The Red Cloud chief., 1891-07-03

''wHY, l. MAN, YOU ARE A A o
LATE"
Beth, but Jamie interrupted her: "You
can tell us all you saw. and that will
be fun for u.s." and he gave Will a
nudge.
Beth and grandpa rode off in the high
old chaise, Beth with her pockets filled
with ginger-snaps, while under the seat
was n well-flled lunch basket She
sang little songs of happiness to the
nodding clover and daisies along the
road as they passed, for n day in town
only came once in a long time, and be-
sides, this was the Fourth of July.
when all nice things happened. They
lived far from neighbors, and the out
side world seemed very wonderful 10
her. SO she was glad when the long
drive came to an end. and the streets
of the village appeared.
But what a deserted look they had.
Tired and sleepy-as though after a
day of pleasure the whole town had
taken a resting-spell. Along the road
were scattered burnt firecrackers and
empty paper bags.
ITS dreadful quiet for Fourth Of
July. isn't it, grandpa?" and Beth
looked very anxious.
Mr.. Downs drew in old Whiteface,
and called To a man in a store:
Where does the celebration take
placer"
The man laughed why, old man,
you are a day too late for the Fourth,
we had all that yesterday. Where have
you been, anyway"
Beth gave a little gasp and her yell
low curls mingled with grandpa's white
ones as she sobbed on his shoulder.
THE almanac said So" he repeated
over and over, IL never knew il To be
wrong before. There, little girl. we'll
do something else just AS nice, we'll go
-" then, As his eye caught a flaming
poster of n lion and au elephant in a
deadly conflict, yes, we'll go on to
Paxton and see the m~enagerie. il shows
there to-day; that will be a great deal
better than a lot of noisy ~firecrackcrs.
Beth dried her tears. 'Oh, how
splendid. / wish Will and Jamie were
here. We never any of us saw q really.
truly lion in u lives.
Old Whiteface was put into a stable
for the day. and grandpa and Beth
boarded q train for Paxton. What a
wonderful. never-to- be-forgotten day il
was for her. The crowds of people.
the band of music, and cage after cage
of new and strange animals. She chung
close to grandpa when the lion shook
his yellow name and rave a frightful
roar. and when the elephant waved his
long trunk high in the air. and clapped
her hands with delight at the antics of
the monkeys.
1T would be just perfect If the boys
were here. am SO glad. grandpa, that
we lost the Fourth"
viii and Jamie spent q restless day.
An uneasy conscience is never a com
Portable companion, and their magnifi-
cent Joke looked almost like a false
hood to them. and 70 do anything TO
make their little sister shed tears was
not manly. look at il in any light they
might They had to watch their chance
to replace the almanac, and their laugh
ut the thought of how mystifed grand
pa would be when he came TO consult
il again was q faint me.
They were Mt the gate, u on each
post, to watch for old Whiteface, and
when she was seen swinging up the
road they called out:
Tell us all about it. Beth. Did you
scream at the firecrackers? Where are
the peanuts? Did you see all the cello
brstionr"
The fun of their joke had all re-
turned. and they kicked their heels
with delight
II didn't see any frecrackers," an
swered Beth. but boys. the lion WA
splendid, l heard him roar, and tie
monkeys were SD cunning"
viii and Jamie looked ut each other.
| What did she mean? Where WAS there
any lion?
Wasn't it queer? The almanac ras
wrong, and we lost the Fourth. Sd
grandpa took me q Paxton 10 see the
animals ] wished every minute You
were there, il was SO splendid"
The boys climbed slowly down from
the post and went into the house. This
was something they had moi expected.
Beth had seen what they had wanted
to see all their lives-a real lion and
| heard il roar. This was the result of
their joke There was not even .
smile when grandpa walked straight
to the almanac and took il down. ex-
aiming it with = puzzled face. Their
| punishment seemed greater than they
| could bear.
Ii was q quiet family that evening
grandpa, deep in thought. trying Ia
| solve the unaccountable behavior of
his faithful almanac; Beth, tired and
happy, and the boys mute with sur
prise II the eniing of their magnificent
joke.-Louise Thrush Brooks in Chica-
60 Standard
Why He FEN Mig.
Bobby-I shot = bird with my toy
pistol
Little Johnny-That's nothing. Last
Fourth I shot my arm full of slug~-
Judge
Ruae3oete.
m in love for cuY counsry yOu share