A PRECIOUS EASTER EGG

Evening Post, Issue 86, 11 April 1936, Page 10

A PRECIOUS EASTER EGG

(The Story or an Exciting Discovery-) HifEGSY was the nicest maid the children ever remembered. Lisbeth liked iVI her secret little smile.- "It's just as though she has the most excitiru secret locked away in her head," she explained one day to Judy liven Bobs agreed with them about Megsy's niceness, though he did give nei a. busy time with his pranks. . « ~„. ' i, pr ' At that moment Megsy, wrapped in a gingham smock as blu« f. s r "% twinkling eyes, was saying to their mother: "May I make the children 3 Easter eggs myself this year, Mrs. Darrow?" answP rpd "That* kind of you, Meg. You may, of course, if you wish,' answered the children's mother, smiling. So Meg departed to the kitchen a™* soon there was a warm, sweet odour that stole through the window, down to the garden, where Max. the Gardener Boy, was making a hyacinth bed. Ihe tip of Max's nose twitched, and he slowly turned it kitchenwards. Gardening was hungry work, he reflected, and Meg was generous with new cookies sometimes. He left the hyacinths and in a moment was leaning on the kitC^Now, in off 0yo Su Igo, Mr. Millett." ordered Meg. "These aren't for eating today,-and I'll thank you not to come bothering me." . , ■„• -' "it smells mighty nice," said Max with a flattering smile, eyeing tha fluffy mixture in the saucepan. " „ ' ■, A , • «,-„ "S-S-Shoo," cried Meg, whisking an oven cloth towards the window. Go 3W3.Y X'm bu^v'" . The smile faded from Max's face and he looked very ill-tempered- asjti! . turned away, but Meg didn't notice. She was stirring the egg mixture, tden mixing the chocolate for the coating, then searching for bright paper foi wrappers and the small rabbits and chickens she had bought at the little Btore for decoration. , ■ ■ ■' . Easter morning was two days away, but the very next morning,something happened that drove all thoughts of Easter eggs out of- Megsy s mind,. v and the children's too. . "Has anyone seen Meg's ring?" asked Mother at breakfast. "No-no-no" answered the three, solemnly. They had seen the tiniest tear in one of Meg's eyes, and it seemed the strangest thing to see. there. . "The little gold ring," asked Judy slowly, "with the little piece of skjr "The one Mr. Peter gave you when you promised him you'd be a princes* in a sold castle, Meg?" asked Bobs seriously. Meg's cheeks turned crimson and Mother's mouth looked as though she was going to smile, then changed her mind. "Yes her engagement ring," said Mother. "Meg, I wonder if it has gone down the sink. I've seen you leave it dangerously near the edge sometimes " "Oh I hope not, Mrs. Darrow. It took Peter so long to save, enough to buy it I can't tell him I've lost it. It's not half as important as if it had been stolen." The little tear trembled and fell. "Was there anyone in the kitchen with you yesterday? "No not exactly in the kitchen. Max came to the window ... she broke off suddenly. Perhaps he had taken it just to give her a fright to nay her out for not giving him something to eat. ' " ''Til ask Max" said Mother. But Max said he knew nothing whatever about the missing ring, and when everything in the kitchen had been shaken and lifted and emptied there was still no sign of it. Judy remembered it in her prayers that night, but when morning came and she looked at Megsy's hand she saw no little blue stone. Then sha looked atXe breaMast table, and almost lost her breath. Them beside each Sate was a beautiful Easter egg in a gay paper wrapping. (You may sea them in the picture'somewhere else on this page.) "Oh, Megsy!" they cried together. "Can we begin?. • "You may have a small piece after porridge is eaten," said Meg. Judy hurried over her porridge and pulled her Easter egg towards her. Inside.the bright paper it was fat and round and chocolate brown Megcut off a piece, and Judy saw that inside there was fluffy pink cream. Lisbeth and Bobs liad opened theirs. Lisbeth's was pale yellow inside, and Bobs's was green, xhey tasted slowly. "Delishus!" commented Lisbeth. Meg was rewrapping-the remainder of the eggs when Judy gave a little squeak of excitement. Her Swhte teeth had closed upon something hard. Part of it was still buried in the chocolate egg and part stood out where she had taken a bite. It was the missing ring. ■ .'„.»,;" "Me*sy! Megsy!" Meg came running. "I've found it! Is it spoilt? Meg almost snatched it from Judy's outstretched hand. The ring was discoloured and the blue stone almost hidden in chocolate cream._ Mother and Daddy, hearing the excitement, came and examined it, then DadS? saM,''Give it tome, Meg; I'll take it. into the city and have it cleaned properly for you. You'll think it a new ring again." And he folded it in fled "Why, you might have eaten it . . . and what would Mr. Peter haVOnce dmore she was their own Megsy, as sparkling as ever before .. . and not long afterwards, when Judy, Lisbeth, and Bobs went to the church to see 9 Meg in her bridal gown, and when Mr. Peters put another golden rte?on theß hand of his bluleyed princess, it was Lisbeth who said: "And be . sure to take it off when you make Easter eggs, Megsy! FAIRIEL.