Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-01-09
The Daily
Short Story
L WOODLAND PASTORAL
By Rodney Ducan

chattering creatures hustle along
past the house, all sunshine and
beauty"
1t was Grandma Norton who
spoke, and Leila, her orphan grand
daughter, her only help and solace
in her old age-a bright, winsome
creature of eighteen-smiled in &C
cord with the sentiment expressed.
They are girl scouts, grandma, )"
she said. There are a full dozen
of them, with the young lady in
charge. They are to have a weeks
outing on the other end of the is
land and they have brought a tent
and sleeping bags and provisions
and are bound for a free, splendid
time"
Grandma Norton yielded to the
influence of a peaceful day dream
while Leila, singing softly as she
always did when working about the
house, went about her duties, divid-
ing her thoughts between the gay
group whose pleasures she would
have liked to share and Peyton
Ward. They haG been engaged for
over a year and they were to be
married the following week. Leila
and Peyton were to live with grand
ma and depend on farming for their
support.
1t was not much of a farm as to
acreage, and the house bore due
signs of age and neglect, for the
means of the Nortons were small.
When her husband died Mrs. Norton
had over a thousand dollars saved
up. She had a spell of sickness and
recovered from it considerably
aged and with memory impaired.
She declared she had hidden the
money somewhere about the house,
but, although a protracted search
was made, it did not come to light.
Long since Leila had given up this
fortune as lost beyond recovery.
There was a terrific storm that
night. 1t blew a fierce gale, ap-
proximating a tornado, and the rain
was like a waterspout. The sun
had come out with early dawn,
however, and Leila was feeding the
chickens when the loft door of the
old barn opened with crash and
Edna Bross, the lively sprite of the
girl campers, smiled down at Leila
and in a bound reached the ground.
Leila stared in wonderment.
why, where did you come
FROM" she propounded in a mys-
titled way.
From the loft, and Miss Gres-
ham, our chaperone, and ten other
girls are up there. oh, that new
mown hay! sweet as roses, and, oh,
the comfort of our novel bed, soak
al thrOuph az we Waralp
One by one, though less spectac-
ularly by the lower open door the
others of the girl scout group put
in an appearance. Miss Gresham
approached Leila and explained
their predicament.
1.-The storm tore our tent to
pieces and blew the fragments out
into the lake" she narrated. Il am
afraid our stores are scattered or
spoiled by the rain. We recalled
the old barn here and a grateful
shelter it was in our unfortunate
dilemma"
But you must need breakfast
and you must dry your soaked
clothing" said Leila why did
you not wake us up? We haven't
much room, but we could have ar
ranged for you some way. Luckily
baked yesterday, so there is new
bread and plenty of butter and milk
and bacon"
The famished group dispatched
the wholesome farm fare set, before
them, and then all hands, Leila in
cluded, went down to the dismant-
led camp. The tent was indeed
gone, and sugar, flour and other
provisions thoroughly soaked and
spoiled. Miss Gresham became ser
ious and thoughtful. Then she
made a suggestion to which Leila
gladly acceded. 1t was to use the
barn as a dormitory, replenish their
depleted larder and arrange with
Leila to help prepare their meals
for a liberal compensation. This
meant some needed bridal acces-
series for the sweet-spirited girl,
whom her guests soon learned to
love. Nor was this all. Edna's
active mind evolved an idea with
which her companions were speed
lily in harmony. She had learned of
the romance in Leila's life and in
sisted on celebrating it.
The little group was practical,
and had learned to work as well as
hike. Each one insisted on giving
the house a thorough renovation,
anticipatory of the arrival of the
expected bridegroom. At the end of
three days the floors, woodwork
and furniture fairly shone, the gar
den had been trimmed up and two
rooms had been repapered. Leila
was happy as a lark over all this
cooperation. There we're |
many things she NEEDED, but she |
was content.
Edna was on a chair about to re- !
move a picture when she lost her |
balance. and in righting herself |
found she had pulled picture, cord !
and hook from the wall, and with |
it a little square of wood. From |
the aperture this panel-like appur-
tenance had concealed there fell to |
the floor a roll of bills. Granda |
Norton's forgotten hiding place was
revealed.
What a wedding there was, How !
Leila's new friends fluttered about
her and enjoyed a woodland ro-
nance that kept them in almost a
frenzied state of excitement all the |
time! Peyton Ward turned out to
be a handsome, happy-hearted
Young man, Just as charming as his
SWEET little wife, and life was the
brighter and better with the girl
scout coterie for the happiness they
mad helped to bring about.
MENU HINT.
Breakfast.