Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 170, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 July 1913 — OUR BOYS and GIRLS [ARTICLE]

OUR BOYS and GIRLS

Bessie's Advenhijes. By Margaret WhitneyK “Now, Charlie, you promised to let me ride, too, if you could make it work, and I have not had a single ride, while you and Walter have each had six." “Well, If you will be sure to hold on we’ll give you a ride,” said Walter, “but you must not let go. Then Charlie and I are going after berries along the meadow feqce, and you may go along with us.” Bessie, Charlie, and Walter were alone for the afternoon; their father and mother had gone to the city. Walter was twelve, and Charlie ten. ■fhey were both quite large, and were often left alone at home with Bessie, who was nearly nine. They had gone to the barn, and while there they thought they would ride to the top by taking hold of the rope to which the way fork was attached and pulling each other up. - I —- —— -—-* - If their father and mother had been there they would not have allowed them to do this but the children were alone and nevfer 1 thought of danger. Walter had pulled Charlie up several times and then Charlie pulled Walter up. The pulley worked, easily .and Bessie had been coaxing for a ride so they agreed to give her one if she would hold on tight. Besele caught hold of the rope and away she went to the top of the barn. But this time the pulley stuok fast when she reached the top. The boys could not make it work to bring her down and they called to her to drop on the hay beneath. Although she must drop ten or twelve feet they knew it would not hurt her. She did as they told her and called to them that she was all right Now came the question as to how she was to bq gotten down. The barn was new and no provision had been made as yet for getting into the top. The m.en who had been putting in hay had gone up and down on this rope And that was where the children gpt the notiofi of trying it themselves. They had no ladder long enough to reach to the place where Bessie was and If they bad such a ladder the boys could not have managed It by themselves. “Charlie, you go to Mr. Albert’s house and ask him to come and help us and I will stay here with Bessie,” said Walter who felt responsible for the whole affair, as he was the oldest Charlie came back alone in a little while and said that there was no one at home at the Albert house. “Well, we must do something soon," said Walter, "for there Is a storm coming, and I heard papa say that it was not safe in a barn full of new hay while It was lightning.” Just then they saw Frank Nelson, who lived near them, coming down the road and called to him to come in. Frank was sixteen years and being a capable boy he soon thought of a plan to get Bessie down and was carrying it out with the help of the boys. “Charlie, you and .Walter gather up all the short pieces of board you can find, and I will nail them to the upright pieces at the side of the barn.” He went up higher and higher, and the boys carried the boards up this ladder to him. Just as the first clap of thunder was heard Bessie saw Frank’s head above the hay. He helped her down 1 the ladder, and they ran to the house in the first downpour. The children’s parents came home after the storm and when Mr. Caines saw the substantial ladder Frank had built In the emergency he Insisted oh paying him the same as a regular carpenter would have charged. The children had enough experience riding on the hay fork, and needed no telling from their parents never to do this again.