ld I do if I was to lose it?'

He was jerking at it as he spoke, and it slipped from his grasp and
rolled away on the path. It was too great a temptation for Nancy. Like
lightning she was after it, and a moment after stood upright and
exultant, with the button clenched tightly in her little hand.

'Give it to me at once!' demanded Teddy, quivering all over with
excitement.

Nancy's brown eyes sparkled with mischief.

'Aha! little button-boy, I've got it at last, and I shall take it home
and have it sewed on _my_ jacket.'

'I shall fight you,' cried Teddy, 'if you don't give it up at once!
It isn't yours. You would be a thief if you kept it. Give it to me
this minute!'

'Shall I throw it into the river?' questioned the saucy little maiden.

Teddy darted forward, and then began a tussle. He tried to wrench her
hands apart, and she exerted all her strength to keep them closed.
Suddenly, with a triumphant cry from Teddy, as Nancy's fingers were
beginning to yield, the button was liberated with such force that it
flew violently out, and splash into the river it went! Nancy gave a cry,
but without a word or sound Teddy plunged in head foremost after it. It
was done without a thought. He was a good swimmer, and for a minute
Nancy watched him in breathless silence. But when his little head rose
out of the water he seemed half stupefied, and cried out in a weak
voice, 'Help! I'm drowning!' then sank again. Nancy set up a shout then
of frantic agony, and a carter coming over the bridge fortunately heard
her, and came to the rescue, not a moment too soon. He threw off his
coat and heavy boots, and plunged in just as Teddy's curly head rose for
the third and last time. It did not take long to bring him to shore, but
he lay in the carter's arms limp and lifeless, and Nancy burst into an
agony of tears.

'He's dead! he's dead, and I've killed him!' she cried.

The carter wasted no time in trying to restore animation to the little
frame, but all his efforts were unavailing, and at last he said, 'I'll
put him in my cart, and drive as fast as I can to the doctor's. It isn't
more than a mile off, if so be that he's at home. You go home and fetch
his mother as fast as you can.'

Nancy raced off, sobbing as she went, and she was in such a state of
excitement that when at length she burst open the farmhouse door she
seemed to have lost her speech.

Mrs. John saw her face, and started forwards. 'It's Teddy!' she cried;
'what ha