"Oh, will you?" said Randy, eagerly.

"I never went anywhere 'cept to a sewing-circle once."

"What will you do?" asked Prue.

"Oh, you shall see," said Helen, laughingly. "We are planning a picnic now," said she, "and if we really have it, I'll invite you, and you shall go with me."

"With you!" said Randy. "I'd love to, but I shouldn't look fit," and she looked admiringly at Helen Dayton's dainty outing suit, and glanced up at the trim sailor hat perched upon her pretty head.

"Oh, you will look every bit fine enough with a shade hat-we shall all wear broad-brimmed hats-and a clean gingham dress," said Helen, cheerily.

"But I've got nothing but sunbonnets," said Randy, "'less father will buy me one next time he takes eggs and vegetables to the village. I mean to ask him to if that would be soon enough," and she looked up eagerly at Helen.

"Oh, yes, indeed," said Helen, "we've planned to have it in about two weeks."

"I want to go, too," said little Prue.

"Of course, dear, so you shall," said Helen, "and now I must be going, but I'll tell you all about the picnic the next time we meet. Do you know where Mrs. Gray lives, Randy?"

Randy laughed. "Of course I do," said she.

"Well, when father brings home your new shade hat, and of course he will, if you wish it so much, suppose you take a walk over to Mrs.

Gray's and make a little call upon me, and when you come bring the new hat with you; I shouldn't wonder if I had something with which to trim it."

"Oh, I will, I will!" said Randy, eagerly, "and then you'll tell me all about the picnic."

With sheer excitement little Prue was executing a funny little jig, which reminded Helen to inquire for the injured foot.

"It's all well. See!" and Prue hopped upon that one foot to a.s.sure her that it was quite itself again.

"I should call that foot very well indeed," said Helen. Then together they walked out to the kitchen where, bidding good morning to Mrs.

Weston, Helen said that she had enjoyed her call, admired Randy's tasteful decoration, and asked if she might borrow Randy once in a while.

"Why, yes, you may have Randy whenever I can spare her," said Mrs.

Weston, "'though she seems so took up with you, and so delighted, that when she comes home from a call on you I'm afraid she'll about tread on air."

Helen laughed, and taking Randy's hand they walked together as far as the road where Randy, perched upon the wall, watched her new friend out of sight.

Helen turned many times to wave her hand until a bend in the road hid her from view. Then Randy walked slowly to the house, followed by Prue, and as they walked they talked of nothing but Helen's beauty and sweetness and the wonderful picnic.

CHAPTER VI-THE PICNIC

Mr. Weston had gone to market two days after Helen Dayton's call upon Randy. He had laughed heartily at the description of the exact kind of shade hat which Randy wished for, and as he drove off he continued to laugh as Mrs. Weston called after him, "Remember, she wants a white hat; don't, for mercy's sake, come home with a brown one."

"And, father," shrieked Randy, "remember to get a big one and one that isn't too coa.r.s.e."

"Yes, yes, land sakes! I b'lieve I'll bring ye home a dozen to pick from," and the good man chuckled to himself-he had his own plan for doing Randy's errand. His eggs and vegetables disposed of, he turned to start for home, when he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, "Bless me! if I didn't most forgit Randy's hat." Back into the store he went. "What have ye got for hats?"

said Mr. Weston. "My Randy's set her mind on havin' a fine shade hat for the picnic, and nothin' but a white one will do."

Silas Barnes reached under his counter and brought forth a dozen straw hats, which lie spread out for Mr. Weston to select from.

"Wal', that beats all! Randy and her mother told me just how it ought to look, but I don't see any difference in 'em, do you, Barnes?"

"Why, yes," replied the genial storekeeper, "that one's twice as fine as the other, an' it's worth twice as much."

"Wal', I guess it's 'bout good enough for Randy, then, and I'll take it."

When her father returned that night Randy met him at the door, and with a little cry of delight took the parcel which he handed her, and she could not find words to express her pleasure when the fresh, white hat lay before her on the table.

"Dear me! Ye might have had one before, if it delights ye so," said her mother; "I didn't think of it before, because most every girl here wears a sunbonnet."

"Well, I've got it now," said Randy, "and to-morrow I'll go over to Miss Dayton's and she'll trim it for me; she said she would." On the following day, true to her promise, Helen gave Randy a cordial welcome, and trimmed the hat with some gay ribbons which, although not new, were very pretty, and to Randy seemed nothing short of gorgeous.

On the day of the picnic no happier heart than Randy Weston's beat fast with antic.i.p.ation; and with Prue's hand held tightly in her own she started, as they had planned, for Mrs. Gray's house to join Helen.

"Don't forget to take care of Prue," called her mother.

"I won't forget," answered Randy.

Mr. Weston stepped back into the house after watching the children until a bend in the road concealed them from view, and sat down for a moment before going out to the field. "I tell ye what, mother," said he, "I mean those girls shall have a chance. I'd no idee what a difference there was between a hat and a sunbunnit. I say, why don't you have a new bunnit yourself, mother? You were every bit as pretty as our Randy when you were young, and I b'lieve you'd look a good deal the same now, with a little fixin'. Just see the difference in Randy with a bran' new hat!

When we was a-payin' off the mortgage we had to scrimp; but now, I think ye might have a few duds, once in a while."

He stopped, expecting a rebuff, and was surprised when his wife turned with a sweet smile and said, "I b'lieve I will have just a few things."

"Ye can have what ye want," was the hearty rejoinder, "and we'll go to the village next week and do some shoppin'," and with a jolly whistle he started for the barn.

When they arrived at Mrs. Gray's, the children were surprised to find almost every man, woman, and child who had been invited to the picnic already there, and, as they were all talking at once, it was impossible to understand what any one person was saying.

Very conscious of her new hat was Randy, and she longed to find Helen that she might talk with her. She knew that any one with whom she stopped to speak would mention her new finery, so she only nodded pleasantly to the girls whom she pa.s.sed, and walked toward the house, hoping there to find Helen. Helen saw her and came out to meet her; but as Randy pa.s.sed the Babson girls, she heard Phbe Small say to them: "Look at Randy Weston! Isn't she getting fine!"

"Dunno how fine she is," responded Belinda Babson; "but I don't see as she need walk right by us, just because she's got a new hat."

Poor Randy! She had not the least idea of being vain or silly. "Why need the girls spoil the fun of my having a new hat," said she, and a hot flush crept up on her cheek, but soon Helen's merry chatter caused Randy to forget Phbe's unkindness, and she was laughing and talking as gayly as Helen herself.

Miss Dobbs, the little soprano of the choir, hearing Randy's laugh, turned and smiled, an unusual thing for her to do, saying: "How are ye, Randy? That's a dreadful pretty hat."

"I like it," said Randy, simply, although her eyes showed her delight that some one should approve of it. "Miss Dayton trimmed it for me; didn't she do it lovely?" continued Randy, anxious that her new friend should have all the glory which belonged to her for her millinery skill.

"Umph!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Miss Dobbs, "they do say you're pretty int'mit with Miss Dayton, considering she's from the city." Randy moved away, pleased with the compliment for her hat, but hurt by the last remark.

"'Considering she's from the city,'" thought Randy. "Anybody'd think I asked her to be pleasant to me. Why, I wouldn't have dared to. She wanted to be nice, and I was glad enough to let her," and she brushed away a tear and forced back a sob which rose in her throat.

Just then something happened to cheer Randy and give her a wee bit of triumph.

Phbe Small moved toward Randy and fastening her small eyes disapprovingly upon the offending hat, she was about to speak, when, without noticing Phbe at all, Jotham Potts walked awkwardly up to Randy, and, standing upon one foot, then shifting to the other, he said: "Morning, Randy! Be you going to walk to the picnic or ride? Because,"

he continued, "I told father I'd like to have you ride with us, seein's we have a spare seat, and he said he'd be pleased to have your company.