Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-30

smiled at the little nursery governess
who was sitting With Bobby in the
window seat. II wonder IT you anu
Bobby wouldn't like to play today? we
are going to picnic at the pine grove
and"
"Oh. mother honey" Bobby FLUNG
his sturdy self at his parent. VIII
there be lemonade and chicken sanu-
witches? And can | wear my new Wh'te
Tommy Tucker suit?'
Eyes. to everything" laughed Mrs;
Bliss, kissing him and moving toward
the door. "Can you be ready In fifteen
minutes. Miss Newton
"Of course we can, Mrs. Bliss. we
wouldn't miss a picnic for the world.
would we Bobby" She jumped up and
nut away books and toys. come
childie"
Thev danced down the corridor to
Bobby's room where nurse quickly put
him into the much admired suit In
the meantime BETH Newton brushed
ler red brown hair and slipped into
dainty pale blue Bingham frock, then
the girl and the little boy went sedate-
Nv down stairs to the front Veranda
where three motor cars were waiting
for, the merry house party that mad
filled the Bliss country. home for ten
days.
some of the girls and women came
z
kindly to the little governess; one OF
them. Miss Nugent, tall, graceful and
carelessly kind in her manner. intro
duced Beth right and left, until pres.
emily the girl found herself In timld
conversation with Mr.. Carl Bellew, so
many times 4 millionaire that no one
troubled to remember exactly how
many dollars there were and only re.
called that he was Just as nice as II
ne didn't have a penny.
At last they Were off. Beth and
Bobby tucked away in the tonneau Of
!, the last car with Mr.. and Mrs. Mitchell,
i the footrnan and the lunch baskets
which overlooked on to the running
boards and the luggage carriers.
This is jolly" cried Bobby enthus-
, iastically as they swept out Of the
driveway and turned up the road that
led to Pine Mountain.
Beth smiled absentiy. Perhaps she
was thinking that it might have been
pleasanter If she had been in, one of the
other large cars among that merry
crowd Of girls and young men. But she
chided herself sharply for the momen-
tary discomfort and was soon her own
accustomed happy self, enjoying the
unexpected holiday to the utmost.
At the pine grove the picnic hampers
were unloaded James the footman,
built fire, and was then allowed to re-
turn home with the machines. They
were to come for the picnickers at sun
down zone can't have jolly picnic
with servants around Mrs. Bliss had
decided.
Leaving the fire to take care of itself
the party trooped through the pines to
the glade where waterfall tumbled
among the brown rocks. An acrid smell
Of burning brought them running to the
campfire.
IA The fire had over-crept the boundar
les Of it's encircling stones and had
licked, its way among the pine needles
&until IT reached the cour large hampers.
There was nothing left Of the food
save blackened remnants, and Of the
hampers there remained only charred
splinters. AS the picknickers reached
THE scene the last soda water bottle ex-
ploded with slckening report
Seven miles from anywhere" groan-
ed Mrs. Bliss.
And not tning to eat" added Mrs.
Mitchell blankly.
"Or to drink" mourned Mr.. Mitchell
as he grubbed among the ruins Of the
hampers.
There was murmur Of discomfort
among the young people. Some Of the
men volunteered to walk back to the
house and bring something to eat but
the question vas quickly decided when
"a few heavy drops of rain fell.
Where is the nearest shelter?" ask
ed Carl Bellew.
ct must be old Ned Blake's shanty,"
replied Mrs. Bliss. AT least it will keep
us dry for awhile. Come. everybody"
Some one laughed . spirit Of sdven-
ture into the party and so they hasten
ed down the slope until under the
shoulder Of the mountain they reached
long, weather beaten shanty built
,,e+ hat jfe
rear wall.
Ned Blake was a hermit who gained
a living by gathering herbs and berries
In season.
Repeated knocks upon the door
brought no response. "The latchstring
is out" suggested Beth Newton.
Carl Bellew pulled the Itch string
and pushed open the weather. beaten
door. The poor furnishings were spot
lessly clean and neat but the hermit
was absent.
I'VE must find something to eat and
we can pay Ned when he returns" said
Mrs. Bliss as she sank down in cush-
toned Boston rocker, while the young
people found seats on the rag carpeted
floor before the open fireplace.
Soon Carl Ballew had a fire Of hick
DRY logs blazing on the hearth while
Lillian Nugent and Beth Newton ex-
piOl Slc parity. AlloS ANuSCl1I lctuI ii
ed to the living room.
There isn't a bit Of cooked food in
the place-not even bread!' she an
nounced. There are flour and sugar
and eggs and potatoes and some canned
sthings-what can we do? Do any Of you
girls know how to cook eggs?"
Miss Tyler confessed that she had
made creamed eggs in chatting dish
at home-but-she shrugged her shoul-
8ders
The other women were silent Beth
Newton stood in the Kitchen door way,
her face pink with shyness: she looked
distractingly pretty at that moment.
IF you don't mind waiting a half
hour / believe l could prepare some
thing fit to eat she announced timid-
~.
They applauded her enthusiastically
and offered to help. She accepted Miss
Tyler for an assistant in the kitchen,
and Lillian Nugent opened the tiny
cupboard and prepared to set the
table for dozen people from the her
Yt1if'c ptV of Crnpl<erH