Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-10-06
NAN you come with us?"
"Come where y,

" Tome where 2
"Out to the woods. We are going tc
gather wiio flowers for the flower ia bl,
at the fair tonight
Wait second and I'll ask mamma
Yes it's all right; may go;" and mo.
ment later Madge Spaulding hac
whasked on her straw sailor hat anC
was bounding down the piazza step.
TO join the girls waiting for her They
were jolly, happy lot, dozen or more
from the big boarding school on the
hill, an IDEAL one, by the way, where
much liberty and few rules left the girls
free to enjoy themselves according Ia
their fancies, the wise principal realiz
ing that much more was TO be expected
from girls who were guided by love and
taught to understand the limitations
OF the word "gentlewoman" than from
those who lived in constant apprehen.
sion of the bugbear word don't,
Madge was day pupil at the school
and had many friends among the board.
ers, by whom she was always includ ed
IN any plans for good time.
ers?"
up in the Ogden woods. There are
loads there, and the dogwood is per.
fectly beautiful now" said Paula Bar.
nett.
The woo6swere soon reached and tn.
girls scattered TO the various parts of.
ferng the greatest attractions. Macge
and Paula strolled away together. II
was an ideal afternoon in the latter
part of May, and the woods were as
they can only be in late springtime
Birds were calling to each other in the
maddest, merriest way and waking the
echoes with their jubilant songs. Sun.
beams played at hide and seek with the
children, danced upon the bright green
leaves and painted the flowers with
more brilliant hues.
Lets go down this path" said
Madge. Il see loads of dogwood bios
sons in that little dell"
"Au right; come on, and TIL make
yon beautiful wreath
The girls were seen in the little dell
a fairylike spot in the midst of the
woodland, where the grass seemed
greener, the sun brighter and the dog.
wood blossoms more snowy white than
elsewhere. A hedge of the trees GREW
about the edge of the open space, which
seemed TO have been planned by Dame
Nature for fairy revels
Now, sit right down on the soft
grassy bank and I'll dress YOU up" said
Paula, and she had soon woven a pretty
wreath of blossoms about Madge's sun
ny head
1 see some beauties over there. Don't
stir while 1 get them"
Madge Struggled down in her soft nest
and Paula wandered further and fur.
Their away. Madge's eyes followed her
IN dreamy sort of way, for how could
one help being dreamy when the very
sunshine was brimfUI of dreams?
Presently, as she sat there in the alb
solute silence of the woodland. broken
only by the distant call of a hermit
thrush or hum of an insect, she became
conscious OF another sound, very sin, |
guiar one, indeed. Sitting straight up
she SAID, aloud: "Can Spottie have fol. |
lowed ASP" Spottie was her fox ter.
rier.
zap, zap! zap, yap!"
Maege looked all about her. but saw
no sign of dog.
How funny. wonder where thew
can be, for surely hear dogs barking
although they must be long way Off.
No; we are not, either. We are right
here, close beside you"
Madge held her breath, and listened
intently.
We'll, I'd like to know what Won are
and where you are, any way" she cried.
In fiutter of excitement.
Il supposed everybody knew what we
were, or rather, what we are. Whatwe
were I'm about to tell you, if you care
to listen. Didn't you ever hear why we
are called dogwood?"
Hear about you? Of course NOT.
DO you mean 10 say you are doing all
his queer, yapping talking? can't
decide whether it sounds like puppies
tapping or the leaves rustling."
"Oh, think it is both, if you wantto
That doesn't matter; only pay atten.
ton to what am going to tell YOU and
Try to understand that you are a yerv
ucky girl to be told at ALL" Then the
blossoms on her head bent down lower
Ind lower till they were close to hea /