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298 THE PRESBYTERI/
[ STORIES TOR 1
HOW THE TWINS CAUGHT THE DOCTOR.
Ben came down the hack steps with a stamp and a
slam a ?s Rrih linrl ^iirrppded in tnr>-rrimr C*m'is;in
Joe's big double-runner out of the barn.
"She says we can't have it." he answered crossly.
"She says if Aunt Mary decides to let us when she
gets back, why, all right. But she can't take the 'sponsibility."
"Huh! Who wants her to?" asked Rob. dropping the
rope in disgust. "She isn't going to get hurt. Grandmother
don't know everything, anyhow!"
The twins sat down side by side 011 the double-runner.
They gazed wistfuly along the straight, icy hill
that began at their gate, dropped steadily for almost
half a mile, then straightened out for another half
mile beside the river. It was the longest coast in town,
and in perfect condition.
"There'd be two slides before supper," grumbled Rob.
"Yes. And to-morrow's Saturday, and Aunt Mary
won't get home until night," added Ben. "It'll {frobably
rain and spoil it all, anyhow."
At last, deciding to make the best of it, the twins got
up and built a fat snow-man. Then they found relief
for their ruffled tempers by pelting him to pieces, until
it grew dark, and Xorah called them into supper.
They didn't enjoy their meal as much as usual, however;
for grandma was upstairs most of the time, taking
care of baby Alice, who had been sick more than
a week, and was worse to-night. The twins felt that
even if grandmothers don't know everything, it was
rather pleasant to have one around. Just as they were
finishing their cookies in silence, grandma hurried
through the dining-room, with an anxious face. They
heard her tell Xorah to run for Dr. Browne, and they
heard Xorah hurry down the steps and out of the yard.
Now, the doctor lived in the very next house down
the hill, with only Aunt Mary's field in between. So
Xorah was back in a few minutes. But the twins
knew from her look, as she ran into the dining-room,
that she had not found the doctor.
"Oh, mum," she gasped, as soon as she saw grandma.
"the doctor was driving out of his yard as I got
to our gate. He turned down the hill, and I ran and
called, but T couldn't make him hear. Oh. what shall
we do?"
The twins didn't wait for anything more. Catching
up their caps and mittens, they rushed out into the
yard, where they almost tumbled over the double-runner.
standimr as thev had left it. The same idea
flashed into both at once. Without a word, Ben settled
himself into the stecrer's seat, with his feet against the
braces, and wound the steering ropes around his hands.
Rob gave a running push, leaped on behind, and in few
seconds they had rattled down the icy driveway, slewed
around into the street, and started in hot pursuit of the
doctor.
The bright moonlight showed them the sleigh nearing
the bottom of the hill. But the double-runner rattled
and swayed along the icy track, gaining speed
every second. Now the sleigh left the hill and started
iU OF THE SOUTH. March 9, 1910.
"HE CHILDREN ~
along the level road. The twins were half way down,
and still riving faster. Soon they could hear/the jangle
of the sleigh hells above the rattling of their runners.
Xow they, too. left the slope, and began spinning along
the level, gaining fast upon the sleigh.
As the bits of ice thrown up on the horse's flying
feet began to spatter in lien's face, "Hi, doctor!" he
called out. "(jo back?"
But before he could finish, the double-runner tore
past the sleigh like a race horse. Rob turned quickly in
his seat at the end, and shouted back the rest of the
message: "It's our baby. Please go back!"
Rob saw the doctor turn and start up the hill again.
"It's all right. He's going," he called to Ben. Then
the twins waited for the double-runner to slow up
and let them off.
When they got back into the yard again, some twenty
minutes later, the doctor was just coming out of the
door.
"She'll get along nicely, now," they heard him say to
some one inside, "lint it was lucky enough you thought
of that double-runner."
And when the twins came into the kitchen, grandma
drew them close to her. one on each side, and put her
arms around them. Grandmas voice was always a
little shaky, but it trembled more than usual as she
said: "I don't know what I should do if anything happened
to you; but it you want ever so much to coast
tomorrow?"
"Oh, I guess we can stand it till* Aunt Mary comes,"
said Ben, with a smile. >
"Yes," added Rob, looking at his red hands, "it's too
hard work pulling it back, anyhow."?Christian Register.
STRAY.
Every house in Wissahickon Heights had been rented
for the summer, which fact concerned 110 one so closely
as it did the homeless rats r>f ?1 1
v.. HIV mlj^llUUl I1UUU. J. u
them it was of vital importance. Not a porch where
one might curl one's self without dread of a disturbing
"Scat!" Not a garbage pail that might be rifled in
peace!
Therefore it happened that the black cat, behind
whose ears a scantiness of fur witnessed to generations
of stray wanderers, chose for her haunt the house
where the Child lived.
Now the Child was not permitted to encourage the
visitor, though sometimes she begged a saucer of milk
from the cook. But the Child watched the cat gravely
and silently; and the cat as gravely and silently returned
her regard. When the Child played alone on
the veranda, which was quite often, the cat curled conat
1iot
. J '?'
One morning the Child missed her friend; but when
she opened the door of her little doll house on the
lawn, behold the black cat lying beside two tiny black
shapes with eyes yet unopened! Then the Child, who
spoke seldom because she was so much alone, ran to
call her mother.
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