Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-12-18
HoU Virginia U1et1t
TO the Picnic.
By Temple Bailey.
go EEzzZSea9

time. "And now if leave my car in the carriage
road I will go and paint the cows.
With wave of his hand, he went away, and Vir-
ginia few upstairs and told her mother all about it.
Looking out of the little peaked window they saw
him set Up his easel and then they went back and
opened the trunk with the key with ihe pink ribbon.
Your grandmother very rich' said Mrs. Ran
can Win sign Ii Va, YOU t dTes che
1t funny and wide-skrted, OF pink satin, with
tight pointed bodice trimmed with yellowed lace There
were hlgh-heeed pink slippers and long PINK 1ea'heF
with a gold rosette that was furnished and dull
FRY it or, dear heart" her mother said, and I'll
fix your hair like your grandmothers
For tie rext half hour she pulled and pinned and
twisted last when the little girl looked at her
self in the glass hung beside the peaked window,
bright braided hair The pink plume waved back tT9
gave a finish to the whole effect.
And then, just her mother was hooking up the
pink gown, there came another knock at the lower
ITS that young man again said Mrs Randall.
"and you viii have to go, Virginia. can't see any
So Vrrinia with her head held very carefully trip
ped downstairs in the pink satin slippers and opened
by Jove ejacaiated the painter, IS he stared at the
rosy vision.
blush as she picked at her skirt It's my grand
n.C.ters dress
Talk about lick" he went on not seeming to notice
her explanation. "Wo~ld you mind standing about
halfway Up that Stairway
'Tbe-:@ he said lean over tat railing bit All
you need is rose il your hand With that dark stair
way as background and the clock on the landing 1t
is perfect"
you see" he went on, as Virginia looked at him.
qucstioningly, Il have to have illustration for
book ard here it is right my hand. in need of
an old-fashioned lady in an old-fashioned house.
ri 20 IN and ask noter Virri1a said and re-
gained The attic in a whir1 of excitement. You
lovely
So Mrs. Randall slipped on a pretty lavender lawn.
and down with the little girl and talked with the
he cd tbe mini
Virginia talked too, and told him about the Fourth
of July picnic q was awfully disappointed the
Where is the picnic?" he asked.
In the grove BY the bay It's lovely place"
Il will stop at the hotel for my mother and we will all
have supper the beach"
oh let's" said Virginia; but Mrs Randall hestated
"I don't know whether ought"
Please" he begged, and at last Mrs Randall said
Eyes"
off, but there many things TO do. First Vir-
GINA had to put on her best white dress and then
there the artists mother to be called for, and
big hamper. which one OF the walters of the hotel
brought out, to be strapped at the side of the
Virginia sat the front seat with her friend,
and told him about the doves, and SQUIRRELS who made
their home in the tulip tree and of the world as she
could from her little peaked window in the attic
Its Virginia Randall" gasped all the excited chill
dren, the great red whizzed into the grove.
The Morrison girls came running up Why Vir-
ginia Randall" they questioned "how in the world did
you happen to come this way?
bear any iilWiIl toward them toid ali about it. with
her eyes shining and her brads bobbing.
Hes going to give little picture of myself in
the pink Dress she said and they looked at her with
increased respect she added He that he thinks
straight hair is just beautiful"
And he's going to- stay at the hotel all summer,
and are going to have lots more rides
other bit of information that they talked among
themselves, their fortunate little cousin made her
way Back to the big motor-car, and it gchugged
its noisy down toward the beach.
When the hamper from the hotel opened there
found knives and forks and plates and cups fitted
in in most miraculous way, with receptacle for ice,
that the lemonade cold and there
chicken and sandwiches and salad cake and
they ate all of the good things at the edge of the
grove, where the blue waters of the bay broke in
silver line along the Shore and the sandppers fitted
back and forth their thin little legs and the fiddler
crabs scuttled like shadows over the hard sand.
"Its beautiful world" said the artist with his
eyes the guls that dipped and swayed above the
restless blue.
IT'S beautiful world" Virginia echoed that night
she looked of the peaked window, and saw the
little through the branches of the tup-tree ITS
beautiful world isn't it. raother?" and her mother
nurmured:
TITS because there such beautiful people in it.
dear heart"
And then they went to bed. to sleep and drnan. e
their happy day.