The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-05-28
The Fright Of Ned.

Little Ned had come down 70 the
office 10 cali on his papa. His race
had been scrubbed till It shone. and
hts blue tie stood out in big stiff bows,
Mr.. Calvert was not in. but Ned
heard his voice III the lawyers oHice
across ttIs hail, ana So efept-hehtho
the big desk for a surprise.
Presently Mi. Calvert came in with
another man. Ia whom he was saying.
why not buy my tiVe-year-old Ned
10 you want to seliF him
Yes. he isn't quite what we want.
He has bad temper. They say ne
witt sometimes throw himself and
Kick when things do not suit him. But
I'm sure you could break him OF that.
Wouldn't you like to see him III
take you over II you would
Well. don't mind taking look
at him" the man replied, and soon
they went out together
A moment later very red-faced
little hog crawled from under the
desk. To think Nurse Brown should
,eil of his had spells, And 10 think
his very own papa wanted to get rid
OF him.
Down the street, in the opposite
direction from his home, Ned hurried
as fast as his tat little legs could
carry him. Papa and the man must
not find him.
The sun shonc very bright. and the
big bows began to wilt. People look
ed and wondered at the small, hurry
ing figure with the tear-statned face.
The houses were farther and far
Their apart Ned was out in the eoun-
try now. The road stretched out hot
and dusty, and. in spite of all he
could do, he began to lag. When he
heard a team coming. he began to lag.
heard a team coming. he crept be-
hind a tree or bush, to wait TIL II
should pass.
An On team, heavily loaded. went
slowly by. When 1t WAS out OF sight.
Ned did not come back Into the road.
lie was fast asleep.
one hour. two hourv, went by. The
sun was setting A two-horse team.
driven by "A big boy in overails. came
along Ned had moved in his sleep.
and his yellow curls and blue bows
could be seen from the road. The
hoy caught sight Of him and jumped
out to investigate.
"Hulloa! | kid asleep! And night
coming on, too. Here's pretty mess.
Well, I'll Jest carry him home to
mother. She'll know what to do with
him" And he picked Ned up and
laid him on the potato bags In his
cart so gently that the little hoy was
not awakened.
Ned was handed over a few min
utos later into the arms of a mother
ly-Iooking woman. who stood on the
piazza OF a farmhouse. where they
stopped.
The woman gathered him tenderty
into her laps, and smoothed his curls
and wiped his moist, dusty face. why.
mercy me. Its MFR. Calvert's little Ned.
However. did he come go far from
homer" she said. as she carried him
into the lighted house.
These words woke Ned and he
struggled up and looked around He
was in his fathers farmhouse, and
the woman was Mrs. Johnson. who
lived on the farm. She knew him.
and he must not stop.
But the warm arms held him fast.
"You sit right down 10 the table and
have some berries and cream and
gingerbread, dearie,' the kind voice
said. Your fathers out In the yard,
and you can ride home with him. He's
here with a man that's thinkin' Of
buytn' the chestnut colt"
Mrs. johnson did not know why, all
AT once light came into the little
boys eyes. and he stopped struggling.
1t was only Ned. the colt with tossing
head and pretty arching neck, who
carried them SO gayly.
II was only Ned. the colt. that papa
wanted to sell.
Ned told his father all about hia