Evening star., 1903-07-25

Il received invitation to luncheon
| last night, remarked Mrs. Mason at the
| eakfast table the next morning.
The four Indians exchanged smiling
| glances.
1T is a most attractive invitation. she
| went on. ''and l think 1 shall have To ac-
| cept it, as l never took lunch with four
| real Indians all at once
"Oh. will you?" exclaimed Peggy and
| Carroll delghtedIy.
Il feel very badly because you did not in
| vite me-" said Mr. Mason with twinkle
| in his eye.
But. father" replied Bob seriously, you
| couldn't come: you have to go to your bust
ness. There was no use asking you"
And you didn't want to waste paper and
| ink me. 1 suppose" said Mr. Mason
seriously. rising from the table. II might
| have liked to be asked even If l couldn't
| go.''
Bob was about to reply earnestly, when
| Carroll said:
! "Oh, he's only fooling Bob. Aren't you.
! father?'
Il hope the Indians won't scalp you.
| Elizabeth laughed Mr.. Mason. kissing his
| wife goodbye Il don't know about this
| taking lunch with wild Indians: 1t is dan
gerous proceeding. am afraid
Isn't Uncle John funny" said Peggy to
| Billy.
well. Black Hawk. at what time am I
| expected. and where is this grand affair to
| be held?" asked Mrs Mason with a smile.
oh we have the beautifullest wigwam
down by the creek,' cried Peggy. I'VE
made 1t yesterday: and we're going to build
| a fire, and cook
Hold on there. Peggy interrupted Car
| roll. Don't tell everything; we want to
| have surprise Mother. you just come
| down to the creek right by that old dead
| chestnut tree. you know. Come about l
o'clock. guess and Wen be there
Very WELL will be punctual," replied
| Mrs Mason. Am 1 to be the only guest?'
| Yes. it's all for YOU" answered Bob.
throwing one arm around his mothers neck
and giving her bear-like hug.
Mrs. Mason kissed him 1T is very sweet
Of you, she said, and l feel highly hon
| ored."
Mother. 1 s'pose you don't mind if I ask
| Ellen for some things to eat?" remarked
| Carroll, turning back as he went out of the
| door
1T depends somewhat on what you want"
| 'Oh. We don't wan: much-only few
| things. Itll be all right, mother replied
Carroll earnestly.
Mrs. Mason knew that Carroll was to be
| trusted in matters of that sort. and that If
| he told her it would be all right it would be
| all right and she need not worry about It.
! She placed good deal of confidence in her
| eldest son. for he had proved worthy Of
| the trust, and Mrs Mason believed that
| certain amount of responsibility was good
| for a child. and helped to make him
| thoughtful and self-reliant. So she told
| Carroll that he might ask Ellen for any
| thing he needed, with the understanding
that she trusted him to see that everything
| he borrowed was brought safely. back when
| he was done with 1t.
| They procured a frying pan. some pOta
| toes, two or three knives and forks, coffee
| pot and coffee. little butter. bread, sugar
| and salt. Bob was sent for the express
| wagon, and everything was carefully packed
n
| watched with interest; fortunately she was
| good natured and was used to children
| There are great differences in cooks.
| ''YeZ look as If yeZ was movn," she
| srinned they kept piling things into the
wagon.
Don't you wish you were coming?" asked
Peggy teasingly.
| Not to be ating the things yez'H be
afther cookin'." replied Ellen Here, putt
| this in there
What is it?" asked Carroll taking the
| bundle wrapped up in napkin
"It jist somethin' l was afther maxim
| for yez lunch. Yez might as well take it
| along wild yez.'
| "Oh, they're crullers!" exclaimed Carroll,
| peeping in. That's dandy. Thank you.
| Ellen. Come on now. fellows"
| Don't yeZ come back all dead and drown
| co." called Ellen after them.
| Peggy had gone into the house and now
| she came running after the little cortege
| with large box in her arms.
| Hold on a minute; put this in" she
| called.
The boys looked back and saw that it was
| the ground -hackee cage.
| What are you bringing that for?" asked
| Carroll. in surprise.
& thought the poor little things would be
| lonely all alone all day." replied Peggy.
But we don't want them down there"
Yes. we do broke in Billy. the imagina-
| tive; we can pretend they're captives taken
| In war"
Where's your scalp? We ought to have
that down there, too said Bob.
'Ill get it; It's up in my ROOM" answered
| Billy. dropping his side of the tongue of
| the express wagon. and starting to run.
You go on; I'll catch up he shouted
| back.
| Such busy morning as they had! Peggy
| and Bob were set to work gathering sticks
and dried leaves for the fire, while Carroll
and Billy started off to catch bullfrogs
| 1t was favorte sport of the boys, and
Carroll was not boasting when he said he
knew how to cook their legs. He also
knew how and where to catch them. and
although it was late in the season. they
| managed to find good many unsuspectIng
frogs lurking in the dark pools and swampy
places. Billy carried basket and Carroll
had small net AS soon as frog was
discovered. Carroll would quickly but eau
tiously scoop him up in his net, and pop
him into the basket before he could say
Jack Robinson" Often Carroll dsdained
the net and caught them In his hands.
Billy liked that way better because then
he could use the net, but Carroll was very
expert and could catch as many in his
hands as Billy could do with his net. or
course, a great many frogs got away from
them. and a few jumped out Of the basket,
but it was great sport When they had
about couple of dozen bullfrogs in the
basket Carroll decided that they had
enough. and so they proceeded back to
camp.
The little captives were running con-
tenteu4y about in their cage, the scalp was
hanging in a most wariike fashion at the
door of the wigwam. and Kil-all-the peo-
pie and Hit-em-again were sitting on the
ground peeling potatoes. kill-aIl- the -peo-
pie. having been a girl in a previous state
Of existence. was showing Hit-em-again the
proper way to accomplish this feat, but the
peculiar-looking objects which were taken
to the creek to be washed off after the
opera ton bore small resemblance to the
peeled potatoes that Ellen boiled for dinner
in the kitchen ut home. But, dear me-
when they were cut up in small pieces and
were sizzling away in the hot butter in the
fryin-pan, what difference did 1t make?
And when they came to be eaten how very
good indeed they tasted!
Tho potatoes had to be cooked first and
then the fifty tiny frogs legs. which had
been carefully skinned by Carroll, were
put in the pan 1t was discovered that