St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-07-30

she would ever have thought of being
friends with Nan Beck, if it had not
been for the doll but Sue was shrewd
little business woman. an honest one.
too. and always carried out whatever
she undertook. She found it pleaSInter
than she expected in this case. aud by
degrees quite number of the girls fell
into the habit of hanging about with
Bunny and me when Nan had >aSSatIas
and checker berries to give away. OF
when sitting under some tree she told
Ills stories of her wild, pioneering life
in the West OF when, 1.-the aS a panther,
she climbed Young sapllngs till she
bent them to the ground. :" that we
could take hold in turn and swing gay
lv through the air.
In fact. the school soon formed itself
into two parties. One friendly to Nan
and ready to follow wherever her ad-
venturous spirit led, and the other.
headed 10y Sarah King and Dely Moore.
standing aloof. and exchanging mean
ing glanceS and sarcastic whispers
whenever they happened to be near u.s.
There 60 the Ndnnies :" said Sarah
centcmptuouslN one day, as we ran
past her with Nan down to the brook
I'D he ashamed to he a tom boy" add
ed Dely. holding back her little sister
Rosie, who looked longingIy after lis.
Meanwhile Sues friendship was tax
ing Il practical shape. She did not
want her chosen companion laughed at 9.
50 she gave Nan some hints from time
to time. which the latter eagerly re
ccived: the tangled hair was trimmed
and neatly combed. the old dress WIS
pieced down and made long enough.
and one day after she had been hold
ing il long consultation with mother.
Nan appeared in Il pretty plaid apron.
which we thought made her look as
nice as any of us.
But still Sarah King and her party
were not to he won over, and one day
when Nan went above them all to the
head of the spelling class. they became
80 teasing and irritating at recess. that
they finally made her cry, in spite of
her stout little heart. Sue swept an
Indignant glance around, aud drew her
away ont of sight of her foes.
shall always remember that daV j..
we had no school i'll the aiternoon. for
1t WAS saturday, and she and trudged
home along the dusty road It noon.
much reused IN spirit over Sarah King :
rum;tN to Nan. We told the whole
story t" mother, who. with her wise.
gentle words, finally claimed us, and To
| divert our minds sent us out into the
garden t." gather the r;I>pbcIries for
jam. | remember just how the bushes
locked. loaded down with the red and
purple berries. and how warm and sui
try 1t WAS. and how we scratched our
. hInIS I,.lt.IInt, ;,r tho hi,rl,.st Il,
tiers. We had picked nearly four quarts
when we realized that il had suddenly
become cool and dark though 81 early
in the afternoon. Great black clouds
had overcast the sky. and even while
We looked large drops fell on our faces.
Kun in. girls. run in quick :" cried
mother at the door; there is going Ia
be Il hard thunder storm -
We had hardly time 10 reach the
house before the rain WAS pourim. down
and heating against the windows. and
the thunder came rolling up nearer and
ncIrcr According to my usual custom
i'll thunder storms. | drew IL little cricket
up INTO Il corner. and sat there with nv
face tn the wall, and my fingers in my
ears. But Sue played with her doll
uncnucermedlN. and began - new suit
of clothes tor it. After an hour or 81
the storm PASSED of and just ~ the sun
was breaking out and shining in the
great lan drops that hung every where.
there came Il loud Knocking at he door.
Before We could open it. in rushed Tom
Moore, asking wildly if We had seen
Rosie. When he found We had not. h,.
fairly cried. hiy boy AZ he WAS.
''She i, lost, then little RoSi..'s lost -
he said. dc>pairiuglN. five been Ia all
the ncighb"rs looking for her. and no
body has >ecy her since dinner -
Mother caught up her bonnet. and
hurried over to Mrs. Moore's at once
Sue and followed her. too frightened
t" speak. We found Drly cry ing and
sohhing rs if her heart would break
and Mrs. Moore WAS blowing the horn
To call home hen husband and the men
at work i'll the tiI oft barn. The neigh
hols were gathering about, to >ympa-
the and wonder. One had seen little
/ Rosie with her Sum-hounrt on. wander
in" past her house before one o'clock
and that WIS the last that could he
learned of her.
iii drive up and down the road
three or four miles each way" said my
father. ''and make inquiries. You boy ;
here had better go over the fields. and
look in all the barns
/ just a> he was ready to start. one of
the women exclaimed that she saw
something like Il SpCck coming down
the distant hill. and might it not he
Rosie?
No. said father, looking attentive
/ ~ that way for Il few moments. lit i, "A
] , Il II, L
My Sistcl Sue could see farther and
quicker than any one ever knew. and
now. shading her eyes, she scanned the
| figure coming down the hill
Its Nan Beck - she cried eNcitedly.
''Shc Is bringing something in her arms.
and think ii is Rosie -
Father and Mr.. Moore sprang into
the wagon and drove that way with all
speed. Whoever it was. we saw them
carefully lift her in. and then they
drove speedily back again. Sure enough
il WdS Nan, with little Rosie clasped
tight in her arms. They had both been
drenched with the rain. and Rosie's
face was pale and car-stained. while
her little legs were covered with black
mud up to her dimpled knees. Mrs.
Moore caught her trantically in her
arms.
Change her clothes right off," said IA
practical old aunt. ''or she'll catch her
death of cold. And give her some hot
catnip tea
While this was going on Nan told
her story. Before the storm came on.
she had gone over to the swamp to dig
sweet-tiag. When it began to rain. she
sheltered herself in Il hollow tree. In
a lull of the storm. she thought she
heard child crying; and becoming
sure that it was so. she left the tree and
wound her way along the edge of the