"THOSE BROWNS."

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 135, 10 June 1933, Page 3 (Supplement)

"THOSE BROWNS."

(By Doreen Fitznatrick, 19, Mountain View Koad, Morningside, 5.W.1.; age 13.)

Betty and Jack Sharland were in their playroom, having a discussion about their ' the Urowns. "They're going to be awful prigs,' , said Jack, "with pigtails and speee., and funny old hats etuck on the back of their heads." He gave a groan. "Yes,-and they're awfully clever," put in Betty. "Connie won all the prizes at school last year." She sighed aloud. "And we've got to put up with them for three whole months." slie saidi Mother's voice broke in upon them. "Now then, that will do. Your cousins' train will be in in half an hour, and I want you to go and meet them." "There's 110 help lor it," grumbled the children, as they resigned themselves to their fate and prepared to meet their cousins. "Is the London train in yet, please?" Jack asked the porter, ae they strolled on to the platform. "I'iv.o minutes' time, sonny,".answered the man. "Let's go into the waiting room," said Betty. "It's cold out here." "0.K.," said Jack. They went in and closed the door behind them. "What an awful day," groaned Jack. "Just the eort of day those Browns would choose to come." They spent the next few minutes in saying all the uncomplimentary things they could think of about the two cousins they had never seen. "Here's tlie train," cried Jack, as something thundered into the station. "This way for the freak show." "Here they are," cried Betty, catching sight of two girls about her own age. "Come on," ehe pulled Jack after her. "Kxcuso me," she said, "are you Connie arid Joan Brown 7"

be eilly," whispered Jack. "They're too pretty." The two children turned round. "No, our name's Kelway," they replied. "Whero can they be V said Betty (meaning Che Browns). "I don't—Oh, goodness, hold me up!" exclaimed Jack, for coining toward them wore the two funniest girls they had ever seen. They had blue coats done up to their necks and they wore their hair screwed tightly off their faces in two long plaite down their backe. Their hats were the most comical things they had seen. They were "boaters," and each girl wore hers on the back of her head. Stopping in front of Betty and Jack, the eldest girl eaid: "Arc you our cousins, the Sbarlands?" "Yes, we —"' besup Betty, but the girl intern ted her briskly. "Good," elie snapped, "I am Connie Brown and this is my siatef Joan. Take our cases." Here she almost threw their luggage at Jack, who was too astonished to do anything but take them without another' word. All four then went back to the Sharlands , house. As time went on, the new cousins made themselves quite at home, borrowing all Jack and Betty's books and playing with all their toys. "They're not coming with us, to slide down the hill on our sledge," said Jack, one fine morning, as they (he and Betty) prepared to go sliding on their sledge. "I'm sick of them!" "Who said sledging?" inquired Connie, bursting into the room at that moment. "Fm coining, too. I love sledging." "Oh, golly," groaned Jack. Still, there was no getting out of it. If he and Betty were going, so were the Browns. All the way to the hill Connie bragged how well she could slide. "I'll show her," muttered Jack. When they reached the hill down which thev were to slide, Jack asked Connie to "sit on the back of his sledge with him. "I'll go fast and see if she gets frightened,'" thought Jack. Away they went, with the wind blowing in their faces. They were nearly at the bottom of the hill when it happened. "0-oh." cried Connie, "iny hat!" She put up her hand to clutch her hat, and overturned the sledge. Jack and Connie at once fell off, and when they picked themselves up it was to see the "boater," with pig-tails attached, rolling down the hill. T , "Your hair—it's gone," gasped Jack. "Oh, no, it hasn't," said a merry voice. Jack turned round and found himself face to face with a pretty girl with lone golden curls. ', , "Whatever , * happened?" cried Jack. "Come up to Betty and I'll tell you,'" said Connie. When they reached the top, there was Joan with 'her "boater" in her hand, and in its place a mop of curly hair. "I know all about it, Jack," said Betty. "They came by an early train and were in the waiting room when we went in, on the day we had to meet them," gasped out Betty. "Then you must have heard all the awful things we said about you/ , cried Jack. "We did," laughed Joan, "and so we decided to dress up in those frocks (we had them for a, play at school) and become the prigs you said we were." "Anyhow, all's well that ends well," said Connie, "so come on, race you home, Betty," she called, and ran off, followed by the others. This wae the beginning of a real friendship between. Jack, Betty and "Those Browns."