hugh Eastwood never said a word to
me which would lead me 10 think that he
cared for me bit"
But he's saId enough to others.n
That means nothing, Nell"
"But, s'posin' he had spoken 20 thee,
Salome"
1T would have made no difference In my
feelings. like Hugh, but not in the way
you think"
"Iha'art vexed, happen, because o. what
Nan said An know that Hugh does not
care rap for her, Salome."
And know that don't care rap about
either OF them. That'll do now, Nell. Shut
up and let's catch up TO the others. They'll
wonder what we are talking about.
Neil saw that IL was useless at that mo-
ment to plead any further in behalf of her
friend, the yOnnR collier. so she dropped
the gu bject; and quickening their pace the
girls soon overlook the others on the con-
q aes OF the wood.
'Ahli tell yo' what, lesses" Nan Black
ledge was remarking as Salome and Nell
came up. "If we intend to pick amy bleg-
berries we shall ha' to empty eaur baskets
and cans. Let's ha' eaur breakfasts. What
do yo' seyp
GAY! Ayl Let's ha' eaur jackbits and
then we con fill eaur things" cried
another.
"Then we'll picnic in the wood-among
those ferns there" chimed in Salome. II
some o. the lads In the village knew we were
here wouldn't there be some downright good
fun come on, lasses."
Salome was hurrying through the stile
dividing the wooded land from the meadow
they were in when Nan Blaokledge's voice
arrested her feet.
How'd on, Sal Birmingham. We've
gotten nowt but cowd tay in eawr cans, an
ali neeun to he somethin better. S'pose
we milk one O. thoose cows7 What do yo'
seyF
There was a chorus OF assent from all, for
the spirit Of mischief was running high in
bUb DEedsSb Va buo dShlAUs lbSoeos anu Will
out more ado they made their wey toward
the browsing cattle. Some of the girls
emptied their cans of their contents, others
stood al the head of the COW while Nan
Blackledge MIXED and Salome hold the
vessel TO receive the thin, white, squirting
stream.
When two or three OF the girls drinking
vessels we're filled they ran laughing into
the shady depths of the wood. There, se-
n tbiCb har nj Of tod
themselves and attacked the food they had
brought in their baskets; while their merry
musical voices and mutiied laughter pealed
out on the scented air.
after that" said Nan, presently, when
the whole OF them had finished their meal
"ah could do wi some dessert. Let's creep
into Farmer Hilton's orchard. There's
plenty o pears, plums, appoes an a sorts o.
fruit theer. Come on, lasses. Ahm game
for annythin' this mornin'."
81 don't think II would be wise to do that
Man," Salome remarked gravely. "a bit
OF fun is all right, but that would be steal
ing, and might get us all into very serious
trouble"
"Besahdes another lass broke in,
there big bull dog at Farmer Hilton's.
1t took a lump eaut o a chaps leg last week
that was in tn orchard. Aim not gooin'
theer, Nan" ,.
The thought of the dog ruined Mans pro-
posal respecting the fruit. So having CON
cluded their repast, and prepared their
baskets and cans for the reception of the
ripe berries, they scattered themselves about
the wood, and black berrylng began in
earnest
The wood was two or three miles In
length. but less than half mile in width at
its widest point The southern end of it
extended to the confines OF Carsland park,
while the other end adjoined tho village OF
Appleby, a mile and a half north of Marsh
Green.
The ground inside the narrow belt of
woodland was very uneven In character,
rising suddenly in some places and falling
abruptly in others. Here and there
throughout its whole length and breadth
were rounded hillocks covered with elder
berry and blackL cry bushes, oak, bracken
and other fern, and lush grasses, among
which foxgloves and many other varieties
or sweet Wild flowers biossomed. Shallow
ponds covered with chick and weed and
teuauied by mum ucrless frogs. nevis and
jack-sharps abounded in the hollows; aud
around and about these pools the black
berries throve amazingly. Here and there
also were pretty little dells half hidden by
the thick underground and trees where the
brambles and dainty ferns CHM bed up the
steep side OF bare rock or crumbly gravel
aud there one might lie on the messy tuf
hidden from the most penetrating rays Of
the strongest summer sun.
Hither and thither the merry tand OF
careless iasses wandered, Tifiug the thorny
bushe Of the bacsbeTries. runni & TO and
fro among the deep grasses and fern, leap
irG the little stream that bEbblod through
tho woods heart, and making the leafy
glades re-echo'with their hoisterous penls Of
laughter when some OF them ran afte'
startled hare or rabbit, or fell in the brook,
slipped into pool after the fruit, or went
sprnwiing among the wiry bracken.
The day was wearing on toward noon ere
the party Of pit brow girls found their
BASKETS and cans approaching full ess. They
had worked their way along one side Of the
Wood aud back on the other side. Now, at
II a. m, they found themselves not far
from the point from which they started.
The morning had been one blaze OF
autumn splendor, and almost all of them
were tired with their ceaseless tramp over
the broken and verdure-covered ground.
Salome had filed her basket and can a little
time ago, and she was ready now for setting
her face homeward at any moment. But
some Of the lasSes had been less fortunate.
They possessed either larger baskets or had
been unsuccessful III finding fruitful bushes,
| aud those who had filled their vessels were
waiting now till the rest had done so.
."I'll wait here, Nell,n Salome had said, as
she cast herself among the ferns. when
you are full shout for me. "