Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-01-24
A Woodland
Pastoral
By RODNEY DUcAN

81 declare 1t made me think OF the
merry, happy times Of my faraway
otrlhood to see those lovely, CHATTER
ing creatures hustle along past the
house, all sunshine and beauty
II was Grandma Norton who spoke
and Leila. her orphan granddaughter.
her only help and solace In her Ole age
"a bright, winsome creature OF eighi-
~een-smiled in accord with the senti-
ment 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 island and they have
brought q tent and sleeping bags and
! provisions and are bound for a free
splendid time"
Grandma Norton yielded to the In
fuence of a peaceful day dream while
Leila, singing softly. as she always ola
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 q year and they were
to be married the following week.
Leila and Peyton were to live with
grandma and depend on farming Tor
their support.
II was not much of a farm as to
acreage, and the house bore due signs
of age and neglect, for the means or
. 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
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 a terrific storm that
night. It blew a fierce gale, approx
mating a tornado. and the rain was
like a w%aterspout. 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 q crash and Edna Bross. the live
ly sprite Of the girl campers. smiled
down at Leila and In q bound reached
the ground. Leila stared In wonder
ment.
"why, where did you come from?"
she propounded in a mystiied way.
From the loft, and Miss Gresham,
U chaperone. and ten other girls are
up there. oh. that new-mown hay
sweet as roses. and oh, the comfort Of
u novel bed, soaked through as We
werei"
One by one. though less spectacular
ly by the lower open door. the others
Of the girl scout group put In ar 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. II am afraid our
stores are scattered or spoiled by the
rain. We recalled the old barn here
and a grateful shelter 1t was in our
unfortunate dilemma"
But you must need breakfast and
you must dry your soaked clothing"
said Leila. why did you not wake
vi up2 We haven't much room, but
we could have arranged for you some
way. Luckily I 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 oil 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. It was to use the
barn as a dormitory. replenish their
depleted larder and arrange with Leila
to help prepare their meals for q lih-
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 II.
The little group was practical, and
had learned to work as well a. hike.
Each one insisted on giving the house
4 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 triw,ned
up and two rooms had been repapared.
Leila was happy A. Q lark over all this
friendly cooperation. There were
many things she needed. but she was
content.
Edna was on q chair about to re-
move a picture when she lost her bal.
ance. and In Fighting herself found
she had pulled picture. cord and hook
from the wall. and with II little
square OF wood. From the aperture
this panelIihe appurtenance had con.
cealed there fell to the floor a roll OF
bills. Grandma Norton's forgotten
hiding place was revealed.
What q wedding there wasi How
Leila's new friends nuttered about her
and enjoyed a woodland romance that
Kept them In almost n frenxtsd sfst