The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-10-23
RYE'S STORY.

Two years ago we all went up to
Barclay 10 stay year. Father owns a
place up there, and the doctor said the
change would do mother a great deal
of good.
t hated to go, for 1 didn't see how 1
could get along without our school, and
the girls and everyth ng. Mother said
that was rather selfish, but [ didn't care
for that.
1t didn't make a bit of difference to
the others, for Smmy was happy any
where. and Tony was only a year and a
half old.
When we had been at Barclay about
a week, my cousin, June Ackers, came
to live with us. June's home was in
Boston, but her folks had gone to En-
rope, and she was to stay with US till
they came back.
l liked staying at Barclay better
after June came. We had splendid
fun. One morning, mother said, just
after breakfast:
''Girls, L think you may begin your
school this morning"
l expect must have turned pale,
for you see, | never thought of s~ch
thing as going to school in that
country place.
l begged mother not to send me,
but mother is firm, L can tell you.
June kept very quiet. l expected
she would be awfully cross, but when
we went upstairs to get our hats, she
shut the door and said:
''Of course, we've got to 90, but /
guess we can think up something that
will pay Aunt Charlotte Off y
So we went-Jim and us two girls.
June scared Jim so, ON the way, that
mother had terrible time to get him
to go inside the schOol-house. June
told him the teacher had horns. and
that she cut off every boys ears if he
couldn't spell ''hippodrome. :"
Mother was ahead of us, and didn't
hear anything June said, so she was
dreadfully mortified when we got in the
school and Jimmy began to walk around
the teacher and stare at her. He wasn't
afraid while mother was there, SO he
said:
''Say, you amt got on your horns
to-day, have you? and | can spell hip
perdrome, too, so you can't cut my ears
off. either!''
Mother tired to stop him, but she
couldn't do it. She explained to the
teacher that Jimmy had never been to
school before, but think the teacher
thought we were funny people.
Well, we went to school there, for
mother made us, but June and l didn't
like it.
Jim was pleased He thought every
thing was splendid. June and | didn't
behave very we'll We acted as bad a
we could, to tell the truth, and Miss
Penley went to see mother about it, and
there was an awful time.
One day-it was Saturday mother
sent June and me down to the end of
the garden to pick currants. While we
were there, we saw the nurse or
name was Norah Pindcr fixing Tony
in her carriage, where she could see us,
and in a baby way be amused. Pres
emily, Norah went into the house and
left Tony sitting there.
Tony's name was Victoria, but Jim
couldn't say it at first, so he called her
Tony.
June never said a word, but went
and got Tony and brought her down
where we were. Tony was so fond Of
June that she would go anywhere with
her.
Rye" said June, diets take her
down in the woods, and get her asleep,
and leave her there, just little while,
to scare Aunt Charlotte and Norah."
| never thought what L was doing
honestly, never Mouqht--but hurried
off down the path to the woods with the
carriage-afghan in my hand, and June
coming behind carrying Tony.
They couldn't see the path from the
house. We went through the thick
woods to a little place we called our
''den,'' and sat down,
Finally, Tony went to sleep. SO we
put her down on the afghan and ran
back toward the hose. We meant to go
right back to the garden so we could see
the fun when Norah came out to look
for Tony.
But just as we got into the path we saw
Sue Lane coming. Sue asked us to
come up to her house and see new sun
shade her aunt had sent her from New
York.
June said we couldn't go then, for we
were in a great hurry to go down and
get some tin-types taken to send to her
uncle, who was Governor of Massachu-
sets.
OF course it wasn't true, for father, is
the only uncle June ever had; but Sue
believed it, and it just took her down,
/ tell you.
After Sue went on, June said why
couldn't we go and get some pictures;
so we did go, and we had such fun!
By the time we got home, we had for |
gotten all about Tony. When we were
almost at the gate, Bridget rushed out
to meet us.
',Arrah, thin! yez haven't the child !
wild yez, at all at ALI
She expected we had Tony with us. |
By this time, mother and Norah and the |
hired man had come out.
Norah was crying aud wringing her |
hands Mother was just as white as a |
ghost, and all she said, was:
'Where is the baby. Ryeg'
Her voice sounded just like one crazy.
was scared. / can tell you. l couldn't /
speak word. 1t all rushed over me, |
the awful thing had done to hide our
dear little baby.
But June laughed
81 guess Tony is not far off in the |
woods, Aunt Charlotte. l saw her 90
ng down that way a while ago"
Mother never looked at June, but /
said to me in that dreadful tone:
go and get her, RyeH'
/ ran, you can believe. L never hur-
led so in my life.
June followed. 1 believe she was
afraid to stay there with mother.
Well can hardly tell it, even now
when we reached the den the baby
vas gone. l never had such feeling
n my life as when 1 came upon the
place where we had left Tony, and
ound she wasn't there. l sat down on
he moss and looked at June. She
iidn't laugh then. She just turned
around and said:
Rye, believe they'll hang me, for
we Killed your little sister.
l didn't dare go back to tell mother
Tony was gone. ! think / had a wild
notion of going and jumping into the
liver.
But before / could move the hired