Middletown transcript., 1907-07-06
rcoNr1NuEp rRoM LAST WEEK J

nv bosom companions in ignor-
ance of such economical bliss, If
I'd been in your place, A. Beatty.
Cora, you'll have.to revel in soli-
tary grandeur for one day.
Hand me my pad, please.
--Oh, I'll go, of course,if you two
do. It's bad enough to roast IN
company, but Id never last the
day out alone. If you two will be
absurd, III nave to go along and
lend dignity to the occasion.
Well, now, let's go to work, and
do extra duty to-day SO that we
can take our leisure with clear
consciences tomorrow. We can
go out this evening and purchase
our edibles, and have everything
ready for an early departure.
It's no use, moaned Rosalind
after a few false starts. | shall
have to leave Hortense Amelia
to her fate till l return from my
summer outing. II do the weeks
mending for the crowd, if you'll
tell US the rest of your interview
with the wise lady, Allison. 1
love to hear helpful things, for
all I'm so densely ignorant, my
self.
Don't malign my associates,
miss. But if you will put some
of your neat stitches into that
snag in my best white skirt, I'll
talk for a week if that will repay
you. I've been dreading to un-
dertake that mending, and Won
dering how I could wheedle you
into doing it for me. You cer-
tainly are very good to do it.
The hot afternoon wore on, but
the girls, full Of anticipation for
the morrow, worked steadily,
while Allison's clear voice re-
peated the earnest words of her
so-called chance acquaintance.
These words did them a lasting
good, as they learned, gradually,
to apprise the things that make
up life, at their true relative
value-a lesson we are all too
slow to learn, too ready to for
get.
More than one approving
glance followed the brightfaced,
merry trio as they hunted their
seats in the excursion train the
next morning, Cora withUsketch-
book and crayons, Rosalind carry
ing pad and pencil, and Allison
bringing up the rear with the de-
spised but highly i'm portant box
of luncheon.
Once seated, they scanned their
fellow passengers, finding inter-
esting possibilities in the kindly.
looking young man with his en-
tire Sunday-school class of typi.
cal small boys, out for a days
fun; in the stylish young lady
with immense diamonds at her
throat and ears, and her conspic-
uously devoted elderly escort; in
the near-sighted man who con-
fided to a neighbor that a certain
town through which they passed
later was a reg'la aristock place.
They amt woman in it that'll
60 down town with sunbonnet
on, an as for work-why, if they
have to sweep their pavements
they does it in gloves. Aristocks
ever one Of 'em. Rosalind gig
gled gleefully and took copious
notes, Allison planned the illus
tration that should accompany
Rosalind's enlarged account,
while Cora hastily sketched in the
profile of a sweet old face across
the aisle.
But work was put away and !
voices hushed when the noun
tains were reached. The power
full engine putting heavily, drew
them up and up--out of the |
smoke, and the dust, and the
heat, into the coolness, the green.
ness, the freshness, through daz-
zling sunlight into dusky shadow,
through brakes where ferns nod
ded and vines swayed, ever up
aaHaenses eng pine trees and spruce and |
holly, elm, oak, and chestnut,
standing sturdily among the
giant powders spilled helter-
skelter down the mountainside.
The putting engine stopped at
last, and the girls alighted to face
a landscape that almost left them
breathless. You needn't bother
about a seat in any old carriage
for me, declared Allison, drop.
ping into the grass and gazing
with enraptared eyes over the
wonderful view. I could stay
here forever and ever.
Wait till you see Bowlder View,
and you'll think this was nothing,
said Cora.
Rosalind turned on her almost
fiercely. You knew this was