Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-07-15

at once replied the sick Mrs. King
I'm so afraid something has hap
pened to her"
Don't be anxious, Mrs. King. Ill
! find Mary all right" And Teddy ran
out of the house and down the street
in the direcIlon OF the Longs home
| ting on the front porch, smoking his
old man informed Teddy. had gone to
the country and would not return till
late at night. As the old man was
very deaf, Teddy was obliged to
scream his questions to him. Had
Mary King been there for pitcher
Of milk?"
The old man shook his head. He
hadn't seen Mary king all day. Teddy
began TO feel bit anxious himself
He turned about and started to re-.
trace his steps to Mrs. Kings home.
But when outside the gate he heard
low, moaning cry. It came from
behind high hedge that grew around
vacant lot bordering the Long g
grounds. Teddy hurried behind the
hedge, going in through gap which
formed q gateway. Across the lot
ran q footpath which made Q short
cut between the Longs house and the
Kings house. Teudy followed the
weed.bordered path for some twenty
feet when he suddenly came upon IN
excavation. Some one had started to
build house. evidently. and had Just
got the cellar dug out snd then aban.
doned the project. Weeds % high
as ones head grew about the crumb-
ling-in old cellar. Teddy again heard
the cry of distress, and knew It to
come from the cellar. He ran to the
edge Of tho excavation and looked
over.
Mary" called Teddy, leaning over
the edge Of the cellar.
voice, half-stifled with sobs. Il fell In
and can't get out. The waters most
up to my waist. Oh. get me out.
please! Who are you?"
I'm Ted Allan" informed Teddy.
feeling that he had . difficult task
before him. for he could zee that . re-
cent rain had made the cellar walls
slippery. And there were no steps
leading from the hole.
Don't be afraid. Mary. I'll soon
get you out" he promised. He was
thinking faster than he was talking,
and this is what passed through his
mind: III should go to old Grand
father Long to ask him to assist me,
1t would take half an hour to make
him understand what I was saying.
And have no time to lose. must
not go to Mary's homo and tell the
news, for poor Mrs. King would be
half to death, and it would
make her worse. And there are no
near neighbprs- the Longs. So
must do the Job by myself"
Then Teddy ran to the Longs back
yard and pulled down the clothes.line.
With this bundled up In his arms, he
ran to tho old cellar where poor little
Mary was still sobbing from fear and
discomfort. She was wading aimless-
ly about the dark place, almost knee
deep in mud and water.
Here. put this around your waist"
cried Teddy. tossing ono end OF the
rope to her. "And tic 1t well-so 1t
can't come undone, for I'm going to
pull you out. See?
Mary nodded her little head and
stopped crying.
TITS tied good and strong, Ted"
cried Mary, hope in her voice. She
felt SO safe now. A few minutes be-
fore, she had been afraid her end had
come.
"All right" replied Teddy. "And
now I'm going to begin pulling slowly.
Help yourself up the side of the wall
by sticking your toes into the soft
dirt. Are you ready?"
"Yes, I'm ready replied Mary, be-
ginning to assist herself by climbing
while Teddy pulled hard on the rope.
But Teddy found 1t no easy Job
drawing a heavy little eight-year-old
girl up that slippery wall Every once
In while she would slide backwards,
losing much of the Roadway she had
made. But patience and determine
ton on the part of both the children
soon prevailed, and Teddy had the
pleasure of landing the little girl on
top of ground again. And such joy
as filled the heart of Mary. She knew
the gratitude she felt towards Teddy,
but she could not speak it. All she
could say was, "Well, wasn't it awful,
Teddy? almost died down there in
the mud and water. Ugh, it was awful.
w hat WOulu nave DONO"0 Va ulO IL
you hadn't come along? oh, it was
fine that you heard me crying"
yep. it was pretty bad nodded
Teddy, rolling up the rope. But you
run along as far as you can and tell
your mother all about it. I must take
this clothes-line home. ] borrowed 1t.
at Longs
Just then Marys father called loud
ly: Mary, child. where are you?
Come home at once. Mammals wor-
ried about you. And here's a. letter
from your Aunt Grace. She wants
you and Mamma to pay her visit"
Yes, papa. I'm coming" answered
Mary. Then she turned to Teddy.
You come by after you've took the
rope home-won't you? want papa
and mamma toto know how you
pulled me out.
Sure, III drop in to see how your
mother is-after the return of her lost
lamb And Teddy laughed merrrily.