The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1878-04-25
NUMBER. H.. /
river; il wasn't any bigger for ii the

mo. notfor a long piece. Well dc
it; will you 60, WHIP"
No. Will was too cautious; he would
rather stay, on land. ~
a" Well have to take Sue," said
Hattie, and Charley saw the need Of
that immediately: Sue always had the
last bin Of news she had heard or the
last sight she had seen right on thaend
of her tongue, and no matter what the
Consequences was, it always would slip
right off son the lirst occasion That
fact decided Hattie that she herself
had better 60 to the house for Arethusa,
Sues baby, whom she insisted should
be added to the party.
1t proved quite a difficult matter to
find q asuitable cake of ice in aplaee
where it could be launched But at
last the boys selected one on the banks
of the ;. Bay of Biscay" as the best
fitted TO their purpose; and after much
prying and pushing it was put in
position just in the edge of the water on
the sloping bank, where it was thought
the girls had better get on. syg s't4
|, What do You want of those things2'
asked Charley, as Hattie came forward
to embark with door-mat and an i'm
mense old muff of her grandmother s..
The old muff had seen considerable of
the world since the day when grand
mother went to the city with purse
full of Mexican dollars to buy it, and
rode home again. forty miles in sleigh,
half hidden behind it. But the mutt
and the money and the style of trav-
cling had all gone out of fashion long
since, and now it did duty as foot
warmer when the girls went sleighing,
and served as drum-major's hat when
Charley's home guard paraded. On
this occasion it was the only thing to-
ward an Arctic outfit that Hattie in her
haste could find. The door-mat she
spread upon the ice for a cushion, and
she and Sue seated themselves upon it.
" Aren't you comingP" she asked as
Charley made no move to step on.
Who'd push you Off viii and ]
will float you and then l will get ON at
Cape Cod there before you get out
into the stream. Now hold on to Sue
in case she gets scarf if it tips little"
1t did "tip a little" not much in
uS-us Uuo SuuiCicu1iy W oouh tHc CuSil-
ion and the children's dresses pretty
thoroughly. Sue screamed and nearly
threw .Arethusa overheard, and Hattie,
in her effort to keep herself and her
little sister on their seat, forgot her
furs, and grandma's muff unnoticed
into the water and was not
seen again till it was picked out of the
brush below some days afterward.
But Charley tipped more decidedly
than the ice-ioe; for as it suddenly
gave way and slid into deeper water,
he lost his footing and followed it as
far as his length would go; and by the
time he was on his feet again it had
rounded "Cape Cod'' and, caught by
the current, was rapidly slipping down
the creek. a.yl 2 sf-aifF
1t was not Sue alone who was scared
now. She, poor little body, sobbed
and clung to Hattie, who, though white
as sheet at finding her strange craft
without a pilot, now spinning round as
some whirlpool caught it, and again
rushing with speed on its way, still had
presence of mind to hold on to Sue and
Charley did the screaming as he ran
along the bank. Whom to call he did
not know; his father he had not seen
since he drove away with his mother
after breakfast. So he kept along shore,
as near the girls as possible, while Will
hurried for help. !.
just at that moment, in full conf
dence that the children g wouldn't get
into anything" Mr.. Rae was comforta-
bly, talking town news in the Postoffice,
as he waited for the returning train.
And just at that moment the train
whistleda and came in sight, and Mrs,
Rae, looking toward the house for the
usual salute of handkerchiefs and hats.
had her eye caught halfway by some
thing on: the river, she did not know
what. She did know that she had tied
those little red and blue hoods on two
little brown heads that were very dear
to her. and that they were in great dan
ger; further than that. after one pierc-.
ing scream, she knew nothing.
Mr.. Rae, as he stood on the depot
platform, was shocked to have his wife
handed out to him as helpless as the
brown paper bundles that the sympa-
thizing passengers hurried after her;
till some one Of them, whose attention
had been, called to the adventurers on
the creek, was able partly to explain
the cause to him.
Meantime the ice-foe rushed toward
the bridge. If only some one might be
crossing! 1t was the one hope poor
Hattie had, and she was sick with ter
ror as they slid underneath and no call
of rescue reached them; only Charley S
hoarse cry, "Help! helpr'
But no help came, and had it not
been for the "Gulf of Mexico" l am
afraid the trip would have been a trag-
edy. But the gulf, which was just at
the sudden bend of the river, held out
the two capes at its entrance. like two
arms, and the ice-floe glided straight
into its embrace, and the little girls
were safe. There was no danger OF
their floating out again, and they might
have landed successfully. but in their
haste they forgot all caution, and both
got thorough ducking. 1911
1t was a sorry party that walked
dripping into Norah's clean. kitchen
through one door as Mrs. Rae was
helped into it through another.
For moment there was . tableau.
Mrs. Rae was speechless through sur
prise and joy; the children. with terror
at their mothers pallid face; while
Norah, who was preparing dinner, stood
motionless with amazement, holding
suspended over kettle what looked
like the bolster of dolls bed stuffed
to its utmost. Charley never saw :
..rolv poly" pudding afterward thai
he did mot recall the scene, and how
Norah plunged the pudding back intt
the pot, and picked up Sue and uIf
dressed and comforted her.
The next day they were all as brigh
as ever except Arethusa. Her loss wa
not noticed for some time, but though
she was found and every effort made t.
bring her to herself, it was of no use
Sue said she never would have know
her; SO her mamma hung her upon tn
wall, and said that her usefulness wa
not yet past; every time they lookes
at her she could preach them ser
mon.
Charley ventured to inquire as to tn,
text, and his father suggested Fool
ishness is bound in the heart Of . child
hut the rod of correction shall drive
far from him. Whereupon he wa
sorry that he had inquired, and trem
blei in his shoes for some days; but hi
mother thought that the fright haA
taught him lessor, and the rod re
mained ON its parent tree uncut.
| And this is the story Of Charley
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