Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1901-09-13
STORIES BY CHILDREN.
A Little Heroine.

1t was the first day of September
and the little village of Kenton was
astir with excitement, for the new
railroad on which the company had
been working so long was complet-
ed. The company had also found it
necessary to erect a bridge over the
village creek, as the trains must
pass in that section of the village.
Now all was completed and the viii
lage could boast of not only a new
railroad but also bridge with an
iron railing, which for months
would be the talk of the town. In
this village lived an old lady, Mrs
Dale She had a little granddaugh-
ter, Pattie, whom she frequently
sent for groceries to Hampton, a
a town about two miles distant. On
this bright morning Pattie started
to the town accompanied by Bruno,
a big Newfoundland dog, who was
with her on nearly every occasion.
Bruno always walked by her side
but this morning he appeared unus-
ually frisky. He would walk Sc
dately for q moment, then dash
ahead, almost frightening Pattie,
who was rather timid. "Come back,
Bruno" she called to him several
times, and Bruno hearing her voice
stopped running and trotted along a
short distance ahead of her. Soon
they came to curve of the road
beyond which was the new bridge.
Here Bruno again dashed ahead
never hearing or needing Pattie's
cry of dismay. Pattie walked fast
er as Bruno dashed ahead of her
but soon slackened her pace for she
thought chat since Bruno was deter
mined to go ahead of her he would
do it and so there was no need of
her trying to walk with him. So
she walked along soberly for a few
minutes, swinging her little basket
on her arm. She stopped suddenly
and began to count the money her
grandmother had given her One,
two, three, four, five, six, seven.
Pattie was now so busy that she
forgot all about Bruno. Hearing a
low whine of distress she remen-
bered and dropping the money back
into the basket she ran around the
curve, then stopped and looked
about her. Where was Bruno2 She
couldn't see him for a moment un-
til looking far out upon the bridge
she saw something dark. She ran
out on the bridge and tossing her
basket from her, threw one arm
around Bruno's neck. "What is
the matter, Bruno" she said.
Bruno only looked at her piteously
and Pattie was almost in despair
when glancing down she saw what
was the trouble. Bruno had started
to run across and had almost
reached the other side when his
foot slipped into a crevice between
She boards of the bridge, and was
securely held there. The poor ami
NAL in his desperate efforts to re-
lease himself bad dislocated the
bone in his leg and was now looking
piteously at Pattie who gently tried
to extricate him from his uncom-
Portable position. But seeing how
useless was her effort she sank
down and began to cry. She want
ed to be brave but could not help
crying when she thought how her
poor dog must suffer. AS she sat
there sobbing long, shrill whistle
rang out on the crisp air. Pattie
sprang to her feet bewildered for
moment, then the thought Of
Bruno's position dawned upon her.
She made one more desperate but
vain effort to release him, then
snatched her little red sunbonnet
from her head and waved it fran
tically in the air. The morning
trains were coming they must pass
over the bridge if the could not stop
them. If so, Bruno-she choked a
sob in her throat as the thought Of
what must then happen rose in her
mind. She could already SEQ the
engine, and shouted desperately.
Her voice was drowned in the roar
Of the train, but she waved the sun