The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-07-02

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 rode rap
idly up and down the line, In a plumed hat
and red sash, on a charger the best the
county could afford. He was hands ONE
man anywhere; but on a fine horse, in a
plumed hat and gay sash, there wasn't his
match for manly beauty in Center county.
He realized this, and took keen pleasure in
giving the community a chance to admire
his fine figure and handsome face. Tho
maidens adored him and the young men en-
Wed 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 off 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
staces out of the line of march, and stirring
up no end of honest Center county dust.
Meantime Kitty Mcdonald, in a pretty
white gown, was gently rocking in big
chair on the vine-covered 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, if he
wanted; he wouldn't have her there to see
his scandalous conduct, any way"
Another person, usually present at all
parades and great events in Eaglesville, was
also absent This was Jimmy Carroll, aged
12. Jimmy had resisted all the allurements
of the procession and the picnic. His chums
were dumbfounded at his Indifference to
such madly interesting things as procession
and dinner, to say nothing of such joys as
abundant frecrackers and unlimited lemon
ade. Indeed, Jimmy rather curled his lips
at the mention of firecrackers and said
things to the effect that they were good
enough for children, but for persons of
mature mind like himself, bigger noises were
necessary to the expression of true love of
liberty.
And so the youth from his end of the town
without him. The willy Jimmy laughed in
his sleeve He had some peculiarly patriotic
fish to fry that would beat all the public
doings 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 entertain
Kitty and impress her with a sense of his
brilliancy and bravery. Yes, Jimmy was
very deeply in love with Kitty, 1t was pre-
posterous, of course, for she was young
lady and he was a 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
tensity to his love for Kitty came his dislike
for Mark Lyons, his apparently successful
full-grown rival. Jimmy envied Mark his
25 years and splendid figure.
But on the morning of the Fourth jimmy
felt sure that by sundown he would be far in
advance of Mark Lyons in Kitty's estima-
ton. He had the field all to himself and
meant to work it thoroughly, and he did
Everything was 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
garret the barrel of an old Revolu tionary
musket-a precious relic which had lost its
stock by having been rudely hurled from the
| garret window when the house was ON fire.
He charged this with powder and bound il
| firmly to a log of wood taken from the fam
| lily woodpile in the back yard, thus making
cannon of it, and got all ready to touch it
| off in honor of John Hancock, Mr.. Adams
| and the other pioneers of Independence. He
kept an eye on Kitty Mcdonald, rocking
softly ON her vine-covered porch, OCCASION
ally chatted with her across the fence, and
was as happy little patriot as ever dabbled
In powder. The cannon was rusty and re,
fused to go off, in spite OF Jimmys best ef'
i forts But he was not to be baiiied 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 wa,
an explosion that shook everything in the
vicinity, knocked Kitty McDonald's grand
mother senseless, filed both backyards with
flying embers, and set the family linen oil
the clothes lines on fire
But after all this wasn't a bad thing fol
Jimmy, although he hadn't contemplated
such tremendous effect, He rushed valiant
ly to the rescue, cut the clothes lines anC
gathered up the scattered burning brand
before the houses were burned, and estab
lished himself in the minds OF his aunt anC
Kitty on comfortable basis of bravery a
| onoa