Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-20

little girl to sleep under the DAISIES, WIN "a. a
lily-leaf face and golden hair, all uhiihe M ai me
sisters and from the the nrS5 nnd i st before him,
the old doctors heart mad warmed 10 her'
cause she looked so like the darling he hau
lost. ,,, ho oon.
fded to his good wife-"too hard for SO sweei
a flower. She breaks where she should 6ehu:
But though Doctor Groot had enough WIS
dom stored in his grizzled head to nave GausnSI sS
Aunt Prue for the rest of her life, ana SUI,
have something over he knew she was TOO oia
to learn. So he had to content himself with
droppina in every now and then to see ms III
tie t'madchen," as he called Tessle, and steal
ing her off for a ride in his rusty buggy, OF
a romp in the big, sunshlny house tha' was
his home.
He had taken her off today almost In spite
of herself, for Tessie would rather have re-
maned at home and grieyed over poor uis-
graced Trix. -,
ing, rubbed his spectacles that he might take
a good look at Tessies flushed cheeks and
heavy eyes, felt her pulse, and then, with
significant nod, told Aunt Prue he was going
to take Tessie on a picnic with him nv.
And, once in the old buggy at his side, les
sic found it very difficult to be as miserable
as she wished. He was so fat and so funny,
there was such merry twinkle in his eyes,
and he carried gum drops and sugar almonds
for pills : sho9 All
that is the good, old-fashioned plan! | have
been shut up twenty times myself, and IN
garret where there were rats" said the doc
tor, shaking some more pills IN, into lessies
lap. What do you think | did, -,
a little shiver. "But there are no rats in
Trix's room" she added, quickly. =,
81 set trap and caught the rats, SAID
the dOT Of with o fhaGk d bad baa bcv out thn
l was, you see, I tied button to each rats
tail, and then | let em run All, how they
did run! clickitty-click, between the walls,
into the cupboards, under the floors, The
sign of bad luck said my mother. And then
| laughed to myself, wicked boy that [ was
for | knew it was my button tailed rats"
And the doctor laughed again, so heartily
that Tessie could not he Up Joining in.
everybody was in such delightful state of
excitement over the picnic that Tesse really
began to feel a little sympathetic pleasure.
Three big baskets. Of good things were al; Il
ice cream and big plum cake that had to, go
somewhere, though it required some consider
alton to tell exactly where.
1T will not, fit in, said good Mrs Grqot,
shaking her head. There are seven, chill
dren, two dogs and four baskets, the fishing
mocks. We cannot take everything l know"
But, in spite of the good lady,s prophecy,
when the big wagon the doctor had secured
for the occasion arrived, they did "ht III"
very comfortably.
Fishing tackle, hammocks and umbrellas
were strapped in one place, ice cream freezer
and milk can were slowed in another, the
children packed in smiling rows on the cush
ioned seats and the dogs left to jog on in the
rear while Mrs Groot, with number Of
baskets, sat in the middle of the wagon, and
the doctor drove the pair of strong horses at
lively gait
1t was not long before they reached the
country-the beautiful country-where Tcssie
felt so at home among the leafy lanes and
broad, green meadows.
She could have clapped her hands and shout
ed with pure delight if Trix had been with
her. Poor Trx! The hot tears would well
up into Tesse's blue eyes at the thought Of
the dear prisoner in Aunt Prue's back room,
where the sunbeams scarcely dared to venture,
or the breezes to steal in until after five
O'Clock.
They reached their picnic grounds just about
noon, and all the children helped to lay the
white cloth on the soft cool grass, and set
the table, for dinner 1t was rather mixed
little cripple Tim, whose mother sold potatoes
in the market, and Janey, who wore piuk
dress patched with blue, and wee little tot
whose mother had died month ago, and who
consequently wasn't buttoned or patched at
all.
And the little tot, whose name was Gertie,
tried TO help with the rest, and tipped all the
pickles into the milk pitcher, and broke half
a dozen tumblers in one awful crash.
But good Mrs GoOt only took the poor,