at seeing her own folly, parodied, vulgarized,
as it were.

"Well! I should say! He was hang-Ing
between hawk and buzzard--if ever a
fellow was," happened to be Stud's moved
comment as, clinging to that lowered rope,
he was hoisted, too, through that covert
opening, the loyal little lamp upon his
breast paling now into a penny candle
held towards the sun.

But the rescuer's halo did not pale.

It burnished the picnic luncheon which
followed, encircling, rainbow-like, little Jessie
who basked in it more than did the
rebellious hero, pelted with wild flowers by
the girls--as symbolic of other bouquets.

"Oh! let up--let up--will you?
Those big fellows will take me for the
'goat'--somebody's 'goat'!" protested
Stud helplessly, striving to direct attention
from himself by training it upon a straggling
group of distant youths, really too far off
o take stock of what was going on among
the merry picnic party.

[[155]]

p154 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p155w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p156

v?