The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-07-21


OF the boys pulling and Juggling at the
old bell-rope, and yet again at the pros
pect of his prodigious joke.
By and by, when he knew the first act
of the night-drama must be well ended,
he slid out of bed, and in two minutes
had squirmed back into his clothes.
Then he did something that made the
stars wink and blink in the funniest of
ways. He went back to the bed and got
his long, white night-gown, and in an
other minute had squirmed into that
clothes, boots and all. Then he laid
match carefully by the candle-he meant
mischief with that candle-threw him
self comfortably into chair by the low
window, and-awaited developments.
For a time all was silent. But at last his
quick ear caught up the sound of far
away, mutfled steps crossing the bridge.
Coming-was sure they would no
boy was ever let sleep Fourth morning in
this town-but Pm ready-full-dre re-
ception" and Gwin smoothed his white
robe, and laughed under his breath
And then time went on again. Hush,
now! Yes, the crack of a fence-rail!
The boys, somewhere in the darkness,
are evidently climbing over into the
fields. The grass is less tell-tale even
than the sandy road.
AT last Gwin, his eyes grown dark and
large with peeTing into the night, be-
comes conscious of dark shadows slowly
stealing toward the house.
S5z, fash, pjngi An accidental pistol
discharge! And the quick echoes dance
trippingly off over the valley tree-tops.
The shadows stop, motioniess, waver a
moment, then sink and fade down in the
deep grasses. And for half hour the
silence is utter, breathless. ...,,.... -.
" Waiting for you to fall asleep again,
Gwin-aren't they, old fellow" mutters
the white-robed boy to himself between
halfsmothered outbursts of mirth. 1t
is so deliciously jolly to lounge there in
an easy-chair, and picture those tired
shadows prone among the grasses, tremb-
ling lest the slumber of their victim has
been disturbed u.. .,.'
After awhile he fancies the low ghosts
of whispers that pass from one to another
along the line. And at length he is sure
they are slowly, silently, steadily lessen
ing the distance between.
Gwin can see like an owl now, and all
at once, close at hand, he traces the out
lines of boy-yes, another, and an
other, take form out of the gloom and
glide behind the shrubbery. There must
be a dozen Of them.
He thrills at the near crisis.
But the plotters are cautious. No
sound of their unseen preparations steals
through the dense LEAKAGE.
Once only does Gwin note the fire fly
flash of a lucifer.
" Lighting their slow-matches! Well,
Pm ready for fun" he says to himself,
and glides to the table for his candle.
Slow tick the moments by. Little ex-
quisite tingles fly quick, quivering along
every nerve. ..-.
But see-the shadows! ......
Swift, noiseless as mist creeping up
the valley, they CONGRATULATIONS
close under the windOw!
Gwin is conscious of an instant pause
"a white ignal-tiutter-and then, flash,
bang! CRAsH-CRAsH CRASH! The win
dows rattle, the tense air, Jared, vibrates
with tempest swelled by a dozen
yells, and pierced through by the comet
shrek of the horn. .. ...
Silence.
The boys wait-wait in hush of ex-
pectancy.
A moment later they catch the CLEAN
of light within, and presently night
gowned Gwin, hair tangled, and face
drowsy as with late slumber, appears at
the window, candle in hand.
"A-ah-what-'s up?" he drawls,
sleepily rubbing his eyes.
The boys take this as assurance of
their triumph. t.. ,.al
" Youaren You" "Gwinm "Gwin.
Halstedm
And again and again the din of yells
and laughter and cheers, climaxed by
the five-pOunder and the wild reveille of
drums, mOhs his ears
But smile wrinkles across OWNS
face, and in the miduproar he carelessly
lets his candle fall from the window.
That falling candle light puff down
in the grassland 10! quick, scintillant,
sinuous CLEANS of light run along the
ground to the house, the fence, the shrub
bery-yes, like serpents, out between
the very feet of the astonished boys to
the clump of bushes beyond.
Instantly, edges of the outer gloom are
tinged with strange lights. Crimson and
white and azure glow, intense, around
the line. Dense clouds of smoke, weirdly
tinted, billow starward and dome over
the scene, shutting out the night, shut
ting in the boys and the dazzling brill
fancy of great iridescent lights.
The would-be walkers are the Weakened.
Startled at the marvellous mystery, the
fire enchantment, they stand silent, in
wideeyed, dumb amaze.
Not one of them has spoken, when,
sudden, to left, to right, up from the
greenness, with mighty storm-swish,
sky rockets soar their bright serpentine
trails into the upper blackness.
The house side is maelstrom of
swirling, fiery spray The fence pickets
are Roman candles, explosive, emittant,
shooting up into the night their tri-col-
ored globes. '.... .......
Behind, jar! boom! and bomb spins
into the air with Titanic hum, explodes,
and rains down through the vibrant
smokedOme a golden, meteoric shower!
OWNS moment has come.
He tears off his night-robe, and with a
flying leap from the window comes down
through the smoke into the verv mid