River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-07-02
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day of pleasure the whole town had
taken 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 ca led to a man in a store:
Where does the celebration take
place."
The man laughed. why, old man,
you are 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 it to be
wrong before. There, little girl, well
do something else just as nice, we'll go
- then, as his eve caught a flaming
poster of a lion and an elephant in a
deadly conflict, yes, we'll go on to
Paxton and SEQ the menagerie. 1t shows
there to-day; tina. viii be a great deal
better than lot of noisy tirecraclers. =
Beth dried her tears ''Oh, how
splendid! / wish VIII and Jamie We're
here. We never any of us saw a really,
truly lion in our lives"
Old Whiteface was put into a stable
for the day, and GRANDPA and Beth
| boarded a train for Paxton. What a
wonderful. never-to- e-forgOtten day II
was for her The crowds of people.
| the band of music, and cage after cage
of new and strange animals She clung
close to grandpa when the lion shook
his yellow name and gave 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
wiz and Jamie spent a restless day.
An uneasy conscience is never a com
, fol table companion. and their magniti-
cent joke looked almost like a false
hood to them. and to do anything to
make their little sister shed tears was
not manly. look at it in any light they
might They had to watch their chance
to replace the almanac, and their laugh
at the thought of how mystitied grand
pa would be when he came to consult
it again was a faint one.
They were at the gate, one 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 cele-
bratiOn?"
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 was
splendid! ] heard him roar, and the
monkeys were so cunning"
Will and Jamie looked at each other.
What did she mean? Where was there
any lion?
Wasn't it queer? The almanac ,eas
wrong, and we lost the Fourth, 50
grandpa took me to Paxton to see the
animals. | wished every minute you
were there, il was so splendid
L ne boys ciulbed SLOWLY uo"h iiOii
the post and went into the house. This
was something they had not expected.
| Beth had seen what they had wanted
to see all their lives-a real lion, and
| heard it roarl This was the result of
| their Joke There was not even a
smile when grandpa walked straight
to the almanac and took it down. ex-
aiming il with puzzled face. Their
punishment seemed greater than they
/ could bear.
1t was a quiet family that evening
grandpa, deep in thought. trying to
solve the unaccountable behavior OF
| his faithful almanac; Beth, tired and
! happy. and the boys mute with sur
prise at the ending of their magnificen
/ iolSe.-Iouise Thrush Brooks, in Chiea-
| pO Standard