The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-08-06


the landscape look as if she were gaz.
ing at it through a telescope.
The girl who had hailed her darted
behind n clump of bushes.
"Come round here" she said. "Ma
would give me fits if she knew I'd
opened it It's a lrock she's bin max
in fer Lita Marsh, stuck up thing !
Ma says she looks rs if she 'spected
the earth would git up an prance when
she steps on it. Guess she'll hev a
s'prise party when she sees me tricked
out in frock Jest like hernl The
patron come from Paris"
Phronie Meeker's English was not
as correct as her clothes. Her mother
was the dressmaker of Canaan, and
Phronie's costumes were the envy and
admiration of the other girls. Malind
especially admired the tapping leg.
horn hat with its soft white feathers
'irooping ov.. Inrunie's mop OF ytlie..
hair. That piEk and white face with
eyes about as expressive as blue beads,
seemed the highest type Of beauty to
her.
Malind was sallow and thin, with
dark, eager, questioning eyes. Her
shabby gown of faded purple like her
sunbonnet, sagged loosely down from
her sharp shoulderblades as If hung
on pegs. The skirt touched the top
OF her coarse shoes, and the sleeves
nearly hid her little brown hands.
Phrouie sat down on stump and
began to open the bundle putting the
pins in her mouth till it looked like a
rosebud set in little rueful thorns. "
81 don't dast shake il out" she
sad, 'but you kin see what it's like.
Amt it just splendiferous?'
Malind looked at the dainty gown of
white china silk with foam of lace
ruiiies sprinkled with pearls. Her
eyes kindled.
"Oh, OH" she cried, az don't be.
lieve queens have anything more
beautiful Amt them pale pink bows
just like howers?"
They're sight prettier." said
Phronie, who was very artificial in her
tastes, IAN just think I'm goin' to
hev one like it. only not silk-silk
muslin I'm goin' to wear 1t to the
Sunday-school picnic. What you CO.
in TO wear?"
Malind flushed little. "Oh, l don't
know" she faltered.
"You do like me, an git q new
frock," raid Phronie. ~ lest up an
told ma l wouldn't go a step without
one. Say. do you know what Inde
Bingham says you look like in your
old blue nannin'? A pen wiper2 Ha
ha! You know one of them things
with head and hannin' skirts?"
Phronie seemed to find the idea so
amusing that she giggled for
minute, while Malind felt the blood
rush hotly through her veins.
"Well, / got to hurry" said
Phronie, shaking out her skirts. "I'm
goin' to buy the ribbon for my frock,
soon as i take this home to that nifty
thing. Want TO come with me and
see me buy it?"
''No, l don't" said Malind. turning
away without another word. She,
too, carried a bundle. whose contents
she was not anxious to disclose.
The June afternoon seemed sudden.
ly to have grown hot and close. Even
the river seemed summing away in q
warm haze and the white dust of the
road stifled her. The yellow belted
bees droned lazily over the flowers as
il glad their days work was over.
Even the butterflies swayed lazily
on the clover and told one another 1t
had been a trying day.
Malind saw nothing MS she plodded
along. Wrath burned like fire in
her heart. Phronie's mocking words
sounded in her ears. A vision of her
at the picnic in that lovely white
frock hoated before her, while she saw
herself in the ill.ftting blue flannel,
made from one Of her mothers gowns.
She never remembered having had a
new frock.
slW~-.dar hon. - xuoull fonI A. L.