Evening star., 1922-05-27

shining white in the late aft
ernoon sunlight High on the
bluffs above it, the jumpers
and scrub oaks let their aromatic
spiciness mingle with the sweet odors
being washed ashore by the gently
| tapping tide. The beach fire had
burned low, but the camping racks,
propped on stones across the embers.
were cleaning hot. On a smaller fire
nearby the huge coffee pot was
steaming.
Merriam Lindsay. a lowered pima
fore enveloping her walking togs,
knelt beside the fire.
exulted at Hal and Jerry Blaisdell.
as they held a gigantic steak aloft
The biggest COW in the world must
have died for our sweet sakes."
The Dubois girl. apparently the
only member Of the party who was
making herself useful. gazed at the
raw flesh with awe.
Pm glad 1 don't have to cook all
that" she exclaimed.
It's the fire that does it, Hal
Blaisdell reassured her. I'VE wouldn't
think of asking any heap sweet
sQuaw to do all that"
The four of them were earnestly
trying to get the picnic supper ready,
but they had suffered from more
hindrance than help from the rest of
the party.
In sheer despair, Merriam had
shooed the rest away for a game of
hand ball farther down the beach.
For "Yumpy" johnson, Paul Gresham
Rich Slocum and John Lindsay had
had but one idea-that the more logs
they piled on the fire, the quicker
they could eat.
The Hawley girl and the two
Arnolds were sitting disconsolately on
log nearby. endeavoring to repair
their complexions. Hal Blaisdell had
conflscated their vanity boxes early
in the afternoon. and restored them
only with Merriam's express COM
mand. For it was the first time that
had picnicked with the Blaisdells. and
they had found 1t to be a much more
strenuous affair than they had antici-
pated.
For to the Blaisdells a picnic was
not picnic unless it included two
The sight of the steak on the
grill was rather too much for the
ball players. They charged as one
man the moment the meat siZzled
against the rack. Merriam sat back
on her heels and shouted at them.
She looked every charming with her
gypsylike scarf tied about her bronze
curls and with her cheeks flushed
| from the Pretending. She waved
giant fork aloft.
steak is four inches thick and
weighs exactly seventeen pounds.
It's going to take ages to cook, and
if one of you SO much as puts a
silver of kindling on my perfect fire
i shall have the women and children
- ~
der his nose and arch his eye
brows"'
The Dubois girl wac rummaging in
the camp kit.
Where's the forks. Hail." she
asked, artlessly.
Laughter rewarded her.
Forks" the Blaisdell boys taunt-
ed in perfect duet.
This is the onliest fork allowed"
Merry waved her weapon. Jerry
win cut the meat in thumb bits. and
the breads are all spread. and there's
cept-' she entreated Hal with a
gesture toward the big hatbox on
! the sand. "Show them, Hal-the big
gest. thickest. sugariest and spiciest
deep,dish apple pie in the whole
carver. The steak is ready"
"And so are the drinks" Young
Gresham was returning from the
smaller car with two large thermos
bottles, which he shook suggestiyely
Cheers greeted him.
Only the Blaisdell boys and John
were uncomfortably silent. Merriam
eyed the boys compassIonately. They
had given their father a promise
after somewhat wild party-that
they would drink no more until they
were past twenty-one. She jumped
to her feet, thrust her arms through
theirs, led them to John, nudged Hal
to annex John to the quartet and
gave a loud-sighing "Hu-um- um," ("
in amusing imitation of a tuning
fork. And the next moment the rest
of the party were shouting at the
mock pious chant that burst forth
We four hain't very good. no not mootch;
But we cannot drink your hootch
Once we drank some and oh-ouch:
Mister Thorne Blaisdell fned-onr whole
boonch!
We're-now-e -bad-men!
The somewhat abashcd Gresham
tinkled his bottles again. Poppy Du-