The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1886-06-25

course, for she was a young lady and he
was a small boy, but such things are not
at all uncommon; and then Jimmy was so
large, i'll his mind. he couldn't realize that
others thought him a child. Next in in
tensity to his love for Kitty came his dis
like for Mark Lyons, his apparently sue
c%essful, full-grown rival. Jimmy envied
Mark his % years and splendid figure.
But OF the morning of the Fourth Jimmy
felt sure that by shutdown he would be far
in advance Of Mark Lyons in Kitty's esti-
nation. He had the field all to himself
and meant to work it thoroughly, and lie
did.
Everything was as quiet as Sunday i'll
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 garnet the barrel of an old Revo-
lutionaly mnsket-a precious relic which
had lost its stock by having been rudely
hurled from the garnet window when the
house was ON fire. He charged this with
powder and bound it firmly to a log Of
wood taken from the family woodpile in
the back yard, thus making 4 cannon of it,
and got all ready to touch it off in honor
of John Hancock, Mr.. Adams and the
other pioneers of independence. lie kept
an eye on Kitty Mcdonald, rocking softly
on her uncovered porch, occasionally
chattcd with her across the fence, and was
as happy Il little patriot as ever dabbled i'll
powder. The cannon was rusty and re-
fused to go off, in spite Ct Jimmy's best
efforts. But he was not to be batfied long.
He piled wood around the vent of it, set
the wood on fire, and retreated to the front
yard to await results. They came. There
was an explosion that shook everything in
the vicinity, knocked Kitty McDonald's
grandmother scnseless, filled both back
yards with flying cmbers, and set the fam
lily linen on the clothes line ON fire.
But after all this wasn't a bad thing for
Jimmy, although he hadn't contemplated
such q tremendous effect. He rushed
yaliantly to the rescue, cut the clothes lines
and gathered up the scattered burning
brands before the houses were burned. and
established himself in the minds of his
aunt and Kitty on a comfortable basis of
bravery at once.
1t took some time to get everything
ming smoothly once more, Kitty had a little
luncheon Of ice cream and other dainties
served on the uncovered porch, and
Jimmy and his aunt We're invited over.
geous and blissfully happy day of his ex-
%istence.
While they ate and chatted a neighbor,
who had left the festivities early, passed
describe the glorics of the celebration.
Mark Lyons, his fine appearance and gal
liant conduct as marshal were dwelt upon.
This was a cup of ~wnrmwood for Jimmy,
but it was nothing to the bitterness which
flooded his soul when he saw Mark Lyons,
in all his glory, ride mp to the gate and
make bold to alight. About that time
JimmY's aunt remembered pressing duties
at home and rose to depart, intimat-
ing to Jimmy that certain duties
awaited him also. But for that lie would
have had the courage to remain where he
was and brave it out with Mark Lyons.
He went with jealousy and cnvy gnawing
at his heart like two hungry rats.
As o as he was ON his own ground he
prepared TO discharge his last patriotic,
Parthian arrow, as it were. just below
the slight Hill that the Mcdonald house
occupied a blacksmith'S shop stood. 1t
was a quiet spot, even on ordinary days,
standing as it did of the street a distance.
| But to-day it was particularly lonesome,
the blacksmith being down at the grove
with the other patriotic citizens, Its doors
were closed. but an accommodating Win
dow ON the west side was rarely shut, and
| Jimmy Carroll knew Just how to get into
it. He and the blacksmith were on the
best of terms, and Jimmy had long had it
in his minds eye as the fit and proper
theatre for Il certain bit of rccrcativc pleas
nre in contemplation.
The two young people on the ycranda
were so much engaged in quarrelling about
the black-eyed Goddess of Liberty that
they did not see Jimmy as lie walked past
with a look of cxpectant triumph ON his
face and a queer looking basket swinging
from one hand. They would have shown
more interest in him, | am sure, had they
known that the queer looking basket was
an old felt hat sewed up with Irvine, and
that it contained a can of dynamite which
Jimmy had kept hidden i'll his annts best
cupboard for 4 month. TLey would have
been more than interested had they known
at that minute what was passing in Jim
my'S bitter little heart. But love and
jealousy were making them both so I'M
happy that they could see nothing in the
world outside of themselves and their
anger.
Jimmy tramped ON, taking comfort in
the thought that the explosion he was about
to produce would be one of the loudest the
village had ever heard. 1t would undoubt-
edly astomish Miss Kitty and win her un-
qualified admiration. and would just as
surely cover Mark Lyons with confusion