Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-03-15


SOMETHING VERY NAUGHTY.
Under his arm Eddy had a coil of
rope with q slip-noose at the end.
opotty, fastened in her stall, gave us
curious sidelong inspection as we slid
along the side of her stall and slid the
moose over Sues lead: AS we started
OUT OF the shed, pulling her poor little
papy backward with US, she gave mild
low Of entreaty and resentment, and
tugged hard at her rope to follow.
Both holding fast to the rope, we
led the glossy little creature back
across the BARNARD. around the car
riage shed and through a rear route
To the door of the spring house, which
stood on the other side of the house
and some ways back of it.
The spring house was a long, low
building, sodded half way up its side
with hard earth floor, and in one
corner was the coolest, clearest spring
running musicaIly sinto an earthen
trough carried the water outside and
down to the brook. All around the
sides OF the room were shelves on which
stood the mornings milking in shiny
pans, and jars of butter and home made
cheeses. Two little wooden steps led
down to the floor from the solid oak
doorway.
We reached this very much excited
and out OF breath. for the calf, with
wi'lsklng tail and a curious kicking up
OF all four legs at once, had made the
most of her little journey in the world
and hid lei Us five steps in the way she
wanted to go for one step she had ad-
vanced in ours Here, Man," said
H. ruha
you ho!d the rope while / push the
door open"
L caught the rope close to Sues head
and held her fast while Eddy lifted the
big oaken lar that stretched across the
door. As the door swung back the
Calf gave sudden jump that threw
her hind legs up IN the air and her
hea nearly down to the ground. L
dropped the rope like a flash, then
caught it again at a loud cry from Ed,
who stood inside the door, on the
little steps.
"Hold onl" he cried, dashing cut
L did hold on. but l had lost my
head. Seeing the the pliscievous little
thing put down her head as if to make
another plunge, l bolted manly into
the 81 ring house, pulling Sue in after
me.
Look outl" cried Ed, excitedly;
don't let her ini She'll fall on the
sters,"
But 1T was too late. The calf al.
ready stood in the doorway, and at the
so1nd of his voice gave a frIs htened
leap, head down, into the spring house,
then fell, quivering in every fibre, at
my feet. She lifted her head and
made an instauts struggle to rise.
Then she fell back again and gave
little CIV that SOM led exactly like
burt child's. With second lunge
forward she stood up. But it was on
three feet. Her right fore leg swung
from above the knee.
"She's broke her Leg" cried Eddy,
hoarseIy. his own face as white as he
saw mine to be.
A sickening wave of fear rolled over
rs as We stool helplessly staring into
each others eyes. The little creature
shivered again and lay down, her big,
soft eyes turned upon us, appealing
like n cLiid's.
"What shall we do?' luavered out,
my voice full of tears. "Will she die?
Can't it be set? What will grandpa do
| to us?"
An AVN DL POSSIBILITY.
There amt but one thing to do?"
he said, grimly. an have to tell
grandfather s'pose he'll send MS
back home and tell father, and L don't
know what he'll do. Maybe they II
have to shoot the calf.
Here he choked and L buried my
face in Sues neck with my arm clasped
| over the dappled gray body and cried
wildly.
"Ohl OH" l walled ''if they do
we'll be Just the same as murderers.
We've murdered poor, darling, little
| Sue that never did anything to US, and
| oh! and oh / wish | was dead and bur-
led and dead and dead!"
1t is years since then, but as / write
[ see again the miserable childish fig
ure lying close to the glossy body and
feel again in It's first acuteness the aw-
/ full suffering of mind and body as lay
there, beaten down by wave after wave
OF self accusation and pity and help
| iessness and despair 1t il well that the
sufferings Of childhood are short lived.
Their intensity would kill if it lasted.
We sat minute longer in dumb de-
spair. She turned a pleading look
| upon us and lay still.
81 guess L better go and see ii grand
pas home" Ed. volunteered at last.
eddy" 1 said, raising my tear
swollen face, 81 think l ought to tell
| grandpa. I'm the worst one. [ thought
| of putting Sue in the spring house aud
| pulled her in when you told me not
to-"
! ."Ihat's no difference" said Eddy,
| chivalrously, "you're a girl. Besides
! IT Was me that wanted 10 make the sun
stand still"
We gazed solemnly at these words
| into each others eyes. We had for
gotten in our misery the purpose of
| the performance of which this was the
sad end.
"We're not angry uow," said
mournfully.
"And We won't get sent to bed,
either" Ed replied. That there might
be mlsbehavior 50 grave as to be be-
yond being sent to bel for, had not
occurred to either of us till then.
"Now I'm gong to find grandpa or
! grandma" said Eddy soberiy, ''and
YOU must sit here with Sue till | get
back and hold her down if she tries to
get up"
ALONE WITH SUE.
| And so he went out and passed slow
ly through the grassy yard toward the
house. under the long lances of the sun
! be had plotted against so bravely but
| n few hours before.
] sat still, trembling in every limb,
stroking and crying over Sue and oc-
casionally pushing her gently back as
she threw herself as if to rise. A SOL
emu fear of the little creature possess
ed me as one to whom death was about
to come speedily, and her pr essence be-
came strange and terrifying.
! Tt seemed hours before grandpa
pained, anxious face appeared in the
doorway. lie knelt down beside us
both, and, as my tears flowed again at
the sense of relief, he laid one pitIful
ho,d on me and the other on Sue