Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-07-22
A FORTUNATE FOURTH.
Aunt Meiinda's Target Shooting and
What Came of 1t.


Aunt Melinda. looking toward thu
garden, where the family hen was in
dustriously scratching, as usual. ''It'.
a good thing we liant no Vegetable:
CROWN, fur old Scratch would have
'em up in less'n no time. This ERE
soil don't grow nothin' but gold and
silver. Howsomevcr. wouldn' t MIND
havIn' good crop O. that" and with
a sign Aunt Melinda set down her iron
and took hot one off the stove.
-'Wa al, no." answered Uncle iona.
1han. taking his pipe from his mouth;
"a good crop O. gold and silver would
he powerful convenient to hev, an here
in Colorado 40 more'n we ought to
expect
you'd want it ter come up coins, ="
SAID Aunt Melinda. with whitening
glance. "You wouldn't take pick
and dig if you knew sartin sure you'd
strike it rich. Why don't you 60 up
the mountain prospectin'
''MeIindy," said Uncle jonathan,
solerrnly, you forgit my wooden
Leg
'.Fiddlesticks!" replied Aunt Me-
linda, Il don't want you to take off
your leg an dig with it. You're well
enough to walk to town for tobacco
=. every time you can git the money out
o me to buy it. Here l stand washin'
= an ironin' to earn money to keep us
- alive, and mebbe up there on the
: mountain yonder is a gold mine Jest
waitin fur the first man that has grit
enough to dig down fur it. Hsin't you
ashamed ofyourself Jonathan Schrimr'
9Th start out airly in the mornin',"
answered Uncle Jonathan, meekly.
kin 60 with you?" asked Jim,
eagerly.
Jim was perched up on a barrel,
with long Bingham apron tied around
nus neck. lie was peeling potatoes for
dinner, and swinging his feet to and
fro.
You can go if your aunt can spare
you" answered Uncle Jonathan. II
reckon l won't 20 fur"
Il reckon you won't" remarked
Aunt Melinda, significantly.
''Id rather dig gold than peel pota-
toes" began Jim. discontentedly.
r.Peelin' potatoes is girls work"
"Well, you're all the girl I've got.
so L have to make use O. you," replied
Aunt Melinda. 81 can: do every
thing" with a glance at poor Uncle
Jonathan.
"When I've done the potatoes. kin
go out and play?" questioned Jim.
Eyes, said his aunt. "when you've
peeled the potatoes and pared the ap-
plies and brought in some wood and set
the table for dinner"
Jimmy crickets!' thought Jim,
"'tain' no fun to play bein' girl"
Old Scratch was already at wo&k and
throwing the dirt in every direction
when Jim came out in the garden the
next morning at seven o'clock. Her
owner put his hands in his pockets and
watched her admiringly.
''She's the best hen in the hull
camp" he was thinking. when bang!
bang! went something right at his feet
'Hullo, Jim" called out boy on
the other side of the fence. What
are you jumpin' fur? Didn't you know
twas the Fourth of July?"
$50 it is." said Jim. 81 clean for
got. Gim' me some o your crackers"
Jim Schrim," called Aunt Melinda,
..come right in here and wash these
dishes"
And Jim went reluctantly into the
house.
..It's the Fourth O. july" he ex-
claimed, aS he entered the door.
Uncle Jonathan nearly dropped his
pipe in surprise.
81 declare to goodness he began,
-'if here l wasn't startin' out to work
on a national holiday. I'd forgot all
about its bein' the Fourth. The people
in this ere country don't care nuthin'
fur Sundays an holidays"
kin l hev some crackers?" begged
Jim, who had tied on his gingham
apron and was industriously using q
sdish-towel.
ASK your aunt" suggested Uncle
Jonathan. ''Shc used ter be noted fur
bein' SO patriotic"
81 hain't got no money to spend on
them kind o. crackers" said Aunt
Melinda, grimly.
..Never mind" whispered Uncle
Jonathan to Jim. with wink. I'm
let You fire off my pistol"
So. when Jim had finished the dish
es and swept up the Kitchen. he fol-
lowed his uncle out in the garden and
they nailed board on q tree for q
mark. 1t was fortunate that they had
plenty of cartridges. for neither were
very good shots. and the balls went
flying many yards from the target
Finally, Aunt Melinda came to the
door of the cabin and condescended to
make remarks on their skill. u
II could do better than that myself,
Jonathan Schrim." she declared.
''Come ON them said Uncle Jona-
than.
So Aunt Melinda took the pistol
firmly in her right hand and pointed it
straight at the target