The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1908-04-02

Jaw, THuHpxRr' 0RUMBLKp IKE
ready In the wagon when Ike Clutner
brushing aside the squirming children
forclbly took his seat beside her. Ike
did not mean to leave his counting tC
chance, for holidays were scarce with
him. But Mrs. Pashley, the ministers
wife, who was going TO wait for the
last wagon, cried.
Wen need a man In our crowd. Ike,
you stay and 20 with u.s."
saw, thunder~ grumbled Ike under
his breath and climbed dlsconsolately
out, and the first load rumbled away.
The second wagon came In half an
hour. Ike, fearing that he might be
left out entirely II the minister's wife
happened to think Of any reason for
his staying behind, pumped himself
down by the drivers side and left the
mothers and children TO scramble In
as best they could.
(which wayi" questioned the driver
when they were within mile Of the
lake. Are You goin' to Coggins gap
or TO Feather'sT
This caused CONSERVATION among the
mothers, who all knew that they were
going to the gap" but did not know
which one,
"Coggln's," volunteered Ike, with the
intuition Of lover.
Feathers gap" corrected the min.
isters wife. II remember now. It's
Feathers"
Jaw, thunderw muttered Ike gloom
lily TO himself.
When the heavily freighted wagon
rolled protestingly into the deep beach
sand Feathers gap lay wrapped In ut
ter solitude but for the intrudlng team.
The low lying dunes were as guiltless
Of footprint as II man had never
passed that way. The other wagon
had not come to Feathers gap.
II knew all the time that 1t was
either Feathers or Coggin's." said
Mrs. Blish, president Of the Ladies'
Aid. Now, driver. take US round TO
Coggln's."
The driver grudgingly turned his
horses, growing about fool women"
when the minister's wife spoke out
sharply. "And remember we don't pay
you anything extra for this blunder."
"whoal' shouted the driver "Pile
outr'
PILE outr' echoed Mrs. Pashley In
q scandallxed voice. I'VE win mott
You should have found out where we
were going before you started. Drive
on Immediately"
'ItH he dollar more" announced
the man. with gloomy uneoncern.
1T will not be dollar more" de.
elsred Mrs. Pashley angrily. "ClImb
out. everybody. shall speak Of this
TO Mr.. Pashley"
The picnickers poured quickly into
the lake sand. Then the dinner for
the whole crowd was clawed from IN.
der the drivers seat and dumped in q
little pyramid on the ground. The team
started OF. the man muttering.
The children ran shrieking to the
iaxe. The mothers carried the dinner
and placed II in the shade Of the WI.
lows But a cry OF black ants was rails
ed, and, a. the women were already
exhausted from wading In the deep
sand, Mrs. Pashley ordered Ike 10
transfer the dinner TO place OF safe
~. as n be were the state militia.
TAKE the dinner out by the lake
no; too near the water" directed Mrs.
Pashiey. who was going about with a
panied. ccnsecraicd face as II they had
Just been shipwreeked on a desert IL.
land.
For Ike the forenoon passed giooInily
away, but be put In good days work |
waiting on the women.
As dinner time approached they be-
gan TO expect the other plenickers TO |
look them up, but no one came. so Mrs |
rashiey sent Ike 10 Coggin's gap TO ask |
the minister and his crowd to come 10 |
Feathers gap 10 eat. as that would
save carrying the dinner a mile.
Ike struck GU, through the woods
,hs, skirted the bluffs above the sand /
dunes. when be had gone about half /
the distance be met Phyllis Jones.
"iello.~ be shouted
Where you been r cried Phyllis
feathers gap"
Though Phyllis bad a good dispcsi.