Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-04-16

Eggs" repeated Frank.
"They're hiding Easter eggs already,
| and it's rs,re'n three weeks yet before
Easter is here"
Frank knew exactly what that meant.
Most boys and girls who live in the coun-
try do. Fer every spring the young folks
and sometimes the old folk, too. begin to
hoard eggs. hiding them away to see who
4 will have the greatest store when Faster
arrives. They are concealed in all sorts
1 of places. and sometimes Il boy OF girl
begins the work III month or more before
ilhand in ortk.r to get n good supply ahead.
4 And it is a rule that if any one of the
l,yOung egg nlisers finds another's store he
! may take it for Ills own.
So it VASE IL mumen after Frank and
Nell made their great discovery before
Nell had fill al her apron with eggs and
Frank was Heading the way to IL new
hiding place. They knew that they must
Ire very careful with their treasure. for
when George and Bertha discovered their
loss u great hunt would ut once begin. So
FAs,nk scrambled mp on Il tall odd wagon
aud placed thu twelve eggs. one by one,
amang some aornstalks which were
threNn over the rafters.
""IheyM never, never find 'em here" he
said, "and we wont loot ut EN- op.1e until
Easter, so they can't follow U.S."
Ihan they went hack 90 the house. so
full 81 their secret that tik,y couldn't keep
from ,dhuckling at the supper table.
whats the matter. with YOU two:'' ask
ed George when they sui down to s,lp-
hpcr.
Secret" replied Neil. vita n little toss
of her head. Then she and Flank laughed
again.
The next morning George and Bertha
came into the house. looking dkconsolate.
They tried to act as if nothing at all had
happened. but they began IL vain search
TOR the missing eggs.>nt the SANE time lay
ing up another store. From that DAY UNI
til Easter eve there was u lively rivalry
between the two pairs of egg-gatherers,
and so many secrets were in the air that
even Mr.. and Mrs. Crane grew interested.
There had to be a great deal of hunting
done. because the young folk were not
allowed to touch any eggs regularly laid
in the chicken house. They must find all
their trophies where some sly old biddy
had laid them in a hidden nest.
"We've got more'n you have;" said
George and Bertha.
NO, we've got more'n you have.' said !
Frank and Nell, and thus the rivalry f.
grew.
On Easter morning the stores were to 4
be disclosed. George and Bertha came in |
early and laid twenty-five fresh eggs on
the kitchen table.
pretty good" said Mrs. Crane.
They'll never get us many as that
said George, ''even if they did have u
whole dozen of our eggs to start with"
Frank and Nell were gone a long time. |
and when they did come in it was with a
look of intense excitement. They laid |
nine eggs on the table.
"Oh, we beat you, We beat you!'' shout
ed Georse and Bertha.
Frank and Nell paid not the slightest at
tention to this challenge.
Come with u.s." they shouted mysteri.
ously.
So George and Bertha and Mrs. Crane
ran out to the carriage house and climbed
upon the platform wagon. There il a
coy nest sat old Speckle with rumpled
feathers and buried neck. She was cluck-
ing anXiously, and from under her wings
came an occasional peep. peep,' and then
a little yellow head was thrus tout from
a feathery window.
"Chickens" they all gasped in n breath.
"Yes,' said Nell, "old Speck beat us ALL"