The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-04
1T PAYS
re GO
DIRECT TO
Great American Importing 1eaCu's
Big Value Stores.
s45 Main street. Salt Lake City.
$40 Twenty fifth street. Ogden.

sport. and observed that Carrie always
formed one or our trio. As there were
not swings enough for all at once, it had
been necessary 10 provide other amuse-
ment. Croquet was in its infancy then;
nobody on the ridge knew much about it,
but there was a division OF opinion in re-
gard to its propriety.
1t was played some in Melton, but Mel
ton also boosted a couple of grogshops,
of strolling players hazarded night 5
expenses On the ridge, 1t was as yet but
a name: The committee had voted down
baseball, as It excluded girls. Some ven
proposed croquet. After long and prayer
full elaboration behind closed doors no
actual evil having been proven against
tne game, the liberals won and two sets
should t. be proven on trial, to have a
oemorauzlng effect, they should be at
once Msp publicly cremated,
printed rules. were found within We
listened eagerly while they were read The
game became Immediately popular We
loved to display our prowess by whack-
ing the ball as far as possible. Girls with
neat ankles-among whom Carrie was
queen-delighted in posing with the toe
OF a dainty boot on the ball and attract
ing attention by succession OF little
shrieks as they repeatedly missed It, In
addition to the swings the two crouuet
sets furnished ample amusement. The
AFTERNOON passed rapidly and pleasantly
away. AT hrst We made an attempt to
follow. the rules, but this resulted in pro-
ionged argument, keeping the players
IDLE We gave 1t up and simply amused
ourselves our , The sun had set when Carrie
Immediate neighbors
Ed Dennison, big and strong. but ut
terly devoid of all knowledge of the game.
swung swung his mallet round his head. and,
over that birch saplin'," he hit the bali
fairly, and lifted it-not quite over the
tree, but through its upper branches. 1t
was good shot. Everybody said so.
skyrocketing through the air. others ran
after it, Ed leaning on the handle Of his
mallet, posed as the center of an admiring
circle. From where / stood, saw the
ball drop perpendicularly into the very
center of a little clump of scrub oaks
The others lost sight of it in the rapidly
gathering gloom.
ran after it. The clump did not cover
a place twenty feet square, and though
II was rather dark in there, i ought to
have no difficulty in finding the gaudily
painted croquet ball. 1 ran directly to
the spot where it fell. and searched in
circles from there.
Not finding it, :! returned, and. getting
down on my hands and knees. felt care
fully every inch of the ground.
Meanwhile, others We're searching out
side. Failing to find it. we procured Ian
terms. 1 told where had seen it drop,
and again we carefully covered the
ground
The ball was lost-mysteriously and I'M
accountably losti
After hurried consultation we decided
that our only course was confession
the sense of security that lies in numbers
we sought him in a body, each pledging
assistance in paying for the ball.
He received our doleful tale with a
81 In sol In rl.s1 <.fs -
wished they had all been lost. He was
opposed to them from the first and
wouldn't have the ball replaced for any
consideration, but he suggested that we
devote the proposed assessment to the
West African mission fund, which he
considered a much more sensible and
Christian investment for our pennies.
All right" We told him, perhaps we
will
AS the dew had begun. to fall and it
would be quite late by the time some got
home. the elderly members proposed re-
a beautifully clear starlight night, and
cool breeze had sprung up with the set
ting of the sun. which was very refresh
ing to many, who now discovered for the
first time what long and busy day it
had been.
While the men and boys were hitch
in up the girls huddled together on the
Ages Nearer, My God, to Thee. and
Home. Sweet Home" The music of
their sweet young voices triled beauti-
fully through the green aisles of the
grove dying away gently in the distance,
to the accompaniment of rustling leaves.
Presently there came a sound of muf-
fled hoofbeats and one after another the
teams" doomed dimly in the obscurity;;
leaves which had been accommodating
since unnumbered ages before Columbus
sought the assistance of the beautiful
young Spanish queen to enable him to
From
the benches came choruses of sweet girl
ish voices-''Is that you. Ben. Charlie. Hi
ram. 'Zeke?" and so on. And from the
outer darkness perhaps testy voice
would reply: Come. marm where be YEP"
After much busting and giggling, and
a thousand and one good-bys and remem-
Der mes to so and so. the throng got un;,
der way. With the exception of here and
there parting salute, shouted from one
wagon to another, nothing. more was
heard but the clatter of hoofs as the in
teligent horses fastened each in the
direction of it's own corn crib.
Once more in the privacy of our buggy.
we INDUCED in the gossip which seems
the natural outgrowth of such gatherings
Carrie was not above the feminine weak
ness of criticism and taught. no doubt,
by that species of instinct which preserves
the lower animals-invariabl Endorsed her
opinions.
was so late. She thanked me prettily for
the days outing; / declared the obiiga-
ton to be entirely on my side; we babe
each other good night, and / drove home,
the most perfectly self-satisfied Young
fellow in the state. And why not? had
passed the most enjoyable day of my life.
In the company of the Acknowledged belle
of the ridge. / had the fastest horse and
the finest buggy, and-well-I wasn't the
worst looking fellow in the crowd myself.
So ended this pleasantest of days, and
Carrie Stanwood and l were fairly en-
tered on the old routine travelled by so
many millions in the past, to be so eagerly
sought by millions in the future.