“Well, I’ve got it now,” said Randy, “and to-morrow I’ll go over to Miss Dayton’s and she’ll trim it for me; she said she would.” On the following day, true to her promise, Helen gave Randy a cordial welcome, and trimmed the hat with some gay ribbons which, although not new, were very pretty, and to Randy seemed nothing short of gorgeous.
On the day of the picnic no happier heart than Randy Weston’s beat fast with anticipation; and with Prue’s hand held tightly in her own she started, as they had planned, for Mrs. Gray’s house to join Helen.
“Don’t forget to take care of Prue,” called her mother.
“I won’t forget,” answered Randy.
Mr. Weston stepped back into the house after watching the children until a bend in the road concealed them from view, and sat down for a moment before going out to the field. “I tell ye what, mother,” said he, “I mean those girls shall have a chance. I’d no idee what a difference there was between a hat and a sunbunnit. I say, why don’t you have a new bunnit yourself, mother? You were every bit as pretty as our Randy when you were young, and I b’lieve you’d look a good deal the same now, with a little fixin’. Just see the difference in Randy with a bran’ new hat! When we was a-payin’ off the mortgage we had to scrimp; but now, I think ye might have a few duds, once in a while.”
He stopped, expecting a rebuff, and was surprised when his wife turned with a sweet smile and said, “I b’lieve I will have just a few things.”
“Ye can have what ye want,” was the hearty rejoinder, “and we’ll go to the village next week and do some shoppin’,” and with a jolly whistle he started for the barn.
When they arrived at Mrs. Gray’s, the children were surprised to find almost every man, woman, and child who had been invited to the picnic already there, and, as they were all talking at once, it was impossible to understand what any one person was saying.
Very conscious of her new hat was Randy, and she longed to find Helen that she might talk with her. She knew that any one with whom she stopped to speak would mention her new finery, so she only nodded pleasantly to the girls whom she passed, and walked toward the house, hoping there to find Helen. Helen saw her and came out to meet her; but as Randy passed the Babson girls, she heard Phœbe Small say to them: “Look at Randy Weston! Isn’t she getting fine!”
“Dunno how fine she is,” responded Belinda Babson; “but I don’t see as she need walk right by us, just because she’s got a new hat.”