The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1919-08-21
A Woodland
Pastoral
Copyright. 1918. western Newspape, Union,
BY RODNEY DucAN


Il declare it made me think of the
merry happy times of my faraway
glrihood to see those lovely, chatter
Ing creatures hustle along past the
mouse, 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-smiled in accord with the senti-
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 a 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.
fuence 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 a 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 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
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, it did not come to
light. Long since Leila had given up
this little fortune as lost beyond re-
covery. 81. y.
There was a terrific storm that
night. 1t blew fierce gale, approx.
mating 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
ment.
"Why, where did you come from?"
she propounded in mystified way.
''From the loft, and Miss Gresham,
our chaperone, and ten other girls are
up there. Oh, that new-mown hayi
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
1.-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 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 arranged for you some
way. Luckily baked yesterday, 50
there is new bread and plenty of but
ter and milk and bacon"
The famished 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,
-four and other provisions thoroughly
soaked and spoiled. Miss Gresham
became serious and thoughtful. Then
she made a suggestion to which Leila
gladly acceded. 1t was to use the
barn as dormitory, replenish their
depleted larder and arrange with Leila
to help prepare their meals for 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 it.
The little group was practical, and
had learned to work as well as hike.
Each one insisted on giving the house
thorough renovation, anticipatory of
thn arriu nj Of fhn hpid Ia