Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-07-23
TEDDY'S PUNISHMENT.
1t Was for Running Away, But Was No
Preventive.

| 1t Was for Running Away, But Was Not q
| Preventive.
''Teddy Prout! Where have you been
| this time?"
.Dess-over de fence,'' said Teddy,
looking ruefully down at his apron.
''Look at your apron. You've tore it
dreadfully."
"'Twas de fence tore it, said Teddy.
Teddy, this is three times to-day
that you have run away and climbed
over that picket fence to play with
jake Potter. The first time you got
your shoes soaked through with dew;
the next time you tripped and umbled
into the mud puddle; and now you've
tore your apron like this. What do you
s'pose I'm going to do with you?"
81 don't know" said Teddy, with a
very doleful face and voice to match.
I'm going to put you in this chair
and keep you here for two solid hours;
then you can't run away"
Teddy looked more dolefu1 than be-
fore, if that were possible. In fact he
looked great deal more doleful than
he felt, for he did not feel afraid of any
thing his sister Dolly might do. She
always talked and hustled about as If
she meant something dreadful; but he
knew very well that before long she
would bring him baked apple or a
cooly, and like enough tell him story
while she mended his apron. But be-
fore she had her needle and thread
ready neighbours little girl ran in.
ooh, Dolly, Mrs. Bray's baby's got
awful pain, and she wants you to come
over and bring the peppermint and tell
her how much to give him"
''Oh, Patty, mothers away for all
day, and I've got to take care for
Teddy
Let him come, too
mo, he can't" Dolly shook her head
very positively. Hes been naughty,
and he's got TO sit on that chair"
But what was to be done? Mrs Bray's
baby could not be left to suffer; and it
would never do to leave it to a little
thing like Patty to tell how many drops
of peppermint must be given.
Patty" said Dolly" you run back
and tell Mrs. Bray I'll be there with
the peppermint most as soon as you
are
1t was very unfortunate for Teddy
that Patty had happened along just be-
fore Dolly's tender-hearted stage had
set in. Ten minutes later she would
have been petting him, and doing every
thing to show that she was sorry for
being so cruel, except telling him SO in SO
many words; but she now turned to him
with very hardened look on her pref
ty, rosy face.
81 know what I'll do with you. 1
guess I can manage to keep you from
running away even if I'm not here. I'm
going to tie you to that chair"
Teddy set up a wall.
eyes, 1 am. 1t won't be half as bad
as you deserve"
She brought piece of rope and tied
the small boys arm near his shoulder to
the back Of the chair.
mo. you don't do that" she said,
severely, as Teddy gave little hitch to
try his chances of passing his arm out
of the rope as soon as he should be left
alone. She passed the rope around him
and under the other shoulder, making
as tight knot as she could behind the
chair.
''There now" But before she had
hunted out the peppermint bottle from
the top shelf of the pantry Dolly's heart
failed her. She ran to the cupboard and
hastily spread piece of bread with jam
81 won't be long," she said, thrusting
it into the small boys hand.
It had been hard work to hold the
doleful look on his plump little face,
and Teddy let it go the moment his Sis
ter was out of sight, for the jam was
good and he knew he should not have
had it if Dolly had not been called
away. He knew also, that something
else unusually nice would be forthcom-
ing as soon as she came back, perhaps |
even a piece of pie or lump of white |
sugar.
He ate the jam off the bread, dropped |
it to the floor, and listened for Dolly to |
come. But five minutes or more passed |
and Teddy began to get restless.
Its two hours / know. She said |
dess two hours. I'm most starved. Wis |
l had dat bread
He tried to reach the bread he had
thrown down, but his arm was not long
enough. He wriggled and writhed until
the rope become very loose, but he
could not get free. Bending over as far
as he could for the bread he lost his bal
ance and went over, chair and all.
He set up little cry, looking around
to see if Dolly was coming to see how
he had hurt himself, and all her fault.
But as nobody was near to him he
wisely concluded to eat the bread and
let the cry wait.
He climbed back upon the chair and
again wondered why Dolly did not
come. The door by which she had
gone out opened from the side of the
house, and through it came sounds
which told Teddy that the big old
rooster in the back yard was running
after the little chickens whenever they
found anything to eat, which was a way
ne had.
How hard it was to keep still when
every muscle of his stubby little legs
seemed tfngling to get after that great
bullying rooster. Again Teddy tried
with all his might to free himself from
the chair; but Dolly's knot still held,
although the rope had now become so
loose that he could stand by the chair.
Hearing more squawks and scufflings
in the back yard he could stand it no
longer but started for the door dragging
the chair after him.
AS he crossed the grass plot he saw
boy whom he knew walking along the
road, and he set the chair straight and |
climbed into it, because he did not want
the boy TO know he was tied to it. The
boy peeped through the pickets of the
front fence, and called:
'tHello! What you doin'?'
i