Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-10-07
HER PINK
WRAPPER
By STELLA BELDING


grow more profoundly green in
Summer, redder and more golden in
autumn, and where the brilliant eterni-
ty OF sky is of a deeper sapphire hue.
Thus Is slumbrous Greenton Valley.
Here tiny cottage stood, white and
rose empowered, idyllic. poetic, and
charged with the gentle Virginian grace
Of ancient Italy. 1t was set in garden
laid off with academic primness. yell
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. 1t was most delectable garden
indeed.
Sweet Ernestine Tebbs looked up
from her gardening, prettily perplexed,
as Col. Sam Raphael Bell shut the alb
surd toy of a white gate with an an
bouncing click Everything was on
doll-like, miniature scale.
Ernestine's 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 a pretty, pretty
pastime.
Il see you've had your shutters
painted" remarked the colonel, with
originality.
"Um-um, yes" faltered Ernestine,
with a streak Of the same element
Then she added, softly: II did it."
The colonel laughed his hearty, regi-
mental laugh. and flushed rather under
he healthy tan Of his skin.
II must confess you made a striking
success OF It," 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
prim. And the girl before him was re-
markedly pretty, with her fresh morn
Ing face, her silky fawn-brown hair and
her long. flowerlike hands that now lay
loosely clasped over her dimpled knees
The morning wrapper she wore was
worthy Of being called an invention.
and 1t was product of her own
Imagination. 1t was crisp and very
pink and clean, with an infinity of loops
and bows and ruffles, and last, but not
sleeves. Ernestine was also the author
Of her hat
This delicious precision and tidiness
bout the doll house was balm upon the
sleanly, order-loving soul of Col. Bell
I'm really just curious enough to
want to know how you managed, Miss
Ernestine," he said, expanding his mill
tary chest with the clean, fresh air Of
Greenton Valley, as he seated himself
beside Ernestine.
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
srooped her head, burying Ler charm
ng, dimpling face in her rosy hands.
ooh! I'm almost ashamed to tell you"
she said, hardly audible It's SO RI
niculous, but then it seems to me that
everything that happens during these
summers here is ridiculous"
Miss Ernestine," said the colonel,
with JUNCTION, Il promise to keep per-
lectly sober"
We'll, then, I'll tell you"
She sighed delectable little dirling
Sigh that thrilled straight through the
colonel and finally lodged in his heart.
The yellow, impalpable sunshine beat
down upon them, and over them brood
I'd the eternity of lustrous sapphire sky.
you see it's Just this way" began
Ernestine, there are only two of us,
Of course, and my sister, being past
mistress of expedients and strategy
suggested that we make stepladder OF
our household goods. So we piled
shairs and tables up from the ground
and down from the windows, and stood