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Show T m r- i ' - '. ' " '" "-' flU "What In tho world!" gaspod Mrs. 'Ihompklns. Tho Thdmpkins woro about to start on tho annual Sunday school picnic glvon by tholr church. Mrs. Thomp-kins Thomp-kins had finished putting dainty Httlo sandwlchos into a largo hamper bas-kot bas-kot and was tucking tho cloth that covorod them nicely down when Mr. Thompklns entered. Ho had on a winter suit of clothes and was carrying a half dozen life preservers on ono arm. Behind him camo a boy carrying rain coats, blankets, blan-kets, a medlclno chest, a half dozen umbrellas and numerous mysterious looking packages. "Mrs. Thompklns," said tho head of tho houso, Impressively, "this is ono picnic at which thero will be somo ono who had brains enough to pro-paro pro-paro properly for emergencies. "I proposo to-day to demonstrate how ono can go to a picnic and enjoy oneself and mnko others havo a good timo. It Invariably rains at a picnic. Yet, how many think to provide themselves them-selves with umbrellas and rain coats? It always turns cold at a picnic; yet peoplo go out wearing tho thinnest clothes thoy happen to havo. Children Chil-dren go boat riding and fall Into tho wator and are drowned because no ono had sonso enough to put llfo preservers pre-servers on them. Some ono is sun- struck because they had no parasol over their heads, and thero Is no blanket for them to lie down on in the shade as thero should be. Some ono takes poison, but there Is no one handy with an emetic. Some ono Is accidentally quot, and thero is no ono standing by ready to remove tho bullet. bul-let. I have taken tho precaution to I guard against unpleasant incidents occurring oc-curring at this picnic. As superintendent superin-tendent of the Sunday school I shall see the children aro safeguarded against accldont. V will proceed." Arrived at the picnic grounds Mr. Thompklns oallcd all the children around him and Informed them that no ono was to go boat riding without putting on a life preserver and carrying carry-ing an umbrella, so there would bo no danger of their either being sun-struck sun-struck or drowned. Thero wan a walling wall-ing protest, but Mr. Thompklns stood firm, and so tho children put on tho llfo preservers and took their umbrol-las. umbrol-las. Tho boys who had to row the boats pointed out that thoy could not row and hold umbrellas over tholr heads at tho same tlmo, and so another an-other boy was appointed to sit behind tho one who rowed and hold tho umbrella. um-brella. The boats had no sooner got out Into the stream than thero was a collision between two of them. Tho oarsmen could not seo tho other boats bocauso of the umbrellas held over their hoads and tho colliding boats promptly keeled over, and with many whoops and howls tho occupants went Into tho water. "Hurrah, hurrah!" shouted Mr. Thompklns, jumping up- nnd down. "Ah, my wonderful foresight! Thoy'vo all got llfo preservers on. Get out the medicine chest nt ouco." Mr. Thompklns was throwing off his coat and shoes, and ns ho did so shouted: "I will rescuo them. Tho preservers will hold them up until' I reach them and bring them safe to ihoro." Then he dived madly Into tho .river. V His head and shoulders went out ot S sight, but his foot romalnod abovo wa- JI- ter, kicking violently. One ot the' hack. jlf drivers and Mrs. Thompklns grabbed IIS tho heels and after a violent tug sue- ;J coedod In pulling Mr. Thompklns baclc I on Bhoro. With a pleco ot wood they ill dug mud out of his eyes and cars and ill then excavated a placo for his mouth ffi so that ho could talk. "Savo tho children," gaspod Mr. m Thompklns. "I dived into tho mud." Sj "Why, tho children are splashing to water on each other and having a. H pleasant time," said Mrs. Thompklns. "Tho water is only about two feot jE deep. I don't think you noed mind Jlx . rescuing them." jK Mr. Thompklns looked utterly crushed and crawlod down to tho river K nnd washed tho mud off his faco and; H then retired to his medlclno cheat, ft where he sat waiting for tho terrible m accident that ho know was sunt to- H como. Suddenly thero was a sharp report, and a small girl appeared, crying vie- Icntly. Mr. Thompklns with a bound I throw open tho medicine cheat and H grabbed out an array of shining K knives, court plaster, and bandages. Ho threw a book at Mrs. Thompklns W and ordered her to find the chapter on "What To Do in Caso ot GunBhot M Wounds." "Don't cry, little girl," commanded Mr. Thompklns. "Keep porfect-ly cooU Wo will take- tho bullet right out. Now, where are you woundod?" "I hain't wounded," said tho small-girl. small-girl. "Tommy Hawkins is shooting off firecrackers an' he won't let me shoot any." Mr. Thompklns looked as thojpl he thought tho small child had done him a personal injury. He sat down and . Bulkod whilo he waited for tho day --J to turn cold or for a heavy rain to- 1 commenco falling or somebody to get I killed or drowned. Ho waa terribly I downcast, but on the way home, when ho was expecting Mrs. Thompklns to- mako somo sly dig at him for carrying a lot ot useless traps to a picnic, he felt Immonsoly rollevod and delighted when she said: "And I am so glad you took all tho things you did to the picnic." "Ah," said Mr. Thompklns, sitting- 1 up and smiling. "I was afraid you I wouldn't think much of my prudence- 1 and forethought" 1. "O, Indeed, I do," replied Mrs. Thompklns. "You seo, yhen you are-prepared are-prepared for emergencies and sit around looking for accidents to happen, hap-pen, why, nothing ever happens. Mrs. Bright Bays sho wants you to be sure-to sure-to como to their picnic next week and . to imagine all sorts of dreadful things, and Mrs. Jones wants you to como to their picnic, and, in fact, I think you'll bo In great demand. Tho children all: think you aro a splendid mascot and thoy want to tlo pink ribbons in your beard llko they did with tho goat thoy had for a mascot last year. They" say you aro a much hotter mascot: than tho goat" Mr. Tliompkina climbed up on tho- I scat and rode tho rest of tho way I homo with tho driver. Ho has quit going to picnics. Chicago Chi-cago Trlbuno. |