Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-10-17
CONSTANCE cLARKE's RIDE.

Yes. mother, you go down TO Aunt
Harriets. I'll be all right
Tears came TO Mrs. Clarke's eyes
and she said. oh. my dear. dear
child. Will you be sure TO take good
care of little Ncd?"
Constance assured her mother that
she would. aud then went In her
pack.
Mrs. Clarke and Constance had
lived In Fairfield until a year before
the time OF this story. When Mrs.
Clarke's health broke down. she was
forced TO move TO n place where the
climate suited her better.
Their house was separated from
the rest OF Roscdale by a forest
which was about three quarters Of
a mile wide.
In this village there was only one
hall. ono school. three churches and
one doctor. and small store. Mrs.
field with her husband and was very
sorry about Mrs. Clarke's moving
Very curly on this April morning
Mrs. Clarke had startled her daugh-
was very Ill. and that she would have
to so to her at once. In about nh
hour and half more Constance was
by herself. Smelling peas on the front
asleep upstairs. Soon Constances
minutes she was asleep also
Constance was very pretty girl.
and eyes. She had beautiful COM
plexion and slender figure. She
could cook and sew very well for her
piano. She had had piano In Fair
field. but they had to sell it when
they moved. and she missed IT very
much. She was awakened by Ned.
screaming ut the top Of his voice. He
said he was hungry, so She hurried
down again to fix their lunch. They
were soon through and both went
out on the porch to play
Ned was soon asleep again. so she
about o'clock Constance went up
stairs and found Ned playing with
his blocks. 81 was firstly: 80 drank
said. Looking over at the table on
which her mother kept her medicine
she saw that the glass was empty.
S S she hat said Eiass R9 drank lnd y N.s
1T had a funny taste. but was
very firstly" Grabbing Ned up in her
arms she sped down the stairs. go,
rushed out to the stable to saddle the
horse. Holding Ned In front OF her
she started of as fast as the horse
could go There were almost two
through the forest. When she got 10
the forest the sky was very dark and
| shadows began to iurk behind the
trees. The wind mourned in the
tree tops. She heard the brook bah
ling and thought 1t was some one
coming after her. She must get TO
the doctor. She must. What IL Ned
should die? Would her mother ever
trust her again? Suppose her moth
cr's train was wrecked She would
he left alone in the large. large
world. All these thoughts passed
through her brain and at last she
grew angry with herself for think
ing them. Constance Clarke, she
said, I'm ashamed of you. oh, dear
I'll never get there"
You haven't got but quarter OF
a mile to co." she said to herself
Constance, If my names Constance
I'll have to he Constant" she said.
Some while later she reached the
doctor. He was Just going out and
just as she finished telling him the
little story She fell, fainting, to the
ground.
When she came to she was be-
wildercd and did not know where She
was. but in few minutes she re-
| membercd it all, and asked about
Ned
Ned was not very i'll and her moth
cr soon came home and in all her life
she never had more exciting eN-
pcrience.
c %aPRG %nE Il ANNE nowLEs,