A RAINY DAY

Southland Times, Issue 20201, 11 June 1927, Page 23 (Supplement)

A RAINY DAY

—First Prize.— “Oh! Goodness me, I wonder what the time is,” said Judith Dale, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and sitting up in bed. “Moira, wake up, you sleepy head. It’s 8 o’clock and raining bucketsful,” she cried grabbing a pillow and throwing it at her sister, who was sleeping peacefully at the other side of the room. Judy was a good shot much to the disgust of Moira, who was enjoying a dream of herself having breakfast in bed, and being waited upon by tyrannical’ Judy. “Thanks! That was lovely, Judy,” she said; then as Judy struck by the funniness of her answer, went into fits of laughter, she hastily added, “I mean the breakfast, not the pillow. You can have that back.” “Breakfasti What are you talking about? You haven’t had it yet, duffer,” said Judy as the pillow went whizsing overhead. “I have just been dreaming that you had given me my breakfast, Judy.” “Well, it isn’t a bad idea. Here’s Mother, I’ll ask her if I may,” said Judy, who was feeling in rather a good mood that morning. “What’s this I hear,” said Mrs Dale, coming into the room and kissing the girls good-morning. “I was just saying I would ask you if I could get our breakfast and bring it back to bed,” Judy answered. “I suppose as it is wet and holiday time I will let you have it. But I will get it,” said Mrs Dale, as the two girls made to get out of bed. “Oh, thanks Mother, you’re a dear,” chorused the girls as their mother hurried out of the room. “Isn’t Mother a sport,” said Judy enthusiastically. “Rather! I love staying in bed on days like this,” answered Moira with a sigh of bliss, as she propped up her pillow and lay back. Against the window-pane the rain pattered soothingly. The cattle wandered lazily about the meadow, now and again lowing as if to say they were quite content with the world. The ducks quacked noisily as they waddled down to the stream, and all the farm-yard beings seemed to be enjoying the soft warm rain immensely. “What will we do this afternoon, Judy?” asked Moira. “I was just thinking about that, and if Mother will let us we could ring up Tess and Tom and ask them to come over,” said Judy. The twins, Tess and Tom, were the only children fairly near the Dale homestead, and the two families were great friends. Just then Mrs Dale and Janet, the maid, entered, bearing two well-laden breakfast trays. “Some people do know how to enjoy themselves. Don’t they, Janet ?” said Mrs Dale, placing her tray in front of Moira. “Bet we do, Mother,” said Judy eyeing her tray. “You’ll hurry up, won’t you, dears. We are rather busy this morning and if you help us you may ask the twins over for the afternoon,” said Mrs Dale. “How funny! We were just going to ask you if we could do that,” laughed Moira. “Goodness, Judy, I don’t mean you to gobble,” cried Mrs Dale, as Judy, trying to burn - , swallowed her food in alarming haste. “There, that's done. What shall we do now. Mother?” asked Judy, throwing down the duster with which she had been dusting her room. “I think that’s all, Judy; but don’t leave the duster there, dear,” said Mrs Dale, pausing in the middle of her baking to answer Judy. “It isn’t raining as hard now, so you can walk over to Mrs Gayson’s and ask her if she will come over with the twins this afternoon. The walk will do you good.” “Righto, Mumsy. We won’t be long,” said Judy, as she ran up to tell Moira, and to put on her outdoor things. In half-an-hour the girls arrived at Mrs Gayson’s and delivered their message. "Thanks, girls. Tell Mother we will be over about 2.30,’* said Mrs Gayson. “Come on, Moira, we’ll have a run,” said Judy as they reached the road. Both girls were splendid runners and they ran fairly quickly until they arrived at the drive leading up to the house. “Now then, Judy, a rest and then a race,” cried Moira. It will be easy running up here.” They waited just long enough to take a few deep breaths, then Moira cried, “Ready! Set! Go!” Off they went, jumping pools in splendid style, taking turns in leading; then, just before them was a fair-sized pool, and Judy, running with her head in the air, for she thought all the pools were past, and she was winning, heard just too late Moira’s warning, “Jump,” and landed with a huge splash in the middle of the pool. “Goodness me, where did that come from!” she gasped, sitting in the water and looking at Moira. “I think it dropped from the sky in the form of raindrops,” laughed Moira, leaning over and helping her to rise. “Pride comes before a fall, you know, Judy. We’ll have to run now.” “Whatever have you been doing, Judy?” said her mother as Judy, dirty water dripping from her clothes, and her hands covered with mud, entered the kitchen. “She wanted a swim, Mother, so she dived into a pool on the drive,” explained Moira. “Well, you had better go and get those wet clothes off before dinner; but I don’t think a wetting will do you much harm,” said Mrs Dale, bustling them out of the kitchen. “Well, what are you going to do to-day,” asked Mr Dale as they sat down to dinner. “The twins are coming over to play in the barn. Will you light the fire for us, please, Dad?” asked Moira. “Very well, but you must be careful.” “Perhaps Mother and Mrs Gayson will come over. Will you, Mother?” said Judy. “Well, yes, I suppose we could, and have afternoon tea there. It is as cosy in the barn as here,” said Mrs Dale. The barn was a two-storied building not far from the house, and was used mostly for parties and dances. Mr Dale had had a big open fireplace built in it. Judy and Moira armed with brooms and dustpans followed their father to the barn as soon as dinner was finished. The fire was soon lit and after placing plenty of logs in a convenient place Mr Dale left them. “I may come in later on,” he said. The floor swept and the chairs arranged round the fire, the girls sat down to discuss what they would do. "I know, Judy. We can get those decorations, darken the windows, and have a concert. Ring Tom up and tell him to bring his violin. I will take the gramophone over,” said Moira. It was not long before the barn had taken on quite a festival appearance. A few streamers and balloons made a world of difference, and the fire blazing merrily sent out a cheery light as well as warmth. The portable gramophone and a large spirit lamb stood on a table at the side of the room, while a larger table was placed near the fire in readiness for afternoon tea. “Now, I think that is all we can do. I have put the dresses and things down below. We had better go and get dressed now, Moira,” and the two little hostesses, after extinguishing the light, put on their coats and ran over to the house, feeling sure they were going to have a pleasant afternoon. “You may put it here, Janet.” S' ‘‘Thanks.” “Where’s that dish of cakes?” “Tom was bringing them up.” “Hum! I suppose that accounts for it.” Tess, Moira and Judy, feeling very important, were hurrying about getting the afternoon tea ready before the two ladies arrived, and Tom, who was carrying the dishes up for them, was enjoying the bustle and the cakes immensely. “Well done, girls. The old place does look cosy,” came from the doorway, or the loft opening, where Mrs Dale and Mrs Gayson were standing. “Goodness, you did give me a fright,” cried Judy, jumping round. “But we are ready for you now, aren’t we, Tess ?” “Yes, everything’s right.” It was more like a tea the children had, for, as Tom said, “they had worked jolly hard. Carrying things and eating cakes at the same time was hard work. However, at last they were ready for the concert to begin. “The first item is a violin solo by Master ” "Mr, please?” ell, Mr Tom Gayson,” announced Judy, the stage manageress. Tom was a good player and when he finished his small piece, and left the “stage,” his face the colour of a beetroot, he was applauded loudly. The three girls, dressed in short gym. tunics, then performed a few acrobatic stunts. Then Tess danced a Dutch clog, which her cousin from town had taught her, to the accompaniment of the gramophone. The Dutch costume suited her beautifully, and her long fair plaits gave her a very Dutchified appearance. Tom told some short stones; Judy sang; Moira and Tess danced, and a New York orchestra played a piece from “No, No, Nanette.” Then a few minutes interval was announced while the stage was prepared for the “grand finale.” Everything was cleared from the far end of the room. The lamp was put out, and the audience were requested to be silent. Judy placed a record, a weird, Eastern air, on the gramophone, and slowly a figure dressed in Eastern costume, came from the dark end of the room. Moira (for it was she) danced as she had never danced before. She was passionately fond of it, and although she had never been taught, she danced gracefully and kept perfect time’. Just on the edge of the glow cast by the fire she danced, her whole being seeming to move with the muse. Towards the end it gathered speed and volume, round spun Moira, a pause, she stopped, then the soft closing bar, and she glided back into the shadows-. “Well done, Moira. I didn’t think you could do it,” eried her father, who had arrived just in time to see the last item. “Quick, dear, rim and change,” said Mrs Dale, as the two girls ran over to Moira, congratulating her After seeing the visitors off in the car (for it was raining heavily then), Mrs Dale called the girls into the atung-room. and said, “We have decided to let you go into town with Jackson every Saturday to learn dancing, Moira. I know Judy would not like to learn that, so she shall decide what she would like to do later on.’’ “Oh, Daddy !” cried Moira, for ages she had longed to do this; now one of her dreams had come true. That night, as she kissed Moira good-night, Judy pressed her hand and said. ’I am glad, dear. K’s a good job It was a rainy day:. Isn’t it ■“Rather! Good-night, Judy.” —5/- and 4 marks to Cousin Betty Griffiths (15), 23 Passmore Crescent. Maori Hill. Dunedin.