Evening journal., 1899-03-16
EDNA'S SURPRISE
py Emma A. opper.
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but as a matter of fact TO ask how Ed
ma Lester was getting along. Edna's
father was Mrs. Larrabee's distant
cousin, and when he had gone abroad
on business which would keep him a
year he had left his young daughter
with Mrs. Larrabee, whose pleasant
home was on the west bank Of Silver
lake. The lake had been a shining blue
in October, when Edna had come; now,
in the heart Of q swapping cold winter,
It was q white field Off
"Well," said Mrs. Larrabee, "Edna's
all right. She's a nice girl, and good
company for me, and I'm glad TO have
her here"
"But the boys" said Mrs. Larrabee,
Colbert and Sid-they don't seem to
take to her as I'd Ike to see 'em, not
quite. You see, they're not used to
girls, and they don't make so much of
Edna as ] wish they would. They go
on with their plans and doings and
leave her out of 'em. They have Sc
cre;s, and won't let her into 'em. They
have sign for every secret. They
cross their limbs, that's one of their
signs, and Edna does want to know
that secret the worst way; but they
won't tell her" Mrs. Larrabee laughed
in comic despair.
Edna was at the sitting-room win
dow. Presently, looking up, she saw
Gilbert and sgd going out at the gate
Edna caught her breath. She went
out to Mrs. Larrabee, whose caller hdd
departed. They've gone" said she.
They've gone down to the Corletts',
and they didn't wait for me"
"Now they haven't" Mrs. Larrabee
calculated, with real concern.
II wanted 10 go" said Edna. Mrs.
corlett asked me to come when the
boys did. She invited me just as much
as she did them"
"I know she did" said Mrs. LARA
bee. "Those boys! They'll have TO
have talking to. suppose they
thought, seeing there are no girls at
the Corletts', only Joe, that you didn't
care much about going.
TITS a shame. Put on your things
and go right alongi you'll catch up
with them"
"No. guess" said Edna, forlornly,
her lip trembling, "rll go outdoors q
little while" And she put on her jacket
and hood, her mittens and her rubber
boots, and went out.
Outside in the nipping air her
wounded feelings changed by degrees
to warm and increasing indignation.
They were perfectly meant They
knew Mrs. Corlett had invited her &c
come with them, and they knew she
wanted to go. They kept her out %
everything purposely. OF course, she
didn't expect to know their secrets
not If they wouldn't tell her; though
there were one or two, notably the one
whose sign was crossed thumbs, tba
she did want TO know dreadfully. Blu
when it came to their going off to th
Corletts' without her, just leaving he
out and forgetting her-that was to'
much.
"It's-it's outlandishl" said Edna
that being her strongest word.
,l She went across the road, through
a frozen field and down the path TO tn
lake. There was nothing TO see but tn
bleak stretch of the ice-bound sheet
four good miles in length. The boys
= iceboat lay moored there, home
made, small affair, but highly salts
factory TO sgd and Gilbert. That wa
one thing that they hadn't been quit
so mean about-they had taken EdR
iceboating several times, and she er
joyed it hugely.
Edna walked out TO 1t. Standin
, there, her eyes widened of a sudde
d and her lips parted. Two thought
were in her head One, that thoug
t she hadn't exactly sailed that icebou
/ herself, she was pretty sure she kne'
e how. And the other, that the boy
had meanly left her at home-and wha
4 fun, ahl what fun It would be 10 sa
!. down the lake, to go down on the boz
alone and get to the Corletts' befoI
they didl TO see them come in gapin
and staring at her. To score the doubl
t triumph of sailing the iceboat and {
e getting to Mrs. Corlett's in spite {
8 them, before they should get there.
k There was q good breeze from II
p right direction. Why hadn't they gor
= or the boat themselves? Edna wOl
dered, but not keeniy. She brimmt
with eagerness. She united the boz
and turned 1t.
% Yes, she felt sure she knew all abol
3, It. Or, If not quite all, enough to NAL
k the three miles down the lake safel
e. The two small sails were alread
p spread, with a reef in the mainsail, ar
, already the little craft moved, as II
= a hurry for a start. Edna took h
= place on it, leaned on her elbow al
j. gsasped the rudder just as the boys di
4, And she was of.
r She pointed out from the shore
!: little, then drove straight down q
ut lake. Certainly she could do it; Il
te boat answered TO her every turn Of Il
N rudder. 1t was easy enough. II W
splendid She heard the swift ru
of the SHOES" over the smooth it
Glancing towards the shore, she knt
o. by certain bend that she had sail
half a mile. The road to the Corlet'
followed the lake, and anywhere
vond that bend The boys. il they shou