Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1901-05-30

skipping gaily along, as they always
did upon such happy occasions. At
last Grace stopped suddenly and said:
Nellie, l don't feel good n bit. 1
guess we'd better go back. / don't
care If the boys were mean, we ought
not to be mean, too, and it's awful
mean to run away like this. The
lunch is as much theirs as ours, and
it's most as bad as stealing for us to
take ii all. Come On. I'm going back"
| And away she went on a run, with
Nellie following as fast as she could at
her heels.
The boys haG not missed them yet,
and so they knew nothing of the girls
intended treachery. They seemed to
have recovered their usual good
humor; and it was a very merry little
party that started a few moments later
fer the woods. What good times they
did havs that day! What treasures of
woodland wealth they found! How
good the lunch did taste, and what fun
it was TO eat it out thele under the
green trees all alone. Yes, it was a
long. glad, beautiful day. They en-
loved every moment of it., and stayed
inst as long as they dared. But at last
they decided that they must start for
home, for there were the flowers to ar
| range yet, and there would be hut little
| time to spare ii they hoped to finish
their tasks that night. 1t was even
later than they lad thought, they
found, when they came to the edge
of the woods and saw how low the
sun had SUNK. So they hurried along
as fast as they could. When they came
TO the fallen tree upon which they had
| crossed the noisy little creek in the
morning, perhaps they were a little
careless, and when it came Nellie's
turn she slipped, and, with a little
frightened cry. down she went into the
water. The creek was high with the
spring rains, and the water was owe
Nellie's mead; so it was no wonder
that it was a frightened, as well as a
shivering little girl that Frank drag
ged out upon the bank, a moment
later.
"Oh-oh. dear!" she cried; Il am so
wet and cold, and all my flowers are
lost" and she pointed a trembling fin
ger at the basket which held all her
pretty blossoms and was sailing gaily
away with them to some unknown
port.
Never mind" said Frank. cheerily,
ri get it for you. : can't get any
wetter than l am now" and in he
plunged again, and in a ~twinkling the
flowers were rescued, and they were
on their way home; but Nellie's wet
clothes were very uncomfortable Tand
her teeth fairly chartered before she
had taken many steps.
Suddenly Fred stopped and said:
Here, sis; why didn't l think be-
fore? You take my coat, and ther
Frank and l will take hold OF youl
hands and run, and Wen be home II
a jiffy. There, that's right-one, two
three, and away we CO."
A few hours later, Nellie and Grace
who had returned before the others
were sitting alone, finishing the last o
the g~arIonds, when Nellie said, sud
denly:
oh, Grace, how glad l am that w
dian't run away from the boys thi:
morning. / am sure / would lave
been drowned, If we had" and snt
shivered again at the thought OF hel
icy bath.
Yes, l am glad. too" returned
Grace. An. Nellie, / was glad al
day. l am sure we had a much nicer
time than we would if we had gone
alone, and we would have felt so near
If we had taken the boys lunch away
from them"
Yes, SO we would. And. Grace, de-
you know, after this when the boys arr