Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-13

BLUEBERRiES
W HELEN AHLaUIsT
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.


since 8 o'clock that morning and with
q great sigh Of satisfaction as she
noticed that the top Of her pail was
nicely rounded with berries IN top at
| last started for the little red farm
house where she had been boarding
with Granny" and Granny" Rob-
bins for the past two weeks. She ex-
listed in tewn over a ledger 4S weeks Of
the year and lived for the four she
spent In the country each summer. She
sang as she trudged along. with neve
a care in the wprld except getting back
home In time for dinner.
She had gone about half way when
by Atwood's ledge. She had often
heard Granny Robbins bewail its
scarcity In their vicinity, SO she care.
fully put her pail Of berries under q
clump Of bushes which were near BY
and started of to get a bunch Of 1t.
They'll be perfectly safe there"
she thought, "and I'll only be gone a
minute anyway"
But she vas gone over an hour and
got back just in time to see a young
man ruefully trying to gather up the
contents Of the pail. He had spilled
every berryl
"You see" he started apologetically,
"I-"
Don't you dare to say another
word" Betty interrupted rudely,
"you-"
II was just going to-" he continued
Yallantly with his explanation, only to
be cut short again by Betty.
~ don't care what you were going
to do. You spilled every n Of my
berries-every one of them" she added
tragically. "You ought to be arrested
for robbery, 80 therel I think you're
a-you're "a" But she couldn't think
Of a word Of sufficient expression to
describe him, so he took advantage Of
her pause to finish his explanation.
"To sit down." he murmured con-
tritely.
Betty gave him a look Of whitening
scorn and started on her way again
while he stood watching her repent
antly.
"There isn't a thing I can do about
It," he murmured hopelessly. "She's a
regular little spitfire."
Betty was nearly home when she re-
membered that she had left her noun
tain laurel behind and went back to
get 1t. When finally she reached the
farmhouse there sat the offender on
the piazza comfortably chatting away
with Granny Robbinsl Granny saw
her from the kitchen window and hur-
ried out to introduce her to the new
boarder, for, as she so often said,
"Grampy will forget little things like
that, you know"
Betty acknowledged the Introduction
frigidly and as frigidly excused her.
self. Granny looked with a troubled
expression from one to the other and
then hastily followed Betty upstairs.
"Why, Honey, what's the matter? /
never saw you in such a mood before.
Mr.. Moore Is a friend Of Wills, and
I'm sure he couldn't be nicerl I was
Just going to ask you to show him
around the farm"
"Oh, I couldn't do that" exclaimed
Betty in horror, II just couldn't. Why,
he's the man that spilled my blue
berries !"
Granny was q most sympathetic
person usually and she realized If she
laughed at Betty's 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 down
her cheeks. >She even took Granny and
Mr.. Moore into her confidence and the
three Of them considered 1t q huge
joke.
But they had figured without Betty.
She didn't think 1t a joke, and for the
whole week didn't say a word to Mr..
Moore. She avoided him whenever she
could, and when this was impossible,
looked miles past him If they CHANGED
to meet.
"Never you mind, Mr.. Moore" Gram
my consoled him, "she's stubborn as
a mule, but she'll get over it; just you
wait and see If she doesn't"
And that very same day Betty did
"get over it." The Robbinses went
shopping down the square" and left
Betty at home to get supper. Moore,
leisurely reading in the hammock,
could hear her singing as she worked,
and regretted that such a small ac-
cident should keep them from being
friends. "She's acting just like an
eight-year-old." he thought, land all
she needs is a good spanking His
thoughts were rudely interrupted. and
quickly he ran to the kitchen.
"Oh, Granny, Granny, oh anybody"
she cried, "the Kitchens on fire."
And sure enough-somehow or other
the box Of kindlings by the stove had
caught, and was blazing merrily away,
but the two Of them put 1t out In a
second. After the excitement was
over, Betty bravely started to thank
him. but she only stammered for a
while, and then quite suddenly burst
into tears.
"Oh, come now, please don't" urged
poor Moore awkwardly, really, you
mustn't do that. You see," he added
brightly, to cheer her up, "Im glad
it happened, because now we're going
to be friends, real friends, aren't wei
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