STORIES AND SKETCHES BY SCHOOL CHILDREN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2284, 9 December 1897, Page 51

STORIES AND SKETCHES BY SCHOOL CHILDREN.

A CONVERSATION. By Elizabeth M'Neil, Normal School (aged 15 years).

Scene : A cosy sitting room ; two girls sitting

chatting. "Now, Gertie, let us have a comfortable chat. We have not seen each other for nearly 12 months," says E'sie to her friend. "Nothing would suit me better, Elsie," is the raply ; " iudeed, that is why I am here." "Well, in the first place," rfjoins Elsie, "how did you like Catlms?"

" Of course, not nearly so well as I do F«irfield, but after one gets accustomed to lit'o in such an oul-of-the-world place it is rather nice."

" What sort of place is it."

"Quiet, very quiet— solitary ,*in fact. Why, sometimes for a whole afternoon we wowlcl sse not a living soul but perhaps the butcher or the baker passing in the distance." " How did you spend your evening*, Gertie ? " "Oh, we often rode up to Upper Catties, staying at a friend's all night, theu riding back in the morning. At other times wo would have friends staying at our house."

" Did you ever have anything that you could calls an adventure ?" asks E'sie.

" Well, scarcely ; but let mo tell you thi3. Mary and I had promised to spend a certain evening at a Mrs Bcown'e. Wo stayed at her house till pretty late, and then set out to walk home. Two or three friends accompauied us a good way, aad then, telling us not to let the ghosts run away with us, left usr. It was pretty dark, aud Mary and I were staggering along across a paddock when she suddenly clutched hold of me. 'Oh, Girt! what is that?' I could see a white, shapeless something rising out of the dark jusfc iv front of m»."

11 Oh, Gartie ! what did you do? '' chimes in Eisie at this point.

"Now, you know," continues Gertie, "that I ana not naturally timid, but when I saw this figure advancing towards me I can tell you all my bravery forsook me. I just gave oue terrified scream, which Maty echoed, then turned aud fled back to Mra Brown*, Mary alongside of me. Of course we nearly frighteaed the woman out of her wits, bub when Frank Brown heard our story, much to our discomfiture, perhaps indignation, he laughed heartily." <

" Why, what was the matter ? Why did he laugh ? •' asks Elsie.

" Wsll, for some time he could not speak for laughing, but after a while ho said : • 1 supposa your would-bo ghost is the old white cow I turned into that paddock the day before yesterday.' Well, I must cay Mary aiul I felt extremely foolish, but we could nob help laughiog. However, we spent the remainder of the night at Mrs Brown's, not venturing forlh again till morning."

" No, I should not think you would," says Elaie ; " one fright in a night is just enough."

"Now, Elsie, I think I have been doing all the talking, bo you must now tell me how you have bsen getting on. I believe you went to Gceea Island. Peninsula on© day lately. Tell me about it."

"You must not laugh at it, though. We left here about half-psst 10 in the morning, and arrived there about 12.

"It is a good distance from Fairfield to the Peninsula, is it not ? ''

"Yes. Well, we spent the day in much the same "way as one usually does at the beach, and at 5 o'clock vre started for home."

"Did you walk it?" iuterrupts Gertie.

11 Those who had walked over in the morning were to drive homo, and those who had driven over were to wa'k back. I was one of the latter. Soon the walking party separated, uutil two of your sisters, two ot miue, and niyselt were lef s together. Btfore loag it began to rain. Though the momiug he.d been very ftae, and there had' been no indications of rain, each of ue had taken an overcoat with v?, not, however, taking the trouble to carry an umbrella. In the party I have named we could only muster one, aud we were in rather a dismal plight. In pasting a house there was a group of youag men collected at the door, and they had the impudence to ask us where we had found the umbrella, if we were using it, wasn't it one too intny, and such question!. I suppoßo it seemed rather ludicrous to them to see five of as out in the rain with only one umbrella among us. However, the rain cleared off after a while, and iv passing through Green Island a gentleman offered to drive us horne — he was coming up Fairfield way, at any rate. We were auly too th&okful, and promised ourselves not to go another picnic fo far from home without providing ourselves against a similar emergency."

" Well, ifc was rather a disagreeable ending to a pleasant day — but, dear me ! is that 9 o'clock striking ? I must be off. So good-night, Elsie."

" Good-night, Gertie," returns her friend, and the two separate, thus stopping the talk until a more convenient season.