The Wrangell sentinel., 1920-08-19
BLUEBERRIES
By HELEN AHLQUIST


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- isted in town over ledger AS weeks of 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 she spied bunch of mountain laurel 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 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 a minute anyway"
 But she was 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 berry!
 You see," he started apologetically, "I-"
 Don't you dare to say another word." Betty Interrupted rudely, "you-"
 q was just going to-" he continued valantly with his explanation, only to be cut short again by Betty.
 T don't care what you were going to do. You spilled every one of my berries-every one of them," she added tragically. You ought to be arrested for robbery, so there! I think you're a-you're a." But she couldn't think of 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 thing 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 moun- 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 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, "Grampy will forget little things like that, you know"
 Betty acknowledged the introduction frigidly and as frigidly excused her self. Granny looked with troubled expression from one to the other and then hastily followed Betty upstairs.
 "Why, Honey, what's the matter? I never saw you in such a mood before. MT. Moore Is friend of Wills, and I'm sure he couldn't be nicer! I was just going to ask you to show him around the farm"
 "Oh, I couldn't do that" exclaimed Betty in horror, T just couldn't. Why he's the man that spilled my blue berriesl"
 Granny was most sympathetic person usually and she realized if she laughed at Betty's tragic statement that she'd never be forgiven. She door behind her. and then sat down and laughed till the tears rolled down her cheeks. She even took Granny and Mir. Moore into her confidence and the three of them considered 1t a huge joke.
 But they had figured without Betty. She didn't think 1t joke, and for the whole week didn't say word to Mir. Moore. She avoided him whenever she could. and when this was impossible. looked miles past him if they chanced to meet.
 "Never you mind, Mir. Moore," Cram my consoled him, "shes stubborn as mule, but she'll get over 1t; 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 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 good spankingl" His thoughts were rudely interrupted, and quickly he ran to the kitchen.
 "Oh, Granny, Granny, oh anybody" she cried, "the Kitchens on fre."
 And sure enough-somehOw or other the box of kindlings by the stove had caught, and was blazing merrlly 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.
 T