The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1886-06-25

Neither did the fact that there was
nobody to keep out Of the way, no
crowd to keep in order prevent
the gallant marshal, Mark Lyons. from per-
forming the most active duty. He rods rap
idly up and down the line, in q plumed hat
and red sash, on a charger the best the
county could afford. He was O handsome
man anywhere; but on a fine horse, in
plumed hat and gay sash, there wasn't his
match for manly beauty in Center county.
He realized this. and took keen pleasure II,
giving the community chance to admire
his fine figure and handsome face The
maidens adored him and the young men en-
We'd him.
Yet, while basking in admiration and
reveling in self-satisfaction, he was miser-
able The zone, one woman under the sun"
whose admiring glances he most craved
wasn't there to see him in his splendor.
Pretty Kitty Mcdonald was angry with
him, and the Goddess of Liberty was the
cause Of the trouble And Kitty had been
i'll, and was still too feeble to take part in
the days exercises Mark felt sure she was
staying away to rob him Of the satisfaction
of showing of before her. Thinking it all
over he made up his mind that, rather than
lose such chance Of impressing her in his
capacity Of marshal of the day, he would
ride around to her house after he got his pro-
cession safely into the grove, and try to make
his peace with her at all hazards This de-
cision so inspired him that he fairly worked
himself to death, keeping imaginary OBJ
stacles out of the line of march, and stirring
up no end of honest Center county dust
Meantime Kitty Mcdonald, in pretty
white gown, was gently rocking in a big
chair on the vine-coversd porch of her
home at the west end Of the village, taking
cruel pleasure in the thought that "Mr.
Mark Lyons might ride beside the carriage
of the Goddess of Liberty all day, il he
wanted; he wouldn't have her there to see
his scandalous conduct, anyway"
Another person, usually present at all
parades and great events in Eaglesville, was
also absent. This was Jimmy Carroll, aged
u, Jimmy had resisted all the allurements
of the procession and the picnic. His chums
we're dumbfounded at his indifference to
such madly interesting things as a procession
and dinner, to say nothing Of such joys as
abundant frecrackers and unlimited lemon
AIDE Indeed, Jimmy rather curled his Iirs
at the mention of arecrackers, and said
things to the effect that they were good
enough fer children, but for persons Of
mature mind like himself, bigger noises were
necessary to the expression Of true love Of
liberty. ..t... d.. -
And SO the youth from his end of the town
set sail early toward the scene of action
without him. The willy Jimmy laughed in
his sleeve He had some peculiarly patriotic
fish to fry that would beat all the public
doinps down in the village Now Jimmy
adored Kitty Mcdonald, whose parents were
his mothers nearest and most cordial neigh
bors. and he was bent on staying at home or
near by, and doing certain things he had
planned which would be sure to enter tain
Kitty and impress her with sense of his
brillancy and bravery. Yes, Jimmy was
very deeply in love with Kitty. 1t was pre-
posterous, of course, for she was a young
lady and he was q small boy, but such things
are not at all uncommon; and then Jimmy
was SO large, in his mind, he couldn't realize
that others thought him a child. Next in in
tensitv to his love for Kitty came his d slike
for Mark Lyons, his apparently successful,
full-grown rival Jimmy envied Mark his
Is years and splendid figure.
But on the morning OF the Fourth Jimmy
felt sure that by shutdown he would be far in
advance OF Mark Lyons in Kittys estima-
ton. He had the field all to himself and
meant to work it thoroughly, and he did.
Everything was as quiet as Sunday in the
west end of Eaglesville Just what Jimmy
wanted. The noises he was about to treat
the few remaining citizens to would have so
much better effect. He brought from the
earret the barrel Of an old r volu tionary