The Red Cloud chief., 1881-05-19
LITTLE RETSEi.

Mr.. li}AA.S" a.. IARsA'~ ~
Piled nose into the door ot the 'Aa'e
farm house.
II vas a butter cold nigh, in Dcccm-
Der. With snow hin: deep on the
ground. a frozen wind bowling 'hr'ugh
the forest aai a IRE bun; a. high as
thcy could pic The logs on the Old ron
.irs dogs.
And the farmer and hes wife were
ruastiu- apples and cracking nuts on
the hearth with the chddrca. while \
pitcher of cold. sparkling cider and a
plate Of bouar made gingerbread was
ON the table,
Charley and little Bell sat side by
I side on the b.. %settcc. in the very deep
80 angie .; ,hs cb.mucy. whcre. b.
looking straight up. they could sec the
stars shining IN the skV overhead. .
watch the sparks 81 cArcrTing mtdiy
up the widc thruat az the chimney.
JOHNNY was ON his knees. with the
/ hammer. cracking away a, the butter
nuts and hickory mats. snd Rc~a Wa
rratjny by the light of til" shaded lamp
Your little Bctscy'" said Mr..
Chase. the farmer. No; certainly
not, Come in and warm yourself. Mr..
Hathaway. Isn't shc ovcr 81 her
grandia,her's"
mo. she ISN'T" said Mr.. Hathaway,
with 4 p~ertUrhci face. she went
away nj three o'clock. aud her mother
supposed she WAS ouly gone 20 the saw
I mill to play with Minnie Locke. Bni
we've seen nor heard nothing of her
/ where she l.. No. Mr.. Chase -
I l-.ls- l..4g. IN ~. ..., l.te
couIdn't sit down nor rest until ] know
where nv little gal is. this freezing
winter night"
You don't think she's iastT' said
Mrs Chasc. i~nvoluntarily shuddcring a.
she ~claspei little Bell closer in her arms.
Mr.. Chase got up
"Wifc. where's NV big. shaggy over
coat2" laid be. I'm not goinS 90 SIT
here. warming nv fee; az the ERE. when
nv neighbours lhil. one is in danger Of
freezing L death. Gel me the lantern.
JOHNNY
:" Father cried Johnny. "can't !
90 aud look for little Bet>ey. too?'
For Mrs. iiathaway's little Betsey"
was a universal ~favorite in tho neigh
borhooi.
Aeuriy- headed. bluecyedIttie eli Of
four years. who WAS ALWAYS begging for
faIry-storicS. Iger cookies and row-
ers. who wanderedup anil down in sum
mcr,imc. with her sun-bonnct hanging
down her back. and rode down hili on
the bows sleds in winter. with n fur
edged hood tied tight aruundher bloom
ing face hattie Bctsey Wa e,erybody's
pet.
She had n little difference 81 opinion,
with her mother that afternoon, IL
seemed. She had been sitting up NJ
the table, eating bread ard butter and
apple jeIly.
Me want some more jelly. mamma"
said Fctscv. nj last.
You have had enough" said Mrs.
Hathaway.
Me rodi have sonc more said Def.
sey.
no. ms dear. youyll not" said
the mother. who somsiimcs found Il
necessary u govern the little willful
creature with a firm vet gentle hand.
Then me II run away" said bctsey,
dcfantlv.
MrsL Hafhsway smiled a li,tle NJ The
threat. Be'scy often "ran away" but
she had never rs vet gone further Than
AAI' oNFAAA VIII ~ hl1 ltfk III tIH
iili. where little Minnie Locke. n eh,Ii
Of her own age. had a whole colony of
dolls. made out Of corn-cobs dressed up.
and wooden blocks. with eyes. mouths
aud noses. marked with shOe-blacking.
IN their faces.
She never even looked around when
Be;sey stood on = thrrn-ieggrt stooi 20
reach down the scarlet hood. with the
edging 81 gray fur around the face. and
trudged on. with her little hose stuck
uP in the air.
"she will 10 back long before snu-
per-" the mother aid 10 herself
But supper-tims came. and no little
BetSey. and the darkness settled dreari-
Is over the many hills abdfrozen woods.
and then they became frightened. and
Mr.. Hathaway went in one direction
and Peter. the hired man. in another.
and Mrs Locke. If the NH. came q,
stay with the terrified mother until
news. either good or bad. should arrive
OF the lost chiiL
The worst ~ Il ali H." said Mr.
Hathaway. THAT she may have s,raYed
o. ioto-tbe woods and lost her WAY
And she's such n little mite 81 a thing
md The now ~ deep. and drifted all
about by the wind-and IL she sbould
drop dosn anywhere for a minrt. 10
rest. there's that dreadful dr,sy.;se.s
that comes with cold. And I shall new
er see my poor little darling again.
Keep up 4 brave heart. Neivhbor
Hathaway said Mr. Chase, although
there were tears in hs own exes
Never despair Wen find the little
lsss ysi- &sSd wilitag
@rAnd~ Hunter 4, sbrisi sas telling.
oalJ last week. OF a savage bear that
va lurking sJfnewbere among The
Rst.esnake kocks-' said Mr. Hzha-
way. with = srpublei yotcr. ..And ev.
cry one knows hos daring . bear viii
become when there Is snow on the
groand" 4
They tried 10 comfort the poor. panic
stresen fatner ~ best tbcy eoala. but
10 no avail
The country ;hsrsabouis was Wild
and dssolste. with here snd there =
farmhouse. or n LITTLE settlement Of
buildings. and side. Mid strsseb<s az
forests around. where foxes and wolves
cTept about. p~an;bers howied a. nizhf.
and bears were hot; every lItrie xhiie.
And II On OF these savage creatures
we're 10 encounter little Beisey. max
Ing her bevfldered way through the
woods. On. u made Mr.. Hatkaxay's
Dsopd eurdle TO thinx II shat xould BE-
her fate.
The neighbos separated into little
bands, each taking some particular
Ernfe with Lanterns and s,r-sz. 10
search for theI lost child: and Farmer
ohaSe went ~ith Ar. H.ahawzy into
tie -kzEssesnase woods.- 80 eaIlest
from the fact that sears ago ihose ven.
osDoaz reptiles made their nest. anonz
the Wild masses Il rocks Which were
piled together IN FANTASTIC share. in
these woods
IL Was = ioaslJ piaee. upoa the side Of
q mountain where people se,do,s 49,
10 20. but I: could be re.eheJ h--1N.