Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1884-05-29
KTODY's CARELEssSEss.

name was Neddy. He was generally
good boy; that is. he was not very
bad bOy, only sometimes 4 little care
less. He did not tell naughty stories;
he seldom quarreled with his little
sister: he was not selfish; and he only
got into the sugar-bOx and jam-pot once
in a great while. Now, do not mean
that he got into the sugar-bOx and jam
pot. but his fingers sometimes found
their way TO the sugar Jumps and jam
Neddy was five years old. had brown.
curly hair. blue ewes. and wore a blue
gingham dress the day he not only
alarmed the neighborhood but aroused
the whole town into S commotion- IL
was through carelessness: but. dear
me- II he had not been careless should
not have this story to write
Neddy's mamma had gone TO pay
some calls. leaving him at home with
MS sister Fanny. bzby brother. and Jane,
the nrrse. At first they all were in the
yard. Jane swung baby in tho ham
mock while Neddy and Fanny shoveled
sand into their little cart, and. pretend
ing il was full of coal, took il to kena.
the cook. 10 sell Presently Fanny
wanted drink of water, so Jane took
baby in her arms and went -yith Fanny
into the dining-roOm to get the drink
for her.
They were only gone a few minutes.
but when they went back into the yard.
Neddy was nowhere TO be seen
Jane called him-"Neddy, o Ned
dyr' No answer. Then she went into
the house TO look for him. She looked
in the parlors. library. upstairs in the
bedrooms. and down IN the kitchen.
but he was not in any OF them. Then
she called him again. Neddy, Neddyi
Where arc you?n Still no answer. By
this tine Jane began 10 be frightened.
and. giving the baby to kena. she ran
out INTO the yard, searching every
where She looked into the coal and
wood bins; she peeped down the well;
and even looked under all the currant
and gooseberry bushes: but no Teddy.
Then she ran into the neighbOr' 5
houses on either side of them. and
gazed up and down the st.eet every
where Not vestige of little boy OF
his description be seen any where
Then poor Jane was al her wits end
What should she do next? What had
become Of her darling Neddyl Certain-
" some dreadful thing had happened
10 him, for he had never been known
TO 90 outside of the gate without per-
mission. Perhaps be had fallen into
the well. and was now living at the bot
tom OF 1t. white and cold, Or, perhaps
-dreadful thought.-he had been
stolen by some gypsies, and they were
beating him 10 stop his crying. She had
heard the day before that there was n
gypsy camp Just below town. and suTs-
ly they bad stolen her Neddy away.
The more she thought of il the more
positive she became about It.
Then she happened 10 remember TIC
telephone. and ran Immediately TO IE
form Neddy's papa of what had O.
CURED. '.Neddg is lost" she sail.
talking through the queer little box Il
can't find him anywhere. ard / m afrsSd
the gypsies have stolen him He had ON
a blue gincham dress. and wore Ho
hat Then she ran out on the sidewalk
again and found Kena rushing frantic
ally UP and down with baby in her
arms. CRYING wildly and alarming al
the passers-by. Nearly everybody on
the street stopped TO inquii what was
/ the matter. and in n few minutes nearly
3 dozen people had started on the
search for los Neddy. Mrs Brown rar
/ In one direction, Mr.. Smith in another,
ard Mr.. Jones jumped into his buggy
and started towards the part of the
town where the gypsy encamPment wa:
said 70 be
You can imagine how frightened and
unhappy Neddys papa was when hs
heard through the telephone that Neddy
was lost He out or his hat and started
for home as fast as be could 90. Pretty
soon he met n policeman and stopped
to tell him about il so that he could as
sist in searching for Neddy. He told
the policeman how Neddy was dressed
in a blue gingham frOck and wore n
hat. and the policeman telephOned th'
description to his chief. so that befOr'
long il was known all over town. Eaci
police officer kept on the lookout for 1
little boy with brown. curly hair. whit
wore a blue gingham frock and no hat
Neddv's papa was all this time hur
rying home A. fast rs possible. H
finally got there. all out Of breath froI
walking so fast. and Just as he Opene,
the gate he happened to look up. an'
there stood Neddy on the front porch
Jane and kena and half a dozen neigh
bOrs were crying over HIM and kissin.
him. His mamma was there. too. AN
looked as il she felt like laughing; ant
a. for Neddy himself. he looked r4the
crestsallen- Where do YOU suppose b.
aad been all this time? | viii tell YOU
When Jane took Fanny in TO get
drink Neddy ran TO the front gate aB'
looked out. just as he porped his hea'
out of the gate he saw his mamma go
inc into 4 ne ighbOr's house abOu. half
block of. The lady whose house il wa
lay quite i'll; and his mamma WAS goin,
10 sit with her : little while. Neddy
seeing his mamma going in there. IA
after her. forgetting all the while tha
Jane world not know where he hal
gone. His mamma saw him come i
the neighbOr gate. bu: surpOsing tha
Jane had given him permission 20 come
thought no more about it. and sent hin
into the back yard 20 play with th
neighbor's little boy while she talked Z
the sick lady. Thus she was unawar
o. the commOtion in the street, ss tn
blinds were all closed IN the lady
room. and she could not see kens
} Jane and the rest Of them rushing wild
, ly around after lost Neddy. By and b
she got ready to 90. called Neddy. VIII
had been very happy making mud pies
and they went home
| assure YOU no one could have bee
: more surprised at the exitemenr he ha
? | or,aafad than Naddv birnSalf- and I ar
inclined to believe he thought it rathe
: good joke. too. As for his papa an
Jane and Kena, they were all so glad {
, find him safe that they readily forgav
him for being so careless. and Ken
sealed her forgiveness By immediatel
making him an apple turnover.
Ii was some time after that before th
excitement concerning Neddy's my:
terious disappearance died away. In
. deed. the verv next day the mtsrnin