The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-02-22


e l don bet, sir, said Barb. with
reproving look, land if L did you
wouldn' pay"
"Of course not, D." l replied with
great self-importance, 1.-THE winner new
er pays"
Il shall beat you, Teddy Harrison"
she said looking right into my eyes,
lust 70 spoil your self-conceit."
And establish your Own?' / asked,
lodging the quick, little brown hand as
she ran for cloak and cap.
We left Fan and her wOrs teds BY the
fire. Fan seldom ska ed; she wasn't
brave enough to skate, and she knew
she could not compare with Barby; be-
sides, she hated the cold, and could not
be out long at a time.
The pm h was we'll beaten down to the
river, and we were soon exchanging
laughing words of greeting with the
merry skaters.
Then, buckIing on our skates, we cir
clcd around a few times, and then start
ed on the race.
We were to skate up the river, to
point opposite an old dead tree standing
near the bank, then back to the starting
point.
Barby's cheeks were all aglow, and
with a graceful wave Of her fat, brown
hand she glided away. For awhile we
kept together, b t l feH could not win.
Twice summoning all my strength, 1
darted ahead; but in an instant she was
by my side, with sparkling eyes and fly
ing hair.
As we turned to 90 back, Barby gave
me a little salute and said "GOOd-by,
Teddy" Then she fairly few Try
as l would and / did try never
quite caught up with her again. She
stood laughing rs 1 circled up near the
bank. Lift Willie Brown sat there,
va'nly struggling with a refractory skate
strap; and as | anne up. he said pitTfully:
. Let me take your knife, won't you,
Ted, long 'nough to fix this plaguey
old skate" / drew it out and opened
the shining blade. ''13e careful not to
cut yourself, Willie" | said; when a
cry from Barby rang out: Oh! Teddy,
quick! Out of the wayn' And then
fell / know that my head was hurt;
but | felt there was something worse
than that l opened my eyes and saw
Barry's face-sO rosy a minute ago
now white as death. A pool of blood
on the ice; a confused, frightened muir
muir of voices sounded in my ears; and
l knew no more. Mel Brown told me
about it afterwa d. How Harry Laws,
always a blunderbuss, ran into me and
made me fall with the opened knife in
my hand How the wonderful flow of
blood from cash in my wrist made
them know an artery had been severed!
How Barby, with white compressed
lips and blOodless face was the only cool
one of them all.
Run for DR.. Emory, Dick Howard, "
she cried. Send him to Mr.. Harri-
sons! | want the largest BOYS here to
carry Teddy home! One of you go
ahead and tell his mother"
"Rarby, don't you think he will bleed
to dcathP" said Ned.
- He won bleed to death, Ned
Brown, she answered, iercely. And
with sickenn culver of the lips brave
Barbv knelt, and with her little, fat,
brown fingers held tight the artery.
Now, this minute, act! can't yOu?'
she cried. "ShOw yourselves as brave
ut heart as a girl!' Thus appealed to-,
the boys gathered around me, and lift
ing, carried me slowly over the white
snow where Barby and had walked so
merrily a few minutes before. All the
way along the blood dripped, dripped,
dripped through the tightly closed fin
gers, staining the "angel WINGS and
making the heart of the brave little girl
sick within her. Tramp, tramp, the
SLOW procession OF Sau skaters, bearing
their unconscious burden. nerved by the
courage of the white-faced girl, goes up
the steps of the room where Barby
thought angels eRcamped around us.
On the couch where Fan had been sit
ting they laid me; and kneeling by my
de, her fat fingers all red now, Barby
speaks in such clear, strong words that
Fan does not shrek or faint, and moth
er feels little hope. The hurried
1 tramp of feet, and quick, decisive steps
in the hall, and DR.. Emory is by her
Il think he viii live, DOCTOR" she
says, quietly.
" He viii, young woman, because
you have saved his life. l wish there
were more like you" And then Barby,
| girl-like, greatly to Ned amazement,
breaks down and cries.
After l got better, [ tried hard 20
thank her; but the words choked me,
and Barby would not listen.
"Why, 1 would do "A great deal more
than that to save your life, Teddy; don {
say another word she would answer.
Only once she told me that it seemed
hours, during which she could feel the
warm blood trickle through her fingers.
.. Sometimes the feeling comes back to
me-" she said, and her lips whitened a
little
tell you, as | did before, always
liked Barby and l think YOU will Join
me in saying: Three cheers for one
brave girl Central Methodist