The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-12-23

sons.
"Myl You took a lot of prizes.
didn't your" said Mrs. Shaw, the SUI
perintendent Of the fancy-work depart.
ment, tearing pink and blue premium
checks from thick pads and handing
them to Virginia. You took some in
the art department., too, guess. You
can get these cashed in the admins
tration building. Don't you feel rich?"
"Ye-es," said Virginia, examining the
slips into purse that already bulged
with ill-gotten gains from other de-
partments.
She felt more rich, however, than
she did comfortable Perhaps the
money might not have SO soon become
burden on the girls conscience if
Gilbert, who still assisted at the Of
fee, had not, in a spirit of mischief,
paid out the amount of her slips in
twenty-five silver dollars. The weight
of them made her bicycle skirt sag at
one side.
Her spirits, too, began to sag CORE
spondingly, for, as she turned away
from the counter, she heard the secre-
tary say, There isn't an honest hair
in that man Peck's head" Peck, she
remembered, had had more varieties
OF potatoes than any one else
AS a reward for her services the first
day, Gilbert had given her an official
badge, that admitted her not only to
the fair grounds, but to the %grand
stand. She had counted on spending a
jolly Afternoon witnessing the acrobatic
performances and the balloon ascen-
siOns but they no longer seemed at
tractive.
Even the blue sky appeared to lose
it's brilliancy. The loud laughter of
the people round her Jared on her
nerves. She could see nothing funny
in the antics of the clown. The wo-
man beside her leaned against her
knee to talk to friend who sat at \
her feet.
YES" the first woman was saying
81 did hope Katy Perkins would take
first prize on that tray-cloth of hers
she's bedridden, you know, and it took
her whole year to work that piece,
lying on her back"
1.-THE judges don't discriminate" re-
turned the other woman. "Old Mrs.
Cook was counting SO on having her
bureau spread take first premium.
Twas the only thing she had to send,
and she worked terribly hard to get it
finished. The one that took the prize
wasn't better than a dolly"
Virginia flushed. The load in her
pocket and the one on her conscience
seemed to be growing at the rate of q
pound minute.
Il was sure, too" the woman con-
tinued, that Grandma Morse would
get something on her strawberries.
She makes the best spiced strawber-
ries ! ever tasted. The judges went
by the looks, and never opened the
bottle"
still, you can't blame Them" was
the reply. They had ninety-seven
glasses of crab-apple jelly, they say.
'Twould probably kill EN- if they tast-
ed everything. l didn't get anything
on my strawberries, either"
and changed her seat. She die not /
like the neighborhood. The new one, I
however, proved no better, for she had /
seated herself beside a girl of about /
her own age, who was trying, but vain
ly, to soothe younger girl sister Sob
bling against her sleeve.
whats the matter?" asked Vir- |
o,,,
been hurt?"
"She didn't get any prize on her
dolls wardrobe" said the girl. "She
did every stitch herself, and there's
little fecks of blood all along the
seams, where she pricked her fingers;
but there were two other dolls I
guess one of them was dressed by
good deal older girl, though"
1t certainly had been dressed by an
older girl. Virginia's path, clearly, was
strewn with victims 1t had not &C.
Cured to her that she was robbing
other persons in that wholesale fash
ion. The weight in her pocket was
becoming uncomfortable. How could
she wear blue-silk waist purchased
at such price?
Suddenly Virginia frightened. Get
ting up hastily, she wormed her way
through the Gro I'd, walking swiftly
along the board sidewalk, and ran up
the steps of the administration build
ing AS she had hoped, she found Gill
bert practically alone, for the ener-
getic secretary, worn out with his la
bors, was sound asleep, with his chair
tipped back against the wall
mi "a