The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-11-29

BLUEBERRIES
BY HELEN AHLoulsT


Betty had been picking blueberries II
since o'clock that morning and with II
great sigh of satisfaction as she II
noticed that the top of her pail was Il
nicely rounded with berries on top at II
last started for the little red farm
mousse where she had been boarding II
with Granny" and "Grampy" Rob
bins for the past two weeks. She ex-
listed In town over ledger As weeks of Il
the year and lived for the four she
spent in the country each summer. She |
sang as she trudged along, with never
care in the world except getting back
home in time for dinner
She had gone about half way when l
she spied a bunch of mountain laurel
by Atwood's ledge She had often-i
heard Granny Robbins bewail its
scarcity in their vicinity so she care
fully put her pail of berries under a |
clump of bushes which were near by |
and started off to get bunch of it.
They'll be perfectly safe there"
she thought, land I'll only be gone |
minute anyway"
But she was gone over an hour and
got back just in time to see young
man ruefully trying to gather up the |
contents of the pail. He had spilled
every berry!
you see," he started apologetically |
FL
Don't you dare to say another
word" Betty interrupted rudely |
you"
Il was just going to-" he continued
valiantly with his explanation, only to !
be cut short again by Betty
u don't care what you were going
to do. You spilled every one of nv
berries-every one of Them" she added |
tragically. "You ought to be arrested |
for robbery, so there | think you're |
a-you're a" But she couldn't think |
of word of sufficient expression 10
describe him, so he took advantage of |
her pause to finish his explanation.
"To sit down" he murmured con
trtely
Betty gave him a lock Of ~ He
scorn and started on her way again
while ne stood watching hor repent. |
antly
There isn't thing can do about
It," he murmurcd hopelessly. shes a |
regular little s,,ittre."
Betty was nearly home when she re. |
membered that she had left her noun. |
tain laurel behind and went back to
get it. When finally she reached the |
farmhouse there sat the offender on
the piazza comfortably chatting away
with Granny Robbins. Granny saw
her from the kitchen window and hur. |
ried out to introduce her to the new
boarder, for, as she so often said. |
Granny will forget little things like
that, You know
Betty acknowledged the Introduction
frgidly and as frigidly excused her.
self. Granny looked with troubled
expression from one to the other and
then hastily followed Betty upstairs.
"hVs liNilNs, WHAT liit j
never saw you in such mood before.
Mr., Moore is a friend of Wills, and
I'm sure he couldn't be nicerl | was
just going to ask you to show him
around the farm"
oh couldn't do that" exclaimed
Betty in horror, II just couldn't. Why,
he's the man that spilled my blue
berries!"
Granny was a most sympathetic
person usually and she realized if she
laughed at Bettys tragic statement
that she'd never be forgiven. She
hastily ran down stairs, shutting the
door behind her, and then sat down
and laughed till the tears rolled dOwr
her cheeks. She even took Granny ani
Mr.. Moore into her confidence and the
three of them considered it hug,
joke.
But they had figured without Betty
She didn't think it joke, and for tn,
whole week didn't say word to Mr.
Moore, She avoided him whenever sh
>Vu'u' anu Wueu lib was ihpoSSiuie
looked miles past him if they chance,
to meet.
Never you mind, Mr.. Moore" Gram
my consoled him, shes stubborn a
mule, but she'll get over it; just yo
walt and see if she doesn't"
And that very same day Betty di
get over it." The Robbinses wen
shopping down the square" and LEI
neoy at home to get supper. Moore
ie'sureiy reading in the hammocl
could hear her singing as she WORKED
ana regretted that such a small a,
caent should keep them from bein
friends Shes acting just like a
esht-Sear-old," he thought, land a
sue needs is a good spanking" H
"oughts were rudely interrupted, an
quickly he ran to the kitchen.
Oh, Granny, Granny, oh anybody
we cried, the kitchens on fire"
ana sure enOugh-eomehow or 9th
ne box of kindlings by the stove ht
@usnt, and was blazing merfily ava
Wy tne two of them put it out in
e'Ohu. After the excitement w
~ ~ei' Betty bravely started to thai