ONLY GIRLS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 237, 7 October 1933, Page 2 (Supplement)

ONLY GIRLS.

(By Kathleen M. Warren, 122, Disraeli

Street, Gisborne; age 15.)

was summer, and the Wilkinson, family was in a highly excited state, for the next day Mould be the first day of the holidays. The three gills. Mvra, aged 15, Elsie, aged 13, and Violet, 'aged 2, had arranged a picnic and were busily discussing' details while tlieir mother vras cooking in the kitchen. "I wonder if the boys would like to eome with us?" said Myra to her two eisters. She was referring t-o their brothers "Phil, Bruce and Jack. "Well, let's ask them, anyway," replied Elsie, so they set oft* in search of their brothers. They found them sitting in the shade of a. large' tree some distance from the farmhouse, talking and munching epples vigorously. "Hello!" said Phil. "Hello!" answered the girls. "We want to know if you'd like to come with us to-morrow. We're, going for a picnic." "Er—we've already arranged a picnic, thanks all the same," answered Phil. "Anyway," he added, "do you think we'd fio for a picnic with girls? Why, all the fellows would laugh at us!" "Well, if that isn't gratitude!" remarked Myra, as they turned away. "Never mind, they'll be sorry they didn't come with us. But little did she realise then how true her last words would prove to be. The next morning at nine o'clock the three hoys set out. They were going for a picnic, but just where they had not

told anyone. For about two hours they tramped across the country, through green fields fragrant with the scent 'ol wild flowers, over Tences, and through gapss in hedges. Often they stopped either for a short rest or to eat some of the rosy apples with which their pockets were now filled. At last, however, they arrived at their destination, the shore. "I vote we go around that point," said Phil, pointing to a piece of cliff which jutted out into the sea. "There's sure to be a bay around here—it's low tide now," he added, "so we should be able to get around all right." As Bruce and Jack agreed, they set off across the warm sands, and soon had reached the bay, which, as Phil had thought, lay around the corner of the small promontory. The silver sands lay sparkling in the sunshine, and the calm waters of the sea lapped la2ily on the chore. Cliffs sloped down to the sand and here and there a small bush had broken through their yellow face. "Gee!" cried Jack. "Look at that eave!" Phil and Bruce looked up quickly and saw a yawning hole above their heads. "Let's explore!" they cried in one voice, and a minute afterwards the threeboys were scrambling eagerly up the face of the cliff. Soon they reached the cave,

for it was only about 10ft up from ths sands. They spent some time in examin ing it, but neither boy could tine a passage leading out from it. "Well," remarked Phil, after tlieii disappointed search, "I vote wo eat. Dc you ?" Bruce and Jack readily assented, foi they were hungry, too. "Hand over the sandwiches, Bruce,' said Phil. "But I haven't got them!" said Bruce, surprised. "And 1 never had them, either." he added. "What? Haven't got them? Didn't I give them to you before we started?" "Xo. You must have forgotten to." "Oh, well," interrupted .Tack, "if the sandwiches arp lost, they're lost, and that's all about it." It wag then that the boys- began to realise how hungry they reailv we're. Then the only thing to do is to so home," remarked Phil,' who, being the eldest, was looked to for advice. So the boys climbed down to the shore and turned to go home, but as they lieared the promontory a cry of dismay left their lips. The tide was in. Thev were trapped. . Pbev had been so occupied in examining the cave that they had not noticed the passing of time. They looked around lor another means of escape, but there M-as none. As the bay was crescentshaped, they had water forming an impassable barrier in front of them—impassable to them, for they had no boat, wlule to attempt to swim, owing to the treacherous currents of the sea, was mad--5,-Ti S" r T ° t,le cliff was also impossible, for. above the cave, it rose almost perpendicular. Thus the only thing for the boys to_ do was to return to their cave and wait for the tide to go down

After three hours Lad passed the boys were able to scramble around to the beach. They were hot, tired and dusty, and thoroughly disappointed at the failure of their picnic. Soon tliey came in sight of a party of gills, who were laughing and en joy ii iff themselves 011 the shore with a lar<»e bathing ball.

"Why, it's Myra—and Elsie—and lolet! exclaimed Phil, as he recognised each of the girls. As the boys drew nearer, they realised that Phil was right. ft was their sisters Then the girls caught sight of the boys and came running forward.

"What's wrong?" inquired Myra anxiously, noticing the boys' faces.

"Oh. nothing,"_ replied Phil. "We only left our sandwiches behind and "*ot caught by the tide—that's all." "Well," said Mrs. Wilkinson, who had overheard the conversation, "I expect that you would like something to eat bv now."

"Well, I s'pose we would," answered Phil, but—"

"Come. now. boys. Put your pride in your pockets," answered their mother, cheerfully.

So the boys "put their pride in their pockets." and sat down to "one of (lie best meals they had ever had." Thev stayed the rest of the afternoon with the girls, and returned with them to the farm. On being questioned that night, the boys admitted that they had thoroughly enjoyed the time spent with the party, on the ben eh—even if their companions were "only girls."