The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1878-06-06

watching him a. be carried away the
only pet and playmate she had.
1t annoyed him, and it was something
new for him to be annoyed in this way,
He was glad when he found himself
approaching another farmhouse. and if
he blew louder blast than usual on he
horn, nobody but himself knew that il
was to give vent, if possible, to emotions
that were getting too strong for him to
manage.
Tom was very quiet all the way home.
He seemed to be thinking very deeply
about something, but when, occasionally,
he did speak, it was sure TO be some
innocent remark about Bessie or her
father, which enIy gave his fathers con.
science fresh prick and served toiTritats
him still more. So by the time they
got home he was, aa his wife said,
" dreadful gouty."
AS they were sitting at supper that
evening, Tom burst out suddenly.
"Father would you cell that calf?"
" Yes, and be glad to get rid of her, if
| can get my price.
Well, I'd ike to buy her if Pve got
money enough in my bank"
" You ! what do you want of her 2''
" Oh something. VIII you sell her
to me ?"
Yes, l suppose so, Yes, you may
have her for ten dollars, just what I
paid"
and do exactly as I please with her,
father?"
His father hesitated. He suspected
what Tom was going to do, aud he saw q
difficulty in it for him. However, he
replied, at last
Yes, Tom, you may buy her and do
exactly as you please with her upon one
condition; and that is if by buying her
you get yourself into hard scrape you
will work yourself out of it without my
help"
Mr.. Thyson thought by binding Tom
to that promise that he should have q
good chance to teach him a valuable les>
son in shrewdness and foresightin making
a bargain.
Tom readily promised, for he couldn't
imagine what scrape he could possibly
get into by buying Clover. So the bargain
was soon concluded and the money paid.
Meantime, Bessie had dried her tears
and gone home, trying very hard to be
cheerful; but as soon as she bad eaten
her supper she crept up to her little bed
and sobbed herself to sleep. The next
morning she felt braver, and thought she
would try very hard to forget Glover.
Her father usually lay on lounge by the
sitting room window through the day,
and for several mornings Clover had been
IL the habit of coming there and putting
her head in to be caressed. So Bessie
made point of getting basket of fresh
clover blossoms, with which her father
would feed the calf while Bessie and her
mother were at breakfast. But the
morning after Clover left, Bessie sat
down to the table with heavy heart, for
she missed Clover then more than ever.
She had hardly taken q mouthful,
though, before her father called:
Bessie, just bring me q basket of
clovers, won't you? Clover wants her
breakfast"
Bessie sprang from her chair with a
bound, exclaiming:
Why, papa, you have forgotten
Clever's gone"
But mol there was her sweet, white
face peering in at the window, and there
holding her by a cord stood Tom Thy5On,
his face covered with smiles.
Why, Tom" screamed Bessie, did
she run away ?"
''No, I bought her of father, and now
am going to give her back to yeu. She
is yours again, now. Good by" and be-
fore Bessie could express her thanks Tom
was gone.
Now, although the return Of the calf
brought great JOY to Bessie, it brought
equal concern to her parents, for the
question arose how Clover could be fed.
Mr.. Thyson had foreseen the difficulty
from the first, but Tom, in his eagerness
to get the calf back to Bessie, had not
thought Of it. Mr.. ThysOn said nothing,
though. He thought he would see how
Tom would manage.
Toward right Bessie's father call her
to him and told her that although Tom
was very kind and thoughtful TO bring
Clever back, she couldn't stay, for he had
not feed enough to keep her through the
winter, and no money to buy any. So
the next morning Bessie started to carry
her back to Tom. It was two miles away,
but it was q lovely morning, and Bessie
enjoyed the walk very much. Tom saw
her before she reached the house and ran
to meet her.
"I know you've brought her back, /"
said he, laughing heartily, " because you
haven't any feed for her. forgot she
would have to eat, but don't you worry,
yours, if you have to wait till she is 8
cow" and then they both laughed to
think she wouldn't be much of a calf by
that time. "But you see," he added,
" Pm in a scTape, whether / give her to
! you or keep her myself, for / haven't any
feed for her either, and it never will de
/ TO ask father for any. But I'll manage
| it somehow before tomorrow. III go To
bed soon after supper and think 1t cut
| So Bessie left the calf, and Tom took
! part of what money he bad and went To
| his father to buy some feed fer her. He
! was determined not to ssk him to give
| him any, and his father was pleased "a
see that Tom was sticking to his promise
not to ask his help.
The next morning he said 70 his
| father:
"Father, have you anything you
! could hire me to do this winter? I an
going to carry the calf back again thil
morning. am not going to give this
/ lob up, now that I've started. so | an
going to earn money enough 10 feed hel
| this winter myself"
"Ah! So you are going to work the
calf's board, are your Well, If yCJ
want to take Jim's place here you car
earn her board and something beside
| You could do his work before and ate
school if you were smart and got uI
early"
"WelI, Pn try it. I'd like to buy
feed enough now to last her this week
and after this can earn it and carry i
over"
His father smiled at Toms business
like way, and thought to himself, "Well
am teaching Tom good lesson, that
q fact. He'll get tired enough of hi
bargain before spring, but it will do hin
good"
Tom filled his hand-cart with the feed
and ty ng the rope around Clovers neck
started again to carry her home. l dom
know what the people along the roa'
thought to see the calf going back an'