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Show f BIT OF GREEN I By CLSIE COLBY ItMrJHlkt IUI Wrslwn Hf ISHS 'So) girls, t benr lloh tlordon I home, nntl they ny ho lin. cnllrtrd pud tipecta to lie cnlled nwny nny llrae," - wild Hetty. 1 .Mr. Pale, with her throe girls, Ann, jllitty nml Kntc. were scntod nt tho I supper tnbtc. Her husband died ninny ijitir before, leaving n ctunforlnblo ' fnrm, by which the Dales mnnnccil to cnrii tlu Ir living. j Itoliert (lorilon wlmo father owned I the nest fnrm, half njnlle nwny, hml ibctn n grcnt chum with the clrU In I tliclr curlj school ilny but when school j had ended lie hod gone West' to live j with nn uncle. It wn rutnorctl Hint n lovora' tmnrrcl hnstcned his ilcpnrtttre. I "I should think he would linve been 1 over tn ste us by this time," n mnrketl .Mr. I)nlc. "He nlvn did enjoy rontnlng tvrnumt our fnrm," with n glnnco nt Ann. "He'll be over, don't wnrrv," Ann snltl nlotid, nntl to herself, 'but '111 tnnnnge not to he nt home." "Von bet lie will," declared Kate. "'Cnttse I'm going over to see Mm tomorrow." to-morrow." After the dinner illshe were wnshed nml everything cleared nwny, Hie Doles nlvvnya settled down In their comfortable comforta-ble sitting room. The conversation I drifted to Itoliert fionlon nnd to various vari-ous other topic of tho ilny. I rinnlly Ann okc tip: "I'm going hlueberr) Ing tomorrow morning. Anybody Any-body vvnnt to go with mc7" "I wish 1 could," nnweVetl Hetty, I "hut I've got some Ironing to do." "Anil I've got tn finish making Hint 1 bine ilres. of mine," nnswered Kntc. I "Well. I gtics yott will linve In go nlone, Ann." snltl Mr. Dnle. "You know I never go." Tlio next morning Ann wn up bright nml early, but not before her mother, for Mrs. Dnle wn nlwnjs up enrly. I With two good Mxcd pnlls Ann stnrtetl off. "Look nut for snake," wan her mother' lust warning. I It seemed lo May right In Ann's j rnlnil for she wo nlwayt thinking I about them. j It began In get Inte. Ann wn picking pick-ing 11 few berries tn linve the pall brimful, win n she spied something I moving. It wn green. I "A snnkel" screamed Ann. 1 NI10 turned nml ran Jut 11 fnst nn I she muld go, looking linik every now I anil then tn see If the reptile wn : pursuing her. when suddenly bump! Whnt wn Hint 7 Turning her henil Ann saw n flnHooklng young man looking ilottn nt tier. "Wli cr er, I beg your pardon, Itob. Kr I mi an .Mr. Gordon," slio panted. Oh, Hint' nil right, Ann. Kr Miss Dnle. Hut why the sudden rush? "Oh, I don't know; I'm ho frightened! fright-ened! I wnv picking blueberries ImicU there, when I saw 11 big green snako coming right nt me, nnd I rnn, Hint's all. Pit use don't cull me Miss Dnle, Itob. Ann, If ymi please. Oh. I wns so frlghtcncdl" Ann Hwnjcd, hut Unit caught her and by funning Iter with his lint he soon brought her bnck to liir senses ngaln. In Ik r rush Ann hml spilled most of her berries nnd ltnli helped Ittr tn fill the pnlls ngnln, and then nccomiwnted Iter home. As he left her nt Ihe gate he whispered whis-pered : "WVrc till made up, aren't we, Annr "I spo so," Inugheil Ann, nml ho tripped Into the house. "Whnt make j ou look so happy 1" rjuestloneil Hetty ns Ann t ntcred. Oh, something," she answered. "Well, keep It," Hetty pouted. "Koto went ovir In sen Itob, but they Mild hn Inn) gone bluclicrrjlng. You didn't sec him, did )(iu1" "Didn't I, though!" wing Ann ns she sallied Into tho next room. A week Inter a ltnli and Ann wtro strolling nlong tlio country ronil, nrin In nrm, nnd lifter tho one word of nil words, "jes," hml been snltl, Itob questioned ques-tioned Ann. "Well, denr, what do jou wnnt for your tngngemint gift!" "An riiiorulil ring." piped Ann. "An oneroid! Don't nti vvnut ft diamond?" "No, an emerald. You see, It wns n gnen snnke." "Oh'" laughed Itob. "So that's It? Well, you slinll havo It." "Well, jn ecu, If It lindu't been for that llttlo grei n snnko (Ann hud fully tli-t Itletl It wit little) why our frit ml ship would Imvo been broken forevir, nml now ever) thing Is mtnilcd. Tho llttlo green hiitiko wns ripoiilliU, Hob." Roll ogrcotl, nml Uric to. Ids promise One mjtht Ktimo das later thn Dnle family wns ugnlti sentetl nt thn Hipper tnblo. "Wtist's Hist )oti'vn got on our finger thore?" nslisl Hetty. At the snmn time polnlltig In the ring ihi (ho third finger of Ann's Imnd, "Wli, that's ti ring," answered unconcerned un-concerned Ann with u smile on her face. "Come, now, toll us all nbmit It." nlped Kate. Ann tlhl. Hho told nhotit the green snaltt nnd nil. Mr. Dnle wnwt't u bit surprised, for shu hml been let Into tho secret long 11 go. Tho girls Iu'jkIiihI nnd Itt-ttj snug out: "Oh, j on little green snnkel" When lloh left (o do his bit for Uncle Sam, Ann sent him nwuy with n smile nlthough It fcet mini ns though her heart would brcuk, Hut perhaps she thought of the little bit of green that sent her tho good luck to have a soldier boy to stail auay with smile. |