Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1901-05-30

when the boys were not looking, and
thus take revenge upon them for all
the mean things they had said and
done that morning. Their plan worked
to perfection and they got safely away
without being seen by anyone; but.
someway, they did not look very
happy in their triumph, as they
truuged silently along. They walked
quite slowly as soon as they once were
out of sight of the house. instead of
skipping gaily along, as they always
did upon such happy occasions. At
last Grace stopped suddenly and said:
Nellie, | don't feel good one bit. |
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 1t all. Come on. I'm going back"
| And away she went ON run, with
! Nellie following as fast as she could at
| her heels.
The boys had 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
for the woods What good times they
did have that day, What treasures Of
woodland wealth they found! How
good the lunch did taste, and what fun
it was to eat it out there under the
green trees all alone. Yes, 1t was a
| long, glad, beautiful day. They en-
loved every moment of 1t, and stayed
lust 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 If they hoped to finish
their tasks that night. Ii 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 ii 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 over
Nellie's mead; so 1t was no wonder
that it was frightened as well as a
shivering little girl that Frank drag
ged out upon the bank, a moment
later
"Oh-oh, dear" she cried: 81 am so
wet and cold and all my flowers are
lost" and she pointed 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
"Ill get it for you. ! can't get any
wetter than | 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 we
clothes were very uncomfortable, ant
her teeth fairly chartered before she
had taken many steps.
Suddenly Fred stopped and said
Here. sis; why didn't | think be
fore? You take my coat. and ther
Frank and | will take hold OF you
uduuS anu run, anu we II We hume IL
jiffy. There, that's right-one, two
three, and away we go"
A few hours later, Nellie and Grace
who had returned before the others
were sitting alone. finishing the last O
the garlonds, wnen Nellie said, sud
denly:
oh, Grace, how glad am that w
diunt run away from the boys thi
morning. | am sure | would law
been drowned, if we had" and sn
shivered again at the thought OF he
icy bath.
Yes, | am glad, too" returne
Grace. An, Nellie, was glad al
day. I am sure We had a much nice
time than We would II we had gon
alone. and we would have felt SO mea
II we had taken the boys lunch ava
from them"
Yes, so we would. And. Grace, d
you know, after this when the boys ar
I Y II\E1EWIV I