The Irish standard., 1904-10-22
HER PINK
WRAPPER
by STELLA, BELDING

T hrhE is a place where the leaves
grow more profoundly green in
Summer, reGder and more golden in
autumn, and where the brilliant eterni-
ty of Sky is of deeper sapphire hue.
Thus is slumbrous Greenton Valley.
Here tiny cottage stood, white and
rose EMPOWERED, ioyllic. poetic, and
charged with the gentle Virsinian grace
OF ancient Italy. 1t was set in a garden
laid off with academic primness. yell
low dwarf roses reared their idle,
creamy heads beside such lurd effects
OF nature as red and white chrysanthe-
NUNS; sisterhood OF passionate red
dahlias Haunted away in the sunshine
opposite nunlike lilies; and an infnity
OF little ox-eyed pansies made for Dor
ders. 1t was most delectable garden
2ndeed.
Sweet Ernestine Tebbs looked up
from her gardening, prettily perplexed,
as Col. Sam Raphael Bell shut the abb
surd toy of a white gate with an an
nouncing click Everything was on a
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 pretty, pretty
pastime.
Il see you've had your shutters
painted" remarked the colonel, with
originality.
"um-um, yes" faltered Ernestine,
with streak of the same element.
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 it" he said. letting his eyes
wander over the six gingerbread win
dows Of this doll house. Everything
was SO delightfully."-, ridiculously, alb
6urdly neat and tidy and clean and
prim. And the girl before him was re-
1narkably pretty, with her fresh morn
Eng face, her silky fawn-b brown hair, and
her long. flowerllie hands that now lay
loosely casped over her dimpled knees.
The morning wrapper she wore was
worthy of being called an invention
and it was a product of her own
imagination. 1t was crisp and very
pink and clean, with an iniinity of loops
and bows and rnflles. and last, but not
least. honeycomb yoke and peekaboo
sleeves. Ernestine was also the author
OF her hat
This delicious precision and tidiness
about the doll house was balm upon the
Gleanly, orderloving soul of Col. Bell.
Pm really just curious enough to
want to know how you managed, Miss
Ernestine," he said, expanding his mill
fary 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
sdrooped her head, burying her charm
ing dimpling face in her rosy hands.
"Oh! I'm almost ashamed to tell you,"
she said, hardly audible. It's so RI
dicnlous, 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-
fectly sober"
well, then. I'll tell you"
She sighed delectable little dirling
eigh that thrilled straight through the
colonel and finally lodged in his heart.
The yellow. impalpable sunshine beat
down upon them, and over them brood
ed the eternity of ustrous 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 stepadder 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 curtained. gingerbread windows
Shat looked out Of the wall like three
staring eyes slightly aSkeW.
But why didn't you take the shut
Hers off to paint them, Miss Ernestine?"
exclaimed the colonel. inspirationally.
Ernestine extended her pretty hands
in tender little movement of appeal to
she colonel. She pressed her glowing
snorning face down among the cool
leaves and blossoms of the chrysanthe-
Mnums.
Oh. don't tell me, at this late day.
dear colonel, that shutters come OFF,"
She was very tempting as she sat there
an her trim little garden. her bright head
catching and holding the sunlight like
a Jewell She herself was like a rare
gem, on which one discoS cred new and
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