Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1919-05-21
A Woodland
Pastoral +.
BY RODNEY DUcAN

merry, happy times of my faraway
girlhood to see those lovely, chatter
ing creatures hustle along past the
house. all sunshine and beauty -
1t was Grandma Norton who spoke,
and Leila. her orphan granddaughter,
her only help and solace in her old age
"a bright, winsome creature of eight
een-sm!led In accord with the sent-
ment expressed.
They are girl scouts, grandma" she
said. There are full dozen of them,
with the young lady in charge. They
are to have weeks outing on the
other end of the island and they have
brought tent and sleeping bags and
provisions and are bound for free.
splendid time"
Grandma Norton yielded to the in
huence of peaceful day dream while
Leila, singing softly, as she always did
when working about the house. went
about her duties, dividing her thoughts
between the gay group whose pleas
ures she would have liked to share
and Peyton Ward. They had been en-
gagged for over year and they were
to be married the following week.
Leila and Peyton were to live with
grandma and depend on farming for
| their support
1t was not much of d farm as to
/ acreage, and the house bore due signs
| of age and neglect for the means of
| the Nortons were smar. When her
! husband died Mrs. Norton had over
| thousand dollars saved up. She had
| spell Of sickness and recovered from
! 1t considerably aged and with memory
impaired. She declared she had hid
! den the money somewhere about the
house; but, although a protracted
| search was made, 1t did not come to
| light. Long since Leila had given up
! this little fortune as lost beyond re-
! covery.~
There was terrific storm that
| night. 1t blew a fierce gale, approx.
mating a tornado, and the rain was
| like 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 a crash and Edna Bross, the live
| ly sprite of the girl campers, smiled
down at Leila and in bound reached
the ground. Leila stared in wonder
4 ment.
why, where did you come from 2"
she propounded in mystified way.
From the loft, and Miss Gresham,
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, soaked through as we
! were!"
One by one, though less spectacular
| ly by the lower open door, the others
of the girl scout group put in an ap-
| pearance. Miss Gresham approached
Leila and explained their predicament.
THE storm tore our tent to pieces
and blew the fragments out into the
lake" she narrated. 81 am afraid our
stores are scattered or spoiled by the
rain. We recalled the old barn here
and grateful shelter 1t was In our
unfortunate dilemma"
| Dul soo uusl ueeu DTchkIaSt ana
| you must dry your soaked clothing"
said Leila. 'Why did you not wake
us up? We haven't much room, but
we could have arranged for you some
way. Luckily l baked yesterday, so
there IS new bread and plenty of but
ter and milk and bacon"
The famlshed group dispatched the
wholesome farm fare set before them.
| and then all hands, Leila included.
went down to the dismantled camp
| The tent was indeed gone, and sugar,
Hour and other provisions thoroughly
soaked and spoiled. Miss Gresham
became serious and thoughtful. Then
she made suggestion to which leila
| gladly acceded. 1t was to use the
barn as dormitory, repenish their
| depleted larder and arrange with Leila
to help prepare their meals for a lib
eral compensation. This meant some
needed bridal accessories 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
speedily in harmony. She had learned
Of the romance In Leila's life and in
sisted on celebrating 1t.
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 bride
groom. At the end of three days the
floors. woodwork and furniture fairly
shone, the garden had been trimmed
up and two rooms had been repapered.
Leila was happy as lark over all this
friendly cooperation. There were
many things she needed. but she was
content
Edna was on a chair about to re-
move picture when she lost her bal
ance, and in righting herself found
she had pulled picture, cord and hook
1