Barbara, Mary, and Little Lucy

Chapter One

Barbara was wearing such a lovely hat! As she walked through town, she spied her own reflection in the large storefront windows.

A sign said, “Hand Painted Portraits – Capture Your Image.” And wanting to remember her lovely mood on this lovely day, Barbara stepped inside The Franklin Artist Studio.

Before she knew what happened, she agreed with Mr. Franklin that he should paint her portrait. After drawing her silhouette on the canvas, the artist jumped up and went out the front door. He quickly returned with a flowering branch, cut from a crape myrtle shrub.

He told his sitter, “Hold this leafy-green branch in both hands. It will add balance to the painting.”

Barbara smiled, “I’ve always loved crape myrtle. It reminds me of my childhood home in the South.”

Mr. Franklin checked a notebook on his desk. “Ok, let’s see. Come back every Saturday morning for the next three weeks.” Barbara was shocked. “Really? That many times?”

Chapter Two

The next day, Barbara was shopping for a sweet treat in the candy store with her daughter Little Lucy. Looking toward the rear of the store, Lucy laughed and pointed her finger. “I see something very special back there.”

Barbara’s mouth was watering. She asked, “Is it chocolate fudge?” Lucy shook her head from side to side. They walked down the aisle.

Mary, Barbara’s friend, was standing next to a special machine with a stool inside. She was counting the change from her pocket. Mary muttered, “twenty-five, fifty, seventy-five, a dollar!”

Lucy climbed up on the stool just as Mary inserted her coins in the machine. All of a sudden, a bright light flashed. Lucy smiled a big smile and quickly the three of them took turns in the photo booth. A few minutes later, the pictures shot out of a slot on the side of the machine. Mary said, “Oh these pictures are pretty cute!”

Barbara said, “This is a much quicker way to get a portrait. But I wish I was still holding my crape myrtle branch.”

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Holly Cusumano

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