The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-09-12
Euening Story
The Girl From Goshen.

Some bunch-didn't any of them
/ know this was a picnic-a boating
party that might turn into a water
| fete at any moment If any one should
rock the boat. Why. those girls are
| dolled up for a Shindy!" NO one
| listened to Peters mutterings and he
! grumbleds still more as one girl used a
| lipstick and another dredged her
| pretty nose with powder. Good
night" sighed the practical young
| man. Don't they want the sunshine
| and fresh air to get at their skins
| There's one. however-the little girl
| from Goshen-she's got sensei"
The pretty girls and the stalwart
young men gathered on the pier wait
| ing for Ben Hampton and his motor
boat had not paid much attention to
| the girl from Goshen. who was the
| country cousin of Adele Parks, the
| lipstick girl. Adele was rather ashamed
! of Mildred Fame, who wore a wool
skirt and a white MILDLY blouse and
/ rubber soled canvas shoes.
| She looks a fright" thought Adele
as she teetered about on her French
heeled pumps-'those Isle thread
stockings are cheap looking and there
| isn't speck of powder on her face
freckles on her nose-mercy. what
will the girls think of herr" The
girls probably thought of her as did
pretty Adele-that the demure girl
with the rosy complexion and the
I pOh0SIlAS VI titQGH ITOCAt6S aCTOSS
her charming nose and the vivid red
| lips of perfect health was a fright,
while they. attired in expensive silk
| sport clothes, spent stray moments in
/ renewing their hidden compilations.
| Everybody ready?' sang out Ben
! Hampton as his boat shot up to the
pier; got all the lunch baskets.
sweaters, cameras, ct cetera, and so
forth? Pile in-trim ship there-you
| can't all sit on one side. even if tits
/ l. AN
baskets, eh? Put EN- in the skiff
| astern and I'll trail it; you, young
Teller" meaning Mr.. Bancroft, lest sit
there and keep your eye on the skiff-
know that's tough luck when there's
so many pretty girls about-all
-b-o-a-r-d!!"
The good launch Fairy Queen puff
ed her way out of the harbor and off
toward the long beach in the outer
| bay. Beyond Long Beach was their
goal for the days outing. Little Gull
| island-young Mrs Fay was chaper-
oning them, and the picnic baskets
would furnish refreshments after the
| bathing.
Mildred Fame, the girl from Goshen,
sat beside Peter Bancroft, and because
Peter was so busy watching the skiff
full of baskets that he could not talk
to her she had rather dull time; the
other young people all knew each
other so we'll and were so merry over
their own interesting affairs that Mil
dred wondered if she had not made
| mistake in coming. But Adele had
insisted, and Mildred had SO longed
for the days fun John Lorimer, lis
tening to the merry chatter of the 9TH
er girls and boys, watched the quiet,
soft-eyed country girl and wondered
what she was thinking about as her
fingers were busted with some delicate
crocheting. This quiet girl with the
~ he
| she was spoken to made him think of
his mother.
After Ben Hampton had landed them
at the island and his boat had chugged
| away, not to return until shutdown,
the picrickers scattered along the
beach. They did not have to gather
driftwood for a fire, for they had
brought thermos bottles and cooked
foods in abundance. So they missed
half Of the fun of a beach picnic.
1t was Mildred Fane's eyes that dis
covered the loss of the lunch baskets
"Where are the baskets?" she asked
the other ten as they tripped down the
beach toward the water, clad in bath
ing garments donned in the shelter of
some weatherbeaten lighthouses.
Where have they gone, Mr.. Ban
croft?"
"Why-I put them right there"
confessed Peter, guiltily, pointing to a
spot entirely covered by the rising
tide.
Dismal shrieks rose from the girls
while the men breathed deep accom-
paniment of wrath.
'Look?' cried Mrs. Fay. with a
tragic gesture.
They looked-and saw the six
baskets bobbing away rapidly; once
they thought the tide would return
alas. the baskets were lost in a
smother of foam and went manfully
to the bottom to astonish the fishes.
Every last one-gone," said
Peter in hollow tone.
Adele turned a pretty face toward
him. her dark eyes flashing angrily.
Peter Bancroft, 1 hope you'll starve
to DEATH" she sputtered.
They all laughed then and Peter
apologized, but apologies wouldn't feed
eleven hungry people for kind words
butter no parsnips," as the old saying
goes.
1--WE might forget it all until Ben
comes for us and then we will all dine
heartily, of course-at the hotel"
remarked Lorimer. who was longing
for a swim. 1T isn't much of a hard
ship to skip a meal now and then"
who ever heard of a picnic with
out feod?" asked one of the girls
mournfully.
Let us make this the first one" he
was adding, when Mildred stepped
forward, blushing warmly under the
fire of ten pairs of eyes.
wait a moment, please; my cousin,
Gregory Brown. has a cabin in the
pines back here, he and his friends
come and camp for days at a time,
and there is usually a good supply of
food-some canned things-and I be-
lieve he would not care if we entered
and helped ourselves"
'Fine," they all agreed, and for
getting the swim they followed Mil
bred to the cabin in the pines. Peter
forced a window and entered, open
ing a door for their entrance into a
cozy interior. Mildred investigated the
pantry.
Plenty of salt Goldfish, potatoes,
flour, lard, sugar, coffee, some butter
eggs, but doubtful Timed milk,
and fruit and vegetables Call for
volunteers in the Kitchen" She sur
veyed the erestfallen faces of the girls