The Van Buren press., 1904-10-15
HER PIN X
WRAPPER
BY STELLA BELDING

T HERE is lldCt NutIt lHt Icd g
grow more profoundly green in
/ Sumner, redder and more golden in
autumn. and where the brilliant eternt-
| ty Of shy is OF a deeper sapphire hue
Thus is s,umbrous Greenton Valley.
Here tiny cottage stood, " hite ard
rose embowered, idyllic, poetic, and
| charged with the gentle Nirginian grace
/ of ancient Italy 1t was set in garden
laid on with academic primnesS. lel-
/ low dwarf roses reared their idle,
creamy heads beside such lurid effects
Of nature as red and white chrysanthe-
NUNS. a sisterhood Of passionate red
dahlias Haunted away in the sunshine
opposite nunlike lilies, and an infnity
Of little oX-eyed pansies made for bor-
ders. II was most delectable garden
indeed,
Sweet ErEestine Tebbs looked up
from her gardening, prettily perpleNed,
as Col Sam Raphael Bell shut the abb
surd toy Of a white gate with an an
nouncing click. Everything was on q
LOll-Uht. immature StdIe.
Erneetines fingers were buried In the
rich. clean loan BY her side huge
pair Of shears lay, the only thing Of
consequential size about the place. She
raised her hand and pushed back her
hair from her forehead. and settled the
Tapping proportions Of her garden hat
on the crown Of her head. The colonel
thought gardening such pretty, pretty
pastimo
Il see you've had your shutters
painted" remarked the colonel, with
originality.
"Um-um, yes" taltered Ernestine,
with streak Of the same clement
Then she added softly: 81 did it,"
The colonel laughed his hearty regi-
mental laugh and flushed rather under
the healthy tan Of his skin.
Il must confess you made a striking
success Of II, he said letting his eyes
wander over the six gingerbread win
dows Of this doll house Everything
was so delightfully."-, ridiculously alb
surdly neat and tidy and clean and
prm And the girl before him was re-
markahly pretty, with her fresh morn
ing face, her silky fawn-browu hair, and
her long. fCwerlikc hands that now lay
loosely claspcd over her dimpled knees
The morning wrapper she wore was
worthy Of being called an invention.
and II was product Of her own
imagination. 1t was crisp and very
pink and clean, with an infnity Of loops
and bows and ruhies, and last, but not
least. a honoycomh yoke and peekaboo
sleeves Ernestine was also the author
Of her hat
This delicious precision and tidinCss
about the doll house was balm upon the
cleanly. order-loying soul of Col Bell
I'm really just curious enough to
want to know how you managed Miss
ErnestInc,' he said, expanding his mill
tary chest with the clean, fresh air Of
Greenton Valley, as he seated himself
beside Erncstine,
She bit In her under lip. There was
an almost dangerous sweetness lurking
about the corners Of her round mouth
Suddenly she laughed outright, and
dropped her head, burying her charm
Ing, dimpling face in her rosy hands
"Oh! I'm almost ashamed to tell you, 90
she said hardly audible. IT'S 50 ri
diculous, but then 1t seems to me that
everything that happens during these
summers here is ridiculous"
Miss Ernestine,' said the colonel,
with uncuon, 81 promise to keep per-
fectly sober,
well. then, I'll tell you"
She sighed deIectablc little dirlng
sigh that thrilled straight through the
colonel and finally lodged in his heart
The yellow impalpahlc sunshine beat
down upon them, and over them brood
ed the eternity OF lustrous sapphire sky.
you see IT'S just this way" began
Ernest,no, there are only two Of us.
Of course and my sister being past
mistress Of cXpeuientS and strategy.
suggested that We make a stopladder Of
our household goods SO We piled
chairs and tables up from the ground
and down from the windows. and stood
on these and held to the frame while !
painted
The colonel glanced up at the trim,
muslin curIainod. gingerbread windows
that looked out Of the wal like three
staring eyes slightly askcw,
But why didn't you take the shut
ters off to paint them, Miss Erncstne?'
exclaimed the colonel inspiratIonally
Ernestino extended her pretty hands
In a tender little movement OF appeal TO
the colonel She pressed her glowing
morning face down among the cool
leaves and blossoms Of the chrys0nthc-
NUNS
"Oh, don't tel me, at this late day,
dear colonel that shutters come on 70
She was very tempting as she sat there
In her trim little garden her bright head
catching and holding the sunlight like
q jewel She herself was Ike rare
gem, on which one discovered new and