the golden road-第57部分

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eknowledge　fall　for　a　moment　across　her　mirth…making？　　Did　she　realize　in　a　flash　of　prescience　that　there　was　no　earthly　future　for　our　sweet　Cecily？　　Not　for　her　were　to　be　the　lengthening　shadows　or　the　fading　garland。　　The　end　was　to　come　while　the　rainbow　still　sparkled　on　her　wine　of　life；　ere　a　single　petal　had　fallen　from　her　rose　of　joy。　　Long　life　was　before　all　the　others　who　trysted　that　night　in　the　old　homestead　orchard；　but　Cecily's　maiden　feet　were　never　to　leave　the　golden　road。



CHAPTER　XXXI

THE　LAST　NUMBER　OF　OUR　MAGAZINE



EDITORIAL

It　is　with　heartfelt　regret　that　we　take　up　our　pen　to　announce　that　this　will　be　the　last　number　of　Our　Magazine。　　We　have　edited　ten　numbers　of　it　and　it　has　been　successful　beyond　our　expectations。　　It　has　to　be　discontinued　by　reason　of　circumstances　over　which　we　have　no　control　and　not　because　we　have　lost　interest　in　it。　　Everybody　has　done　his　or　her　best　for　Our　Magazine。　　Prince　Edward　Island　expected　everyone　to　do　his　and　her　duty　and　everyone　did　it。

Mr。　Dan　King　conducted　the　etiquette　department　in　a　way　worthy　of　the　Family　Guide　itself。　　He　is　especially　entitled　to　commendation　because　he　laboured　under　the　disadvantage　of　having　to　furnish　most　of　the　questions　as　well　as　the　answers。　　Miss　Felicity　King　has　edited　our　helpful　household　department　very　ably；　and　Miss　Cecily　King's　fashion　notes　were　always　up　to　date。　　The　personal　column　was　well　looked　after　by　Miss　Sara　Stanley　and　the　story　page　has　been　a　marked　success　under　the　able　management　of　Mr。　Peter　Craig；　to　whose　original　story　in　this　issue；　〃The　Battle　of　the　Partridge　Eggs；〃　we　would　call　especial　attention。　　The　Exciting　Adventure　series　has　also　been　very　popular。

And　now；　in　closing；　we　bid　farewell　to　our　staff　and　thank　them　one　and　all　for　their　help　and　co…operation　in　the　past　year。　　We　have　enjoyed　our　work　and　we　trust　that　they　have　too。　　We　wish　them　all　happiness　and　success　in　years　to　come；　and　we　hope　that　the　recollection　of　Our　Magazine　will　not　be　held　least　dear　among　the　memories　of　their　childhood。

（SOBS　FROM　THE　GIRLS）：　　〃INDEED　IT　WON'T！〃


OBITUARY

On　October　eighteenth；　Patrick　Grayfur　departed　for　that　bourne　whence　no　traveller　returns。　　He　was　only　a　cat；　but　he　had　been　our　faithful　friend　for　a　long　time　and　we　aren't　ashamed　to　be　sorry　for　him。　　There　are　lots　of　people　who　are　not　as　friendly　and　gentlemanly　as　Paddy　was；　and　he　was　a　great　mouser。　　We　buried　all　that　was　mortal　of　poor　Pat　in　the　orchard　and　we　are　never　going　to　forget　him。　　We　have　resolved　that　whenever　the　date　of　his　death　comes　round　we'll　bow　our　heads　and　pronounce　his　name　at　the　hour　of　his　funeral。　　If　we　are　anywhere　where　we　can't　say　the　name　out　loud　we'll　whisper　it。


〃Farewell；　dearest　Paddy；　in　all　the　years　that　are　to　be　We'll　cherish　your　memory　faithfully。〃＇1＇


＇1＇　The　obituary　was　written　by　Mr。　Felix　King；　but　the　two　lines　of　poetry　were　composed　by　Miss　Sara　Ray。


MY　MOST　EXCITING　ADVENTURE

My　most　exciting　adventure　was　the　day　I　fell　off　Uncle　Roger's　loft　two　years　ago。　　I　wasn't　excited　until　it　was　all　over　because　I　hadn't　time　to　be。　　The　Story　Girl　and　I　were　looking　for　eggs　in　the　loft。　　It　was　filled　with　wheat　straw　nearly　to　the　roof　and　it　was　an　awful　distance　from　us　to　the　floor。　　And　wheat　straw　is　so　slippery。　　I　made　a　little　spring　and　the　straw　slipped　from　under　my　feet　and　there　I　was　going　head　first　down　from　the　loft。　　It　seemed　to　me　I　was　an　awful　long　time　falling；　but　the　Story　Girl　says　I　couldn't　have　been　more　than　three　seconds。　　But　I　know　that　I　thought　five　thoughts　and　there　seemed　to　be　quite　a　long　time　between　them。　　The　first　thing　I　thought　was；　what　has　happened；　because　I　really　didn't　know　at　first；　it　was　so　sudden。　　Then　after　a　spell　I　thought　the　answer；　I　am　falling　off　the　loft。　　And　then　I　thought；　what　will　happen　to　me　when　I　strike　the　floor；　and　after　another　little　spell　I　thought；　I'll　be　killed。　　And　then　I　thought；　well；　I　don't　care。　　I　really　wasn't　a　bit　frightened。　　I　just　was　quite　willing　to　be　killed。　　If　there　hadn't　been　a　big　pile　of　chaff　on　the　barn　floor　these　words　would　never　have　been　written。　　But　there　was　and　I　fell　on　it　and　wasn't　a　bit　hurt；　only　my　hair　and　mouth　and　eyes　and　ears　got　all　full　of　chaff。　　The　strange　part　is　that　I　wasn't　a　bit　frightened　when　I　thought　I　was　going　to　be　killed；　but　after　all　the　danger　was　over　I　was　awfully　frightened　and　trembled　so　the　Story　Girl　had　to　help　me　into　the　house。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FELICITY　KING。


THE　BATTLE　OF　THE　PARTRIDGE　EGGS

Once　upon　a　time　there　lived　about　half　a　mile　from　a　forrest　a　farmer　and　his　wife　and　his　sons　and　daughters　and　a　granddaughter。　　The　farmer　and　his　wife　loved　this　little　girl　very　much　but　she　caused　them　great　trouble　by　running　away　into　the　woods　and　they　often　spent　haf　days　looking　for　her。　　One　day　she　wondered　further　into　the　forrest　than　usual　and　she　begun　to　be　hungry。　　Then　night　closed　in。　　She　asked　a　fox　where　she　could　get　something　to　eat。　　The　fox　told　her　he　knew　where　there　was　a　partridges　nest　and　a　bluejays　nest　full　of　eggs。　　So　he　led　her　to　the　nests　and　she　took　five　eggs　out　of　each。　　When　the　birds　came　home　they　missed　the　eggs　and　flew　into　a　rage。　　The　bluejay　put　on　his　topcoat　and　was　going　to　the　partridge　for　law　when　he　met　the　partridge　coming　to　him。　　They　lit　up　a　fire　and　commenced　sining　their　deeds　when　they　heard　a　tremendous　howl　close　behind　them。　　They　jumped　up　and　put　out　the　fire　and　were　immejutly　attacked　by　five　great　wolves。　　The　next　day　the　little　girl　was　rambelling　through　the　woods　when　they　saw　her　and　took　her　prisoner。　　After　she　had　confessed　that　she　had　stole　the　eggs　they　told　her　to　raise　an　army。　　They　would　have　to　fight　over　the　nests　of　eggs　and　whoever　one　would　have　the　eggs。　　So　the　partridge　raised　a　great　army　of　all　kinds　of　birds　except　robins　and　the　little　girl　got　all　the　robins　and　foxes　and　bees　and　wasps。　　And　best　of　all　the　little　girl　had　a　gun　and　plenty　of　ammunishun。　　The　leader　of　her　army　was　a　wolf。　　The　result　of　the　battle　was　that　all　the　birds　were　killed　except　the　partridge　and　the　bluejay　and　they　were　taken　prisoner　and　starved　to　death。

The　little　girl　was　then　taken　prisoner　by　a　witch　and　cast　into　a　dunjun　full　of　snakes　where　she　died　from　their　bites　and　people　who　went　through　the　forrest　after　that　were　taken　prisoner　by　her　ghost　and　cast　into　the　same　dunjun　where　they　died。　　About　a　year　after　the　wood　turned　into　a　gold　castle　and　one　morning　everything　had　vanished　except　a　piece　of　a　tree。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　PETER　CRAIG。



（DAN；　WITH　A　WHISTLE：〃Well；　I　guess　nobody　can　say　Peter　can't　write　fiction　after　THAT。〃

SARA　RAY；　WIPING　AWAY　HER　TEARS：〃It's　a　very　interesting　story；　but　it　ends　SO　sadly。〃

FELIX：〃What　made　you　call　it　The　Battle　of　the　Partridge　Eggs　when　the　bluejay　had　just　as　much　to　do　with　it？〃

PETER；　SHORTLY：〃Because　it　sounded　better　that　way。〃

FELICITY：〃Did　she　eat　the　eggs　raw？〃

SARA　RAY：〃Poor　little　thing；　I　suppose　if　you're　starving　you　can't　be　very　part