Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-07-15
,mc, Nora darling; Bardie wants you

/ w ITO COulu Teblbb LuOSo eycbf -bhue
coaxing voicep | had followed Just
followed them now.
So did Aunt Urania, with her most
investigating spectacles perched on her
nose.
"Well, Bardie," she remarked. cheer
fully, elf you say we must, and papa
says we must, why, we must" -.
Bardie stood stock-still, with an evil
look on his face.
| 81 didn't mean you" he said.
| "Ob, my dear little boy, that wasn't
polite" whispered; but he only gave
me n hug, and turned to aunt with a
seraphic smile.
YOU'D better not GO. The cow is
| quite dangerous one," he said, in d
very civil tone. "And she doesn't like
red things; they make her furious.
She just runs right at them and tosses
them"
What is the chi d taking about,
oss whatp I'm not red thing. 1
hope."' .
distinctly. You hold your dress up so
high that the cow will get mad: |
shouldn't wonder if she killed you"
Aunty vouchsafed no reply, but strode
majes ically on, scorning to veil by one
half incn the somewha unnecessary
conspicuousness of her .ong scarlet
stockings. Bardie looked at her very
| hard.
"A very cross dog lives in the barn"
he remarked. HE bites people. Not
young ladies, Nora darling, nor children
he real good to little boys, but
other people he bites"
could not speak, and did not dare
| to laugh. Auntie's face was awful.
" l am going to the barn, she said'
briefly.
We made our way through the ducks
| and hens, ski ting perilously yard full
of pigs, and tremblingly passing a small
window in a shed, where protruded n
great head, VIII h short horns and soft
| beautiful eyes, but low rumbling note
proclaimed that it was the bull, the ter
ror uf our field walks and grove picnics.
Not that we had really encountered him
in the body, but in the spirit he always
seemed to haunt the next field or be
screened by the shadiest tree.
"Oh, Bardie. don't like the looks OF
him." whispered.
| d" axe hold of my hand; I'll take care
of YOU" said the little knight; and we
passed the monster that looked yearn-
| ingly at US in our freedom, and gave a
| resounding below that shuddered
through and through me.
Bardie laughed at my fears.
"What are you 'fpaid of, Nora sweetp
He has got big ring in his nose, and
can't do anything. Anybody can lead
him about. Papa said once that If you
could only put ring on person, you
| could lead him by his noSe."
Whats that?" said Aunt Urania,
from behind
We entered the barn, full to overflow
ing with sweet new hay, and fragrant
with its perfume, and with the breath
of the patient COW that lay contentedly
| in her corner. with her head raised in
watchful care of her little weak-legged
scrawny offspring. l had never seen a
very young calf before, and was disap-
pointed.
"Vealw pronounced Aunt Urania.
And not particularly good at that. l
should say"
Bardie did not understand the
prophecy.
Isn't it lovelyP" he cried. II wish
papa would buy 1t for me, the dearest
little thing! What makes it look so
funny and wetP"
t'smother has been giving it some
thing which is good for all little chill
dren, Bardie,n said my aunt. Par
ticularly Tor little boys. A good lick
ingw
Bardie understood this time, and
looked vengefully at her. Then snap
ping the fingers of his minute hand to
the old dog, that lay near Tapping q
heavy good-natured tail against the
| E,,t
fectly distinct st. boy"
Up jumped the obedient Bruce with a
clumsy leap, and ran, barking loudly,
to the door, where he supposed the un-
seen enemy to be lurking. Aunt Urania
fidgeted.
"Did you do that. you little rascals"
she asked, not quite sure, however, for
she had been watching my successful
effort to climb TO the top of great
mountain of hay, where / now sat amid
the fragrance OF dried clover leaves, and
felt in paradise.
1t was an admirable point of view,
but not a convenient place to render as
sistance in an emergency. And thus IL
happened that | could see the COW,
growing uneasy at the hubbub, rising
to her feet, and finally, with threaten
ing look, advanced n step or Two with
lowered horns. could see 1t all, but
was powerless to help, and could only
scream:
"Aunty Bardiel the cowi the COW p
Quick as wink Bardie slipped past
the angry animal, and, as he expressed
it, "shinned up" the haymow, where
he perched himself triumphantly beside
me. Dignity and age alike forbade the
exercise Of shining to aunty, notwith-
standing Bardie's opinion of her length
Of limb. She wavered, tried for one
brief moment to "look the animal in
the eye," but a forward movement on
the cows part put that idea to fight,
and she turned and fled, pursued only n
few steps by the disturbed mother, who
saw her to the door," with a loud
moo of dismissal, echoed In distant
thunder from the small window wherein
cleaned the bulls excited eye; pursued
also, am ashamed TO say, by derisive
laugh from Bardie. who stood on one
| Len ha lancin1 him self with n nifchf fork