The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-07-12
BEysIE's INDEPENDENCE DAY.
4 YoURrH OF JULY STORY,

VIC Jul III VI uiyy 1910, Hau IOrmulageG
into speech the Declaration Of Independ-
ence which she framed in her thought ii
would have asserted among other things
her right TO become member Of the
!" Ponkeag Centennial Woman's Travel
ing Association"
Not that anyone in Ponkeag denied
Bessie this right, for this was the medium
through which the women of Ponkeag
proposed TO express their patriotic fcrvcr
ON that memorable anniversary. 1.-THE
same day, one hundred years before''-so
their declaration ran had witnessed
the Liberation of their fathers from British
tyranny. The same day, one hundred
years hence would commemorate the
emancipation of the mothers Of America
from the tyranny of male attendance in
travel. To travel unattended. ;, il con-
tinued, - is as much the prerogatiye of
woman as Of man, and to indicate this
right is the high privilege of the women
of Ponkeag on this immortal day"
Accordingly every woman of Ponkeag
belonging to the Association, and there
were but few who did not, was delegated
10 various routes OF travel, from PonKeag.
north, east. south and west; and was In.
structed to report her experiences on her
couragement and to the entire discomfit-
ure Of the scoffrrs in and out Of the place
Among the latter Class the only person
that concerns this tale was Mr.. Arthur
Carroll, who, if all the women of Pom.
keag did engage in the scheme and all
the men assent thereto, nevertheless main
taintd his own strenuous objections. And
il wss those that Bessie's declaration was
designed to meet.
Aiinur Carroll had come up from New
York on some law business three months
before, and meeting Bessie had naturally
enough been attracted by her bright i'm
pulsive ways. TIE Ponkeagites. In their
turn, who ielt called upon to watch over
Bessie, because she had no parents and
was an heiress, looked upon Arthur as
one who might divert the EIgin wealth
from Ponkeag, and hence an improper
sort OF person. So that Artbur's suit
made slow headway against the local on.
position, and became finally wrecked on
the Centennial Association. /" Bessie a.
sorting her independence in the premises.
ana the young man declaring it a delusion
ana a snare. And though it was now
quite month since Bessie had seen MIN,
and though he was thirty miles away In
New York, and though she protested she
DIDN'T care for Inn at all, she yet on this
fourth OF July morning, before commit
ting herself finally to the purposes of the
Association, felt constrained to declare
once more her personal freedom, and so
70 fortlfy herself against his remote dis
pleasure.
The objective point assigned TO Bessie
was the Centennial Exhibition itself; and
M Nrsxuy N>rlr 49,. \
deipiia and Ponkeag, so that in going
from one u the other the traveller must
needs pass through the metropolis, and as
Bessie Intended u 60 and return the same
day, II became necessary for her to make
an early start. Special early and late
trains were to be run that day, one leaving
PoDktag, $50 q. m, the other leaving
New York at p. m, and it was by these
that Bessie on her departure and return
proposed to travel. Taking, accordingly,
the former. after some delays she reached
the Centennial grounds at about eleven
O'Clock.
The day was hot, as everyone remem-
bers, but the experience was novel one.
and Bessie felt apart from her own pleas
ure she was vindicating a profound theory.
she was Instructed to receive 10 assist
ance from her fellow travelers--especiall
Of the male sex-and hence had court.
eousy refused the polite offer of gentle
man in the carto raise her window, which
she was unable to do herself, and had
nearly suffocated during all the journey.
But this was but trifiing episode, and
even at her own cost she had proved her
Independence in the matter, SO it was
with some sense of self-complaccncy that
she laid down her half-dollar and passed
through the tortuous turnstiIe.
Her first move was to leave her um
brclla and lunch basket ct the cloak
window, that she might be entirely uncn-
numbered, until at noon, or when hunger
and heat demanded, she would put these
articles to their appropriate use. The bas-
ket was securely fastened with a paddock.
and the provision which it contained was
designed to render Miss Elgin independ-
cnt OF restaurants and walters.
At twelve O'Clock, after doing Italy.
Norway and Sweden, and hasi ing worked
into Great Britain, Bessie began to expe
ricnce some feelings of fatigue; at half
past, OF hunger; at one, an aggravated
sense OF both. So, at the latter hour. she
made her way from France. which she
had by this time reached, back 10 the
main entrance and approached the cloak
window, before which there was all the
time collected considerable crowd Of ap.
plicanis.
I'm take my things, if you please"
said Bessie, calmly, 10 the attendant; Its
q lunch basket and -
" Che.:k, please" interrupted the Off.
cial, while stout woman leaned against
Bessie and handed he, check over the girls
shoulder.
Bessie was annoyed, but, assuming an
air Of dignity, she said, In an Indifferent
way, :. Certainly and put her hand in
her pocket.
There was no check therei
Did the man give IL to her when he took
the thiDgs. or not? Had Bessie put II in
her pocket, or dropped it on the floor
Had anyone picked the pocket, or did
Bessie pull out the check with her hand
Whichever altem tive she
might choose to adopt, the check was NOT
there.
/" Check, ma am !" repeated the official
- II to jog Bessic's attention. Bessie fell
again; she vainly explored all the recesses
Of the pocket. shook out her dress, looked
annoyed and experienced 8 sud-
Zen LOIS Of all her previous seIf-posses-
lion.
. Chcckp' reiterated the man. in avery
way, while the people around
!lsred u Bessie as being the cause of their
ohln said Bessie, hurriedly. while the
rot blood rushed up In her face. - guess
must have lost the check. But You can |
eve me the things, you know; / can iden- |
ify them"