Randy and Her Friends | Page 2

at home with only a choice of
imaginary objects.
"If old Sandy McLeod who gave the prize could know what a time I've
had deciding what to do with it, I believe he would laugh at me and say
in that deep voice of his,
"'Hoot, lass! Since the gold piece troubles ye, I wonder if ye're glad ye
won it?'"
Randy in her pink calico gown, her sunbonnet still hanging from her
arm, her cheeks flushed by the hot summer breeze, and the short
ringlets curling about her forehead, made a lovely picture as she stood
at the opening of the little grove and looked off across the valley to the
distant hills.
She was thinking of the school session which would open so soon,
when with her classmates she would be eagerly working to gain
knowledge; of her longing for more than the "deestrict" school could
give, of her father's promise that she should have all the education she
wished for, and the light of enthusiasm shone in her merry gray eyes.
"I shall work with all my heart this season," thought Randy, "and if I
could do two years' work in one, I should indeed be pleased. I believe
I'll ask the teacher to plan extra work for me, and if she will, I'll--" but
just at this point she heard a clear voice calling,
"Randy! Randy!"
Turning she saw Belinda Babson running along the little foot path, her
long yellow braids shining in the sun, and her round blue eyes showing

her pleasure at sight of her friend.
"Why Belinda! Where did you come from?" cried Randy, "I'd no idea
that anyone was near me."
"I've been sitting on the top rail at the further side of the pasture, and
just watching you, Randy Weston," said Belinda, laughing.
"I was on the way up to your house when I met your little sister Prue,
and she said that you were out here, so I turned this way, and just as I
reached the bars I spied you a looking off at nothing and a thinking for
dear life."
"I was thinking," admitted Randy, "and I was just wondering if I could
do two years of school work in one, when you called me."
"Well what an idea!" gasped Belinda, "you don't catch me doing more
than one year's work if I can help it, and I wouldn't do that if pa didn't
set such a store by education.
"Why, Randy," she resumed a moment later, "what makes you in such
a drive 'bout your lessons, anyway?"
"I'm sixteen this summer," Randy replied, "and I've no idea of waiting
forever to fit myself for something better than a district school."
Belinda looked aghast, and her round face seemed longer than one
could have believed possible.
"Randy Weston!" she ejaculated, "if you're planning to work like that
the whole duration time you won't have a single minute for fun, and
how we'll miss you!"
"Oh, don't imagine that I shall lose all the winter's pleasures, Belinda,"
Randy answered slipping her arm about her friend's waist. "I can study
in the long evenings and I think that I shall be able to join you all in the
'good times' which you plan and yet be able to do the extra work at
school."

"Well, I wish you joy," said Belinda, "but I, for one, get all the school
work I want in a year as it is, and as to extra work, I guess I'll get it fast
enough this winter, although it won't be lessons I'll be attending to in
my spare time.
"Ma got a letter last night when she rode over to the Centre, and Aunt
Drusilla writes that she's coming to make us a three months' visit, and
she's going to bring little Hi with her. And yesterday morning pa said
that Grandma Babson was a coming to make her home with us, so you
might guess, Randy, that Jemima and I'll have to step lively and help
ma a bit."
"You will indeed have to help," Randy answered, "but won't it be fun to
see little Hi again?
"Do you remember, Belinda, when he was here last summer, he tried to
harness the hens and wondered why they didn't like it?"
"I had forgotten that," said Belinda, "but Jemima reminded me this
morning of the day that pa lost his spectacles. Every one in the house
hunted for those glasses, and at last Jemima ran out into the door-yard,
and there was little Hi with the spectacles on his nose, a peering into
the rain water barrel and holding onto those specs to keep them from
tumbling off into the water. He said that pa said there were critters in
any water, and as he couldn't