Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-12-30
WHY THE BELL RANG.

once upon a time there was baby
named Molly, and she was the only
little child for miles around.
AS far as you could see from the
door of Molly's home there was not a
tree, not fence. not even a hill to
break the smooth, round horizon line.
Violets and lady-slippers and wild
roses grew up to her very door, and
the green prairie grass stretched
around 1t. i don't think Molly really
thought how pretty it was; but she
was happy child, and laughed a
dozen times for every once that she
cried.
Molly lived in town that had only
Two houses. But it was real town,
and had Its name printed in big let
tiers on the map, for it was the coun-
ty seat of the county. And now an
other house was going up, and it was
courthouse of red brick. oh, how
proud the people of the county. and
particularly of the tiny town of two
houses, were of that new courthouse!
The little town was not going ia
stay little. All the settlers knew that.
Ihey expected it to be as big as Chi
cago in few years. Chicago was
not very big then!) Across the prai-
RTE every day the white-covered "prai.
rle schooners" were moving, and the
country was settling up fast.
AT morning. noon, and night Molly's
little house and the one other were
lively places, for the men who were
building the court house took theic
meals at these houses. Some of the
men slept at the two houses also;
and some Of them slept in the unfin-
ed. they mad u-ger-uit aifu no3ffu-un-
brellas over themselves to keep dry.
Molly liked the men, for they took
her up and petted her and played with
her, and sang her funny songs and did
tricks to amuse her. She liked to
have them come, and she did not
like to have them go away
Now beside Molly's house was
great bell in frame work. At dinner
time and supper-time mamma would
ring that bell, and the men would
come to their meals. Molly soon
learned that they came when the bell
was rung.
Mamma, ring bell!" she would beg
at all hours of the day. But her NAM
ma only rang it at meal times.
One day the men were working
very hard; for shower was coming
up. and they wanted to get all the
shingling on before it rained. and SO
keep dry for once if they could.
Suddenly the bell over at Molly's
house rang. 1t was only three o'clock.
The head workman scrambled down
the ladder from the scaffold with a
white face. Something must have
happened at the house! Run, boys!"
he cried.
How they ran across the strip of
prairie, with their heads full of dread
full thoughts of fires and rattlesnake
and Indians and all the pioneer dam
gers! But the little house was as
quiet and peaceful as could be. Mol
ly's mamma sat by the table sewing,
so absorbed that she had not even
heard the bell!
What did you ring the bell for?"
asked the men.
81 did not ring the BELL" she re-
piled, much surprised.
They all hurried around the house.
and there, her chubby hands still
holding the bell rope, was baby Mol
ly!
molly ringed bell" she cried glee-
fully. Molly ringed bell! Men
come! Come play wiz Molly!"
The little witch had wanted the
men to come and play with her, and
so she had pulled and tugged at the
rope with her small hands until she
had rung the bell herself.
And the men stopped and played
with her, in spite of the coming
shower. They thought there never
was such a cunning trick for baby
to do. And they never tired of tell
ing about 1t afterwards. That is how
CHANGED to hear about it, though it
happened ever so many years ago
Bertha E. Bush, in Little Folks.