The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1907-03-23

1
it it panied her. Caroline guessed al
once that the girl had sprained he,
ankle, and that they were helping he1
to the big, fiat rock close to the river.
They did not notice her until she was
near them, so near. that she heard
Marion call to the girl behind, "Of
course this had to happen the very day
we walked. instead Of drove" and
then they glanced up and saw her, and
looked with studied care out at the
river.
+ Caroline drove by, her heart beating
very fast. Every instinct prompted her
to offer to drive Kitty Benton back to
town. But would they accept the
offer? Would they not think she was
trying 20 intrude, and tell her in so
many words that they did not care to
have anything to do with her?
OF course they would, and she would
not go back. But the idea of leaving
any one in trouble when it was within
her power to offer help came over her
as too dreadful to be considered, and
she wheeled the pony sharply round.
Il beg your pardon" she said-her
effort to keep her voice steady made it
sound very cold-but believe you have
hurt your foot. If you care to have
/ me drive you back to town I shall be
glad to do So"
'"Chank you," said Kitty Benton,
shortly, ''but I think we can get along
! all right
Caroline turned her pony and drove
quickly down the road.
maybe it seemed mean," said one
of the girls, as they stood watching the
pony-cart.
Nothing Of the kindw declared Mar
ion. 'Did you notice how she did it?
Why, she never so much as looked at
us! Just looked straight beyond US, as
if she were talking toto servants"
Marion and Doris Morton were ap-
pointed to go into town to get buggy
for Kitty. They had gone about half a
mile When making a sudden turn,
they came upon the pony-cart tied to
tree. They saw that it was empty,
and just as they were about to pass
on they heard strange sound. They
looked at each other queerly, and then
they heard the sound again, a deep,
long sob that went straight down into
their hearts.
"She's crying" whispered Doris,
"crying dreadfully."
Marion looked uncertainty down the
road, and then took a few noiseless
steps in among the trees. Under a big
tree, her face buried in the moss. lay
Caroline Stuart, her pretty blue dress
much crumpled, her whole body shaken
with sobs.
Then the real girl in Marion Fore
man, the real, true girl that was there
in spite of all her foolish notions,
swept away all else. Running quickly
to the sobbing girl, she sat down beside
her, and put her arms round the shak-
ing figure: us there anything we can
do? Is there anything at all? We Just
can't bear to see you cry like this!
Isn't there something we can do?''
Caroline's grief was too deep to admit
of surprise. "1m lonesome," she
sobbed out, $50 lonesome! I can't bear
it! I can't! I can't stand it to have
you all treat me like this! I; want
friends! lob, want to go to your
picniesr'
"But-but we thought you were 50
rich"' stammered Marion. "Your house
is so big, and the pony-cart and the
automobile and-and we thought
Caroline sat up then, amazement
checking the sobs. "Well, what has
that got to do with it?'
"Why-why, you see, we thought that
you were-O dear, I don't know.
Maybe We've been all wrong. I'm
sorry" ~.,4-v&ssxe~~
'Do you mean," began Caroline. very
Slowly, 'fthat there isn't anything in
particular the matter with me, that you
don't hate me, and that you actually
thought that I didn't want to have
anything to do with you?" =: = L. L. +
But Marion, covered with confusion
was crying herself now, which was
perhaps the best thing that could have
happened, for, they put their ssarms
around ore another and cried together:
Any one who knows much about cir!
nature can tell the rest of the story.
OF course Caroline went back for
Kitty. and then there We're more exJ
plantations and more tears, and every
body agreed that the whole thing had
been too silly for words. Each girl
confessed that down in her heart she
had wanted Caroline as friend for a
long time, but hal not known just how
to say anything about it to the others!
Will Stuart was disposed to think
his sister should refuse to have any,
thing to do with girls who were so
silly as that, but his mother saw it
differently. :'Just see how happy she
is, Will, just see how she's changedj
and don't say one word against those
girls. I tell you, every time hear
CARS laugh ring through the house Z
give thanks for JOY" :,
At the end of the first week Marion
Foreman told the story to her father
it was truly remarkable that she had
kept it as long az that uo +oIl,od IN