Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 6, 1923 — page 55: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

: Ss “$0 THIS IS” = water pond well studded with water lilies, and supplied with two or three leaky boats, _ without which no church picnic would be complete. While the outing is eee a church afiair, none are debarred. The infidel and the village drunkard are welcome, and they of alien faiths may share the pound cake, the multitudinous pies, the sandwiches and - jellies of the pious; but they must be con- tent to slake their thirsts upon home made — spruce beer, hot coffee, or the lemonade _-served-from a washtub by the two prettiest Kime’s Daughters. : Even in so small and uneventful a place _ _ as Wedlock, some one must carry on the trifling business of life; the depot master must remain at his post, or obtain a sub- even in such a salubrious village. stitute; somebody must stay at the post — the vast stores of goodies, there Temained = office; ‘there are always one or two invalids. But sav- "ing these, it may be said that all Wedlock is present and accounted for. As early as nine o'clock buckboards and carryalls and Concord buggies and flivvers _ began to string along the sandy road that— pedestrians. forth, the cavalcade, loaded down with its winds in and out for the three miles to the picnic grove. There were a good many With much good cheer and laughter. and greetings tossed back and The affair held no aoe allure for the _Slapper, who compared it with the vast chowder parties of his own home town, pro- ceeding by chartered steamer, with two jazz bands, eck space for dancing, free beer on draft below, and five hundred swell lookers _ ready to try anything ence. But in a quiet way he enjoyed himself. He was with Ze a Dean, and she was looking her best; and Ss best. had ‘something ¢ on any & girl he | : keen sense of rivalry caused the good wom-— coming up from the edge of the por d an armful of lilies he and ‘Letty had- Ses = tent with his cohorts. - <the gang al = =a a pariah; and all day ia aoe ee = -_ tee tg — = Ne 4: --— = = ~ x - = A — = ~ * - a > ~~ =e S- a ; — es { _~ = = * “ - — — == ~ Vos, feet ever known. The — was. ie best ever; for, at these community affairs, : = en to outdo themselves in the preparation _ Mh mi eh si ny ANS vey P| of gorgeous pastry, soul satisfying salads, — = fried chickens, baked hams, conserves and =~ > jams. Even the birch beer had abitofa wallop to it, as well as a ‘taps of the wild = woods. <= _Ne effort is made to impart any ie flavor to the church picnic. When every ee = dy sits down to eat, the minister asks a blessing, and it is an unusually long and © Sets prepared invocation; but that is — —— all. There is nothing else, makes Sym = a nor collection. A good time is had by one = and all. : Toward sundown a chill cae swept 2 in eG from the sea. Those afflicted with rheuma-— tism began to think of starting home. Of Wi HRY ' yout tit ( aANG not so much as one baske : ; =a All the games that were owe had been = played, all the gossip retold. The annual = church picnic of Wedlock was about toend. —_—- lt was at-this moment that the Slapper, — Swi gleaned, found Micah Shelby posted square- ly across his way. During the long day Micah had sulked passengers and covered baskets and pails, ; attended these picnics, b because out- = and bottles wrapped in damp cloths, made ings 1 were not so plentiful i in ‘Wedlock that = its slow way out of town. By eleven, all one could afford to miss any of them; but — a = who were coming were present. Games had it was eee for them to remain some~- — begun; two small children had already what apart. =e —— fallen into the pond and spoiled their Sun-- nance fo S = a= day best, and one had been stung by a yel- young and old engaged; their heads were ee _ low jacket; an old gentleman had sat down unbowed during the pastor’ s blessing; they ss = upon a gooseberry tart; three parishioners condescended to eat, and eat heartily, but Ss had been poisoned by t eit No detail was they sat at one side, by them selv es, ef crit ica cal = ___ lacking. of everything and every one. — = —— In seasons past their ‘Teader had from =e time to time deserted them to lavish his = Se attentions upon some village maiden; last _ year it had been Letty Dean who endured his rustic gallantry. But this year he was — followed the “city dude” who had 3 ee gled his slimy way into their = <= 8 stelen his girl. Micah § ha ac : ‘expressed him-— Ss self —* 2: his cronies, and in terms: that 8 “comicboo sae