Evening star., 1902-08-16

''Oh, how funny he exclaimed, while
Betty explained the direction on ticket ia
Beth. ~
You'll have to clear off the table and
stralghten your room fast as YOU can
SO you won't be late" said Sue, smiling al
! the delighted faces
For fifteen minutes before train time the
three sat cross-legged on the floor of the
station They Were not afraid of soiIine
their travelling costumes, for Beth and Ben
wore oVeralls and Betty a dark brown
glngham wrapper. Their broad-brimrned
straw hats could be either fine fans or ex-
ceilent sun shades.
| Mother Waiter kissed them all good hive
and handed Betty luncheon basket. Have
good time and settle your fuses your
selves for L shall be too far from Back
yardville to do it, she said
"Oh dear, mother. thatn be such hard
work. bewailed Betty I'VE will iust
have to keep from having many"
All aboard for Backyardville," sang out
Sue From the front inside door to the
stairway is the car shed, and now" paus-
ing at the foot of the steps, were on the
train. Ben will have to make the engine
noises. Just see what steep hills these
tracks have to go up
That's so the train won't tumble down
that steep ravine," explained Sue leaning
over the bannisters to gaze at the hall
| floor below. Bridges have railings, SO
why snouldnt tracks? Betty, you count
the steps so we'll know how many miles it
Is to Backyardville. This is an express
train so Wen walk up just as fast as we
can"
At the third floor they had to change
cars Through the two bed rooms they
hurried and then back to the head of the
steps where they shuddered at the steep
incline they had to descend As they step-
ped Off of the train at Backyardville Sue
exclaimed
"Oh. 1 almost forgot. The ownerssof
Backyardville CHATS father, you know
wants to know if you'd all like job for
pay before you play. You see Backya rd-
viles a new excursion ground and the diff
ferent parts are not named. He'll pay a
,, penny for every good name you think of.
Telephone me as YOU name the parts and
I'll print signs for them.
where's the telephone?' asked Ben ex-
citedly.
Come under my window and call Ding
ng-ling-Hello Central!"
There was answer, for the children
had rushed on to the excursion ground
not to secure table or a summer house
but because each wanted to find the first
name. Betty stopped suddenly in front of
the lattice which hid the garbage can and
the ashes. From the top of the lattice the
stars and stripes fioated in the breeze.
"Oh, I'm frstn' she cried triumphantly
"Fort-fort-er-a-''
Fort Vinep' suggested Ben pointing to
the honeysuekle vine which covered the
lattice.
mo, Fort Honeysuckle," decidedly an
nounced Beth, and then they tumbled to
| Tie 5Iouuo anu iduSHcN, tucy naQ all
been first
Sue broke in two the lid of a grape bas-
ket and soon printed the name on one-half
with a small paint brush and some black
ink.
BY noon there were signs all around the
yard. "Arbor Walk was the half of the
brick path covered by the grape arbor:
"Clematis House" was wooden seat with
clematis vines trained up the sides and over
the top; Peach Towers were the last
three branches of the old peach tree:
Truck Farm was in the center of the
flower bed. where cantaloupe vine and
tomato vine had mysterionsly grown:
"Grindstone Desert was the hard ground
without blade of grass where people stood
when they sharpened knives and scissors
on the grindstone; "Plantain Patch" was
spot where many plantain leaves had killed
most of the grass; Lilly Valley" was
small space between tall plants where
few lilies of the valley grew; the source of
Barrel Pond was insthe clouds; "Lark's-
spur Steeple" was tall stalk of the plant.
and Mint Row." Rose Circle and
"Chrysanthemum Hedge were just what
the names imply.
After every crumb of the luncheon had
been eaten there was an undecided pause.
What should they do next?
Ding-a-ling -a-ling-ling ding a-lingi
Whats that?' asked Beth, startled
"Why; I don't-oh, the telephone"
laughed Betty. Ben, it's your turn to CO."
Il should think you would want to know