News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-10-30

among the poles. But Tom had hi
suspicious. He rose from the pump
kin and followed Toppy. She stooC
quietly among the vines, looking
flushed and uneasy. "Top," sale
Tom, did you hook all them things
for US ?''
Eyes" said Toppy, compelled byhis
tone to reply, but | hain't eat az
much as | wanted to for a week, anC
tonight I'll just tell her and git
an awful whipping. That's ALL
AfterWard there was grand prom
Grade through the garden and barn
then they went into the parlor tc
have a peep at it's sombre horse
"a = ses .- 49, ,4fit sgt -:
Miss Mehitabel's three-Eear-old colt
and irregular beauty.
"He's wild yet" said Toppy
"only halfbroken, and he won't
come to anybody as quick as me-"
She armed herself with an enticine
ear of yellow corn, and they started
for the pasture. 1t was a along slopine
lot, covered with clover rOwen. The
colt was in an upper corner. They
could see the whisking of his tail as
he stood with his head across the
rails as if he had sought the wood lot
cover for the shade
"That's queer for Barnie to do, u
said Toppy in a puzzle "You can
only peek through the bars, young
ones, for that colt is kicker"
She started across the lot swinging
her ear of corn by the husks, and
singing in a cooling tone, "Here Bar
ME, Barnie, Barnie"
Barnie bore out his reputation as a
kicker by raising his unshod heels
and beating the ground furiously as
Toppy advanced toward him.
What ails you?' cried Toppy, in
tone of superior command. You
don't think I'm scared of your heels,
Barnie Latterat, do you?"
But on nearing the fence she saw to
her intense astonishment the cause
OF Barnie's demonstrations A rope
moose had been thrown over his head
and drawn nearly to the choking
point. The rope was fastened hasti-
ly to a tree trunk in the wood, and a
man, who had been preparing to take
down the fence rails at Toppy's first
hail, stood glaring angrily at her.
He was a fiashily-dressed man. A
road led down for a mile through the
woods to the Shawangunk club house.
Ioppy knew men of questionable
reputation often congregated there
from the city.
Nothing daunted, she climbed up
on the rail as light and nimbly as a
squirrel and addressed the man.
" What do you want of Miss Mehit-
able's Barnie, mister?"
''Get off that, you kid, and clear
out" growled the man, pouring a
string of Oaths out at her which
might well have frightened a more
carefully. reared child. -
"Who cares for your swearin'?''
said Toppy, winding the supple soles
close on the old rail and standing
up, with marigold crown skewing
rakishly over one eye to survey this
very evident horse thief more fully.
You can't steal my Barnie with me
here, | tell you that"
Barnie whinnied at her well known
tones, and stood still. The man
made a sudden dive for her, but Top
py had half expected it. She swayed
sideways as his hand came out,
grasped Barnie's name and with a
spring leaped lightly from the fence
to the colts back, where she settled,
striding him like a boy, with a look
of triumph at the man.
"Now mister" she cried in excite
ment, "Barnie has never had any
one but me on his back, and
he'll send you higher'n a kite if you
try it. As soon as you unite that
rope you bet I'll show you how this
colt can scoot. And here | stay"
Conscious of her advantage, she
showed her little white teeth to him
with mocking smile.
"I'll climb that fence and murder
you," threatened the man.
"You dare not, for that rope amt
tied tight enough around that tree
but what | could get over there while
you're getting over here, an let Bar
ME loose"
"You little imp!"
"And if you lead Barnie off, you
take me, too, mister, or he won't 90
step"
Toppy sat there, her heels clinging
to Barnie, and her eyes flashing,
clearly the mistress of the situation.
The man reflected. Then he took
out an ugly-looking knife and cut a
long thin switch.
"Ill see if this won't tickle you of
that horses back" he said with q
cruel glance at the little brown legs.
"No, 'twon't," retorted Toppy
turning pale, but not a bit daunted
"You kin switch till you kill me, but
| won't get off. -
Then as a fine stingingcame across
her foot she pulled it up as high as
she could under her little scant skirt
an fln ! said between her teeth, doubling
her"fsts and winking back the tears
q won't get off. Tom p she crieC
out in shrill treble tones, ''Run tC
the mill-for Neezer and-hur-ry !"
She looked over her shoulder to b'
sure Tom had started, and then sa-
there bearing the rain of the blows
with all the courage she could mus
ter, though the pain brought tn
tears dropping on Barnie's name
Barnie danced as stray lashes tlckle'
his sleek coat, but he knew who wa
on his back, and indulged in no NOR
kicking.
Tom fed at top speed to the mil
for the man who did work iOr Mis-
MehitabeI, but was that day jObbin:
down there Before he could reac
it, however, Il rescuer appeared i
Miss Mehitabel herself. She ha
made a quick market, and suspicion
of Toppy, had driven home early.
In rising wrath she discovered th
deserted pumpkin banquet with it
revelation of broken meats from he
own pantry, and lastly she spied til
unbidden guests leaning panic
stricken over the bars of the close
lot. Toppy's marigold wreath wa
q shining mark in the sun. Miss Nj
i hitabel tossed Peter and Bob asiC
and strode across the lot to tetc
, this galivanting young maid serva1
) to terms. Neither Toppy or the ma
saw her until she had had time t
stand in amazement and take in ii
. whole situation.
"YOu scoundrell' cried Miss NJ
4 hitabel in awe-inspiring tones, and
Y second later her strong arm liftt
S TOppy to the ground, Barnie
p moose was off his head and the ms
had vanished down the wood road.
r Poor Toppy! Between fear