Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-28
Betty and the Dog.
BIZ CORA A. LEWIS.

BIZ CORA A. LEWIS.
| EFT Betty ride. papa. please ct Betty
| ride with you" fssai s,si
Come along then. sweetheart, up she
goes" and her father swung Betty up in
front Of him on the herse And how
Betty-winsome. wee Betty, with her deep
blue eyes alight with Joy. and her soft
yellow curls dancing about her bright little
face in the breeze, enjoyed that ride!
I At last her father stopped the horse.
saying:
| Now you must go home. because you
are too heavy to carry back in my arms,
and It's too far for you to walk. must
l go on or won't get the horse in pasture
In time for dinner Did mamma say you
could ride with me. little one?'' he asked
| Yes, papa
| well. she isn't worried about you. then;
go right home now. though: do you see
the house?" and he pointed toward their
home, turning Betty In that direction.
| bye. papa, byer' she shouted, waving
her hands to her father as he rode away
| saying fondly to himself. 1.-THE sweetest
baby in the state Of Michigan, surei''
Just before he turned into the wood
road which would take him from her sight
| he glanced back and saw that she was
| playing in the sand.
"well, I'll be back soon" he thought,
i little"
When he returned an hour later. seeing
nothing OF her. he walked on to the house.
expecting she would run to meet him as
usual. His wife met him instead. and with
an anxious look INQUIRED:
| What have you done with Betty?'
Done with her!" he cried, a&hast, why
let her ride about forty rods and then
put her down and told her to come back to
you"
| 81 haven't seen her; oh, do you suppose
she went over to Mrs. Lanes. as she is SO
| fond Of Laura?" @k5s
| Perhaps she did: I'll go and see''
"Ill go. too, for I can't stay home In
suspense"
| But the neighbors had not seen the little
girl that morning. Mr.. Lane volunteered
Let us get the trail where you saw her
| last he suggested Your wife better stay
| with mine" he advised moment later.
| noting her excited condition. Then the two
men walked rapidly to the spot where her
father had left the child.
Here's her track. bless her little hearth
exclaimed her father.
And here is another sort of tracks"
began Mr.. Lane. "I wonder what-Oh
| Gray, they are bear tracksi.,
MOI entreated Mr.. Gray, covering his
| don't say they arei How can bear it.
| and how can face my wife with such
horrible tidings?"
Don't despair" urged his friend. 81
| have heard OF little ones being carried away
by bears which did not jure them, but
on the contrary. made pets of them. Well
They followed the trail until II entered
| the woods and was lost amid the under
| growth and fallen leaves. There the father
| turned about, saying:
My wife will go insane IL don't return
with tidings Of some kind
When he had impaired his worst fears to
her she said:
81 will go with you. L cannot stay at
| home"
| But the brush is equal to Jungle and
| fear the search will fatigue you too
| much, said her husband.
II must CO." she declared. and together
| they traversed, as best they could. the
wilderness all day without discovering a
| trace of their child. AS darkness fell they
| forced themselves to swallow a lunch. and,
| joined by their kind neighbor, continued
| wandering about, calling Betty's name until
morning dawned. Soon after sunrise two
strange gentlemen approached them, and
one Of them said:
| I'VE were looking at land In this vicinity
and were told by one OF your neighbors
1 of your loss. We will assist you to look
| for her If you WISH
Thank you a thousand times" cried the
grief-stricken mother. But. oh, II she is
| found what will her condition be?'
"Oh, madam, we must at least hope for
| the best and lifting their hats they dis
appeared in opposite directions Not long
after this Mrs. Gray sank upon the ground
and with sobs declared:
..It isn't any use to look another bitf
| just feel that We will never find our dar-
| ling
Her complaint was followed by a shout
from one Of the men. who. as he ap-
preached a marshy spot few rods dis
tant, had heard a sound which made his
| heart leap. 1t was a childs voice.
Betty" he called.
The father and mother rushed head
long through the brush and saplings. the
magic of that voice causing them to ut
III 49,
they received-reached the spot in a mo-
ment, and, parting the underground, peered
In the direction whence IT came.
There she ISL cried the mother, point
Ing to a log which had fallen across
stream; keep perfectly still. darling, and
papa will come for you."
THE bear must have been frightened at
our shouts, as a splash in the water seemed
to indicate that he jumped overheard and
swan away" said one of the men, $50 we
did not get glimpse Of him.
The doggie RUINED away, papa, said
Betty smuggling in her fathers arms
Did he hurt my precious baby?' anx-
iously inquired the mother, as sne joyful
ly received her husbands burden Then
reaching toward his pocket, she said: THE
milk bottle. papa give 1t to me, for she
must be famished. Now. pet, as the little
one laid down the empty bottle, let mann
ma seer"
mo, mamma, the doggie feared my dress
some and scratched me little bit with
his finger nails; sometimes he would put me
down to rest and then rub his head against
me like kitty does when she loves me. He
had great big tooths when he laughed at
me, but he didn't want to bite Betty
But, dearie where were you last night?
Oh. my baby, my lamb. out In the cold
night air in the wilderness with a bearI
How did survive the night?',
mo, mamma. l wasn't cold, but cried
for you. The doggie took me in his arms
and lay down with me. His hair was aw-
ful scratchy, but I went to sleep. I guess
Oh, am so glad you did come ! was so
afraid he would drop me In the water. He
was taking me cross the log to the big
woods, an then he set me right down and
jumped OF when he heard the man. I