“I choose Randy,” said Helen, much to Randy’s delight.
“Give her a kiss and send her away,
And tell her you’ll call another day,”
sang the gay little troop, and Helen stooped, and taking Randy’s sweet face between her hands she kissed her and slipped from the ring. Around and about Randy they circled, and then she must choose. She longed to choose Helen, and turned toward her, but Helen said, “We must not keep choosing each other, Randy, because it is more fun to change about,” so Randy turned with a puzzled face, wondering whom to choose. Seeing the little sister’s eager face, she decided at once. “I choose you, pussy,” said she.
Into the ring sprang Prue. “Oh, Randy,” said the child, “you did love me best, didn’t you?”
“Of course,” said Randy; “but now we know, Prue, that you love me best, you choose the one you love next best, because that’s the way to play it;” so, wondering much whom the child would favor, Randy left her in the circle. But it did not take dear little Prue a great while to decide.
“Next to Randy, I guess I like you, Jotham, so I choose you,” said the child. Every one laughed except Jotham, who, seeing the little girl’s lip quiver, said awkwardly, yet very kindly, “You’re a nice little girl, Prue, and I’m real proud to have you choose me;” at which Prue’s spirits rose, and, turning with one little hand in Jotham’s, she said: “You needn’t have laughed if I did choose a big boy. He’s very nice, and ’most always gives Randy candy, and she gives some to me.”
This so amused every one that they commenced to pet Prue, and, much to Jotham’s delight, the game ended, for he felt that he could have chosen none but Randy as his favorite among his friends, and he realized that this would have been a trying ordeal for his diffidence.
Many games they played that sunny afternoon, and so fast flew the hours that every one was surprised when Deacon Turnbull pulled out his great, old-fashioned “timepiece” and declared that it “wanted a quarter to six, and that they ought to be hitchin’ up and startin’ toward home.”
So the baskets and pails were packed into the wagons, the horses harnessed, and the merry, tired party started homeward.
Some of the picnickers were jolly, singing as they went along, others were too tired to sing; but all were unanimous in voting the picnic a success, many declaring that it was just wonderful how Miss Dayton planned it, and that they didn’t know when they’d had such a good time. The ride with Helen was delightful to the two children, Randy looking admiringly at Helen all the way and talking little. She was really too happy for conversation.