"You seem to laugh a great deal," said Beth.
He at once stopped and said:
"It is a weakness of mine, and now let me beg a favor of you. Will you
come back to the porch, and sit in a Chippendale chair, and let me take
your picture for the sale at the church?"
"Yes, I don't mind at all," said Beth promptly, turning around and
putting her hand in his. "You see Mrs. Tildy Ann and grandmother were
having such a long-way-back time, I had to dress up to match
everything."
"I see," said the minister. "But she may presently miss you and be
worried."
"O that's so," said Beth. "Let's hurry. I promised to take care of
grandmother," she added, in a remorseful tone.
But nothing had happened, and the picture proved a great success, many
of them being sold at the fair.
"I don't like it much," said Beth, when she saw one, "for it reminds me
of how I forgot to take care of my Grandmother Van Stork."
"It will do you good, I trust," said her mother.
"It'll improve my thinkery, I hope," said Beth.
_CHAPTER XV_
_The Lost Invitation_
A heartache when the heart is young,
Seems quite too big to bear;
But when it ends in laughter,
Away goes every care.
When they started to return the next day, Beth in triumph mounted
Ninkum. She had a little difficulty in turning around to wave a farewell
to dear grandmother on the porch, because the pony took this opportune
time to munch the grass at the road-side, and Beth nearly went over his
head.
Pages:
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73