Wichita eagle., 1888-07-01
HARPER'S ASCENSION.

a REAL FOURTH OF JULY FAITHFULLY
PORTRAYED.
"Harper Clelland is going up in the balloon
on the Fourth of July"
The speaker was Lindley Gusts, IA years
Cd His only nearer was his sister Ada,
vino he'd the reputation Of being the hand
30, nest and proudest young lady in the some
W. al uppish society of the self satisfied and
pl )sperous town Of Lafayette
she received the news with an incredulous
sr ,eT
"he bUy was well aware that his news was
dis asteful to his silent auditor. For that
reas On he was determined to compel belief.
He b I'd the proofs of his tale in his pocket,
and L , intended to enjoy to the full the dis
playi1 of it presently. Didn't he know all
about her overwhelming pride, her love OF
the co lventional things Of life and her hatred
of all that was original or peculiars Had
he not himself suffered because Of her prejn
DIGEST When had be ever attempted anything
outside the grim limits of the commonplace,
that she had not rebuked him and made him
feel small and ashamedl And didn't he
know exactly why his news about Harper
Cleuand and tho balloon was hateful to herl
He was no fool, not be- Couldn't he see by
certain sentimental straws which had been
flying around recently just how the wind
was blowingl The indications were towards
a matrimonial harbor for his sister and Har-
per Clelland, or he was no prophet. And
wasn't it fun alive TO see Ada vince at the
prospect of the whole town seeing her sweet
heart go up IN balloon like circus mani
Revenge for mary rebuke lay within his
hand, or rather his pocket
Don't believe it, sis, do your continued
the boy sarcasticolly, his eyes dancing with
wicked delight, his niechievous little soul
rejoicing over the "clincher" ne was about &c
draw forth Couldn't be true, of course.
Mr.. Clelland, Miss Custis' beau, is too great
a swell to make clown of himself, isn't hei
AS Miss GUSTS beau he has too much dignity
to sustain to dream Of furnishing amusement
for a Fourth of July crowd. That's your
opinion, no doubt, Miss Gusts; but it isn't
mine Harper Clelland is neither fool nor
"a coward And he is rich enough and poprt
lar enough to do anything | have thought
at times that he was something of a fool to
be so fond Of You, for as sure as snakes you
don't appreciate the stuff that's in that fell
! w. He's clear grit. He isn't afraid to SLAP
all Lafayette in the face by doing something
that rich mems Sons wouldn't dare to do-no
not one in thousand of 'em. | hate rich
mems sons, if l am one myself Nearly all
the boys that have anything in them are
poor, and blamed if / don't feel sort of insig-
nificant when I'm with them. If it wasn't
that mother would take it hard l shouldn't
care if Custis senior failed. Ungrateful, am
II Not bit. / believe it would be good for
all of us, you particularly. Perhaps you
would then find out which one of your beauS
was worth having. I'm no fogy. | am an
advanced thinker, if you please; believe III
lots of new notions
You seem to have made remarkable prog.
fess," said Ada in icy tone.
That's neither here nor there" said the
boy. at is Harper Clelland that am speak
Ing of. He is going up i'll the balloon, sure
enough. | was around everywhere today,
and heard all about it, Contracts signed,
md he's under training. Professional aero
naut here already. saw the balloon, fabby
Did thing; looks like an elephant that had
collapsed. But here's the whole story in The
Record"