Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-07-02

| opportunc errand had decided her fute
at their hands and they had agreed to
help out their comrade.
| Melancthon did not, belle his nick
name, Lank. He was long, bony
and upgainly. He had been the only
bachelor in the little colony when 1t
came out from Ohio to the western
country, and had never married He
had taken up claim like the rest and
lived on it alone.s ~
| A few weeks previous the English
woman had purchased the adjoining
quarter section and claimed the hand
some wedge-shaped piece of bottom
land which, the government survey by
an error had left unaccounted for.
Melancthon had always used this strip
and was bound to keep possession. The
Widow Morley had hired the grass cut
and stacked while her opponent was
called to the county seat, sixteen miles
away, by jury duty; and now he pur-
posed a flank movement, assisted by his
friends. The following evening the hay
should stealthily be transferred to his
own barn.
| Melancthon rose early on the NOR
row. He took down a tattered flag
which had done service in the old
training days and hung it against the
wall He declSed himself in red sash
and blue army coat with brass but
tons and after dinner started out for
stroll. .re-.
1t was intensely sultry with banks of
white clouds floating aimlessly here
and there across the electric blue Sky.
He rambled toward the disputed land,
thinking, and chuckling as he thought,
how neatly he would outwit his enemy.
His heavy boots swished through the
uncut grass before reaching the moved
section. "Cold day when anybody gifts
ahead of me-" he mused, ''an' to-day
amt chilly. Mighty good time to de-
clare my indepen-well, what's that?"
curly head rose from the bending
grasses and windflowers before him, al
most at his very feet 1t turned and a
round, babyish face looked up into his
bronzed and harsh one.
"Well, little one, where did you drop
down from?'
"From mammals house." replied a
sweet, girlish voice. Its lonesome
) over there an 1 runned away"
"Who is your mother?"
"Just mamma. Are you a soldier?"
The child took in with eager glances
the semi-military appearance of Me-
lanchthon's attire.
"No, I'm celebratin' to-day
"Why are you doing that?"
Don't you know? It's Fourth of
July when we licked the Britishers-
didn't you ever celebrate?"
NO." replied the little one, lets do
it."
The settler was puzzled yet attracted
by this odd little creature before him.
He could not imagine where she had
come from, as he knew of no such chill
dren in the neighborhood. He offered
to take her back to his cabin, but she
refused to go and insisted that he bring
the materials for a celebration to her
and hold the proceedings there in the
midst of the prairie.
Finally, away he trudged back to the
cabin, leaving her watching his course
with wondering eyes. He took the flag
from the wall and resurrected from
among some old keepsakes few fire.
dho WI PCtoCo. w do oAA
old fife there and he took that also and
putting together a lunch he started to
find his audience.
A comical figure did Melancthon
make plodding through the palpitating
air. 1t had grown sultrier and the
clouds were moving faster, but he did
not notice it. A full-throated Bob
White balanced himself on broken
sunhower stalk and called to the eager
traveller, but he heard not. There was
mingling with the image of the little
one waiting yonder thoughts of a sun.
ny-faced sister who back in the old boy.
hood days had played with him by
the waters of Lake Erie. He had
scarcely thought of her for years, and
now the old pang that nearly broke
his boyish heart when she was taken
from him and laid to rest came back
y again
!, A pearly drop twinlsled on his beard
+ as he leaned over the child.
"Are you crying?" she asked, notice.
ing it.
q "No-no-it's mighty hot an 1 swes
Z easy" was his gruff response as he rat
q tied the fife and threw the flag on the
q sod.
"Now, we'll eat first and then cele
s brate."
t So he spread the bread and butter
i and poured out the creamy milk, ant
soon they were meeting on the common
: level of appetite. 1t seemed more ant
:, more to the grizzled settler as if thirty
five years had dropped from his shoul
G ders, and he ate with the gusto of boy
d ''Now for the celebration," he ex
il claimed when the lunch was finished
# 'It won't be a big one such asthey hav
t over ter tn city, but it'll be just as livel.
v fer its size"
Il A dry sunflower stalk, remainder o
p the previous years weed-growth, serve
A. as flagpole, and upon it the tattere
banner was hoisted. The wind wa
F." variable and the flag veered from sid