The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1912-12-19
BALLOON
No. Z
1t Clears Away the
Cloud
BY CLARIssA MACKIE

Maisie Pomeroy dismissed her pupils
and locked the door of the little school
house Ii lacked three days of the long
vacation. and the last hours of the
school year dragged heavily. for June
weather was mistakenly calling. Her
| homeward walk led along pleasant
| country lanes and through clover fields
crisscrossed with narrow footpaths.
In Maisie's pocket was her last
months salary. and in spite Of June
weather and the calling bobolink her
heart was heavy with disappointment.
| though her face wore its usual express
sion of unruffled sweetness. Just the
amount of that months salary would
take her to a large summer resort.
| where she might have two weeks of
/ such enjoyment as she had never known
in her monotonous life. She had read
of the pleasures of this city by the sea
she had known girls whose parents
were well to do to spend several months
there, and now Ella Shaw had written
to say they were going and wished
Maisie to join them. 1t was TO be
Dutch treat and she knew that
meant each girl was TO pay her own ex
penses
| She had not even mentioned the mat
err to her mother. for she knew that
their resources were badly strained this
year There was an uncle who had
been bedridden for two years. and they
were now maintaining his declining
days in the hospital. where he could be
best cared for. AS Maisie was the only
wage Garner in their family of two. 1t
was mportant-prohibitiv rather
that not one penny be wasted.
IF Bloomfield were not SO dull she
murmured wistfully. Ever since |
can remember there has never been
any unusual happening here. No new
families ever move here, and nobody
ever marries anybody that lives farther
than Paramount / don't wonder there
are so many maiden ladies In this vii
lage." She smiled as she pushed open
the front gate. for there on the front
piazza sat her mother. dispensing cake
and root beer to five of Bloomfelds
spinsters. Some day she. too. would
form one of a similar group.
Lots of news, Maisie." cried Emma
Risley as the girl sat down on tho top
step and slipped a glass of the COO
beverage.
"NewsY' repeated Maisie: then she
added quickly: "Oh, you mean the new
fiagpole In front of the town ball?
saw that yesterday"
mo. indeed; that's old! What dc
you think is going to happen In Bloom
ficld?" Emma was bursting with i'm
portance. and the four other spinsters
nodded their heads significantly.
"A-circus?" There were painfully
few things that ever had happened il
. Bloomfield. and Maisie's Imagination
was starved.
mo. sir. What do you think Of bal
4 loon races here?" Miss Risley's voice
q was triumphant.
Balloon races? echoed Maisit
q blankly.
Ten balloons all starting at once
from Cabot's big hay feldn'
when is 1t going to be-" asked
Maisie.
In three weeks. The men have
been here and looked over the grounds
and the lumber is on the way. Al
the rooms at the hotel have been en-
gagged for the workmen. You see.
knew about 1t the first one because
hold a first mortgage on Cabot's bis
field" explained Emma Risley impor
family. land Joshua Cabot spoke to III,
about the matter"
When they had chatted themselve.
away Maisie and her mother sat OF
the piazza until the sun went down
They talked about the coming of th,
balloonists and how 1t had been learned
that Bloomfield was chosen becaus,
Of some special advantage 1t possessed
for the purpose. and everybody salt
that once the city excurslonists saw
a what a beautiful spot Bloomfield reall,
was there would start an influx o
summer boarders and possibly a Lane
Isl boom.
b Mother, DEAR" half sighed AIaisie
Il was complaining this very Afternoon
of the dullness here. and as / wake,
home through Cabot's field l was wish
ing almost anything would happen L
break the monotOny. Now that some
thing is going to happen / am feelin,
sorry about the clover fields. They ar
so beautiful"
Mrs. Pomeroy laughed softly an
b caressed her daughters bronze hail
b That's the way with all of us. N
dear / have known for n long tim
that You We're weary of the monotou
of your life, and / cannot blame you
q When ! was a girl somehow we seen
ed to get more out of life even if w
never went away from the village
There We're parties every week an
socials and spelling classes and skatin
parties The winter was always to
short for all the good times we bac
8 Nowadays the girls and young men 9
away to the cities, and those that re
main and marry here don't seem t
care for the old simple pleasures"
Perhaps after the balloon races ar