The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-07-07
,me. Nora darling: Bardie wants you

come, Nora darling; Bardie wants you
Who could resist those eyes?-that
coaxing voice? I had followed Just
such eyes and voice all my life, and L
followed them now.
So did Aunt Urania, with her most
investigating spectacles perched on her
nose.
"Well, Bardie," she remarked, cheer
fully, eff you say we must, and papa
says we must, why, we must" .,
Bardie stood stock-stiu, with an evil
look on his face.
II didn't mean you," he said. =,
sOh, my dear little boy, that wasn't
polite" whispered; but he only gave
me 8 hug, and turned to aunt with a
seraphic smile.
YOU'D better not 60. The cow is
quite o dangerous one," be said, IN
very civil tone. "And she doesn't like
red things; they make her furious
She just runs right at them ana tosses
them"
"What is the ch d taking about.
oss what? I'm not red thing l
hope" :.
*About your legs" S: .dBardie, very
distinctly. "You hold Our dress up SO
| high that the COW will get mad; l
shouldn't wonder if she killed you"
Aunty vouchsafed no reply, but strobe
males. ically on, scorning to veil by one
half inch the somewha unnecessary
consciousness of her iong scarlet
stockings. Bardie looked at her very
hard. =,
"a very cross dog lives in the barn,
he remarked. Gle bites people. Not
Young ladies, Nora darling, nor children
he i S real good to little ooys' ouI
other people he bites"
Icould not speak, and did not dare
to laugh. Auntie's face was awful.
CT am going TO the barn." she SAID,
briefly.
Wem made our way through the ducks
and hens, ski ting perilously q yard full
of pigs, and trembin gly passing small
window in shed, where protruded q
great head, with short horns and soft
| beautiful eyes, but low rumbling note
proclaimed that it was the bull, the ter
ror IF our field walks and grove picnics.
| Not that we had really encountered him
in the body, but in the spirit be always
seemed to haunt the next field or be
screened by the shaoiest tree.
"Oh, Bardie, don't like the looks Of
him." I whispered.
"Iake hold of my hand; III 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 'fraid of, Nora sweet?
He has got g 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.'
"What's 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 contented!y
in her corner, with her head raised in
watchful care of her little weak-legged
scrawny offspring. I had never seen a
very young calf before, and was dlsap-
pointed.
"Vealw pronounced Aunt Urania.
And not particularly good at that. l
should say"
Bardie did not understand the
"isn'f it lovely?" he cried. II wish
papa would buy it for me, the dearest
little thing! What makes it look so
funny and wst?"
"it'smothel has been giving it some
thing which is good for ali little chill
dren, Bardie," said my aunt. Par
ticularly for little boys. A good lick
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
heavy good-natured tail against the
hard boards, he uttered q low but per-
fectly distinct st, boy"
Up Jumped the obedient Bruce with
clumsy leap, and ran, barking loudly,
to the door, where he supposed the un-
seen enemy to be lurking. Aunt Uranla
fdgeted. ,, ,.,,
"Did YOU do that, you little rascal?"
she asked, not quite sure, however, for
she had been watching my successful
effort to climb to the top of a great
mountain Of hay, where l now sat amid
the fragrance of dried clover leaves, and
felt in paradise.
. It was an admirable point Of view,
butnot a convenient place to render as
sistance in an emergency. And thus 1t
happened that could see the cow,
growing uneasy at the hubbuh. rising |
to her feet, and finally, with threaten
ing look, advanced q step or two with |
lowered horns. I could see it all, but
was powerless to help, and could only
scream:
"Aunty! Bardie! the COW! the GOVT"
Quick as a 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 flight,
and she turned and fed, pursued only a
few steps by the disturbed mother, who
l. L. II |