Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-07-31

tuuU luEul uOuSe,
that had so stirred the tranquility of
tho household as had his meek request
| for the use of the old mare and the
| buggy, with which to take Phoebe
Jones to 'the Fourth" Mt Ka Bob.
Jehial understood the lay of the
| land well enough to know that his
startling petition should be put in
along with the first seeds of spring, in
order to ripen definite decision by the
time the smoke and tumult of In
dependence Day began to ascend from
the Ka Bob public square, which was,
to him, the grand theatre of all truly
metropolitan events.
Jehial had conceived this daring de-
sire to distinguish himself as n man
among men while casting "sheeps
eyes" at the back of Phpbes bowed
head during the long prayers that con-
stituted the bone and sinew of the
weekly conference meeting" at Zion's
| Church.
1t must be confessed that there was
little courage about his first conscious
wish to celebrate the glorious Fourth
| by so bold stroke of gallantry. 1t
was simply wish. But as each warm
spring day spread its seductive in
| duences about him, and he strobe
across the steaming field in the wake
of plow or drag, his longing grew
stronger, and he nursed it into IA sturdy
resolution.
But, somehow, his courage was
stronger when alone in the field than
when face to face with his father, at
| home.
1t seemed as though the right op-
portunity for approaching his father
with the proposition never would pre-
sent itself, and he delayed the dread
ordeal from day to day.
| At last the handbills announcing the
order of exercises for the great cele-
bration at Ka Bob appeared. 1t was
to eclipse all former celebrations in
magnificence, and each special attrac-
| tion was discussed with as much zest
and relish rs though it was not a pre-
else repetition of the programme that
had been advertised year after year,
until every adult knew just which
features would be presented and which
omitted.
"Ma, wuz jest a-thinkin' I'd like t.
60 & that Fourth of July down t Ka
Bob, said Jehial, to his mother, as
she came out to the old well sweep for
a bucket of water where he was wash
ing the plowed ground from gaunt
| feet.
"Why. of course! Is'pose we're all
going, she replied.
'But / don't mean that. l WIZ
thinkin' I'd like to go alone nnd-and
take some one," he stammered.
eco alone and take some one 7
Why, child, who ever heard of such n
thing? What on 'arth do you mean?"
''S-c-h here comes pal' exclaimed
the timid Jehial, in an undertone, as
his father emerged from the barn,
looking like rural conception of
stern Justice, with the exacting bal
ances, as he lifted nn old-fashioned
blueneck yoke to his shoulders and
stopped to hook pendant arm into the
bail of froth-Aecked pail of milk.
When they We're again alone, Jehial,
without looking up from his labor of
nblution, resumed the conversation.
eyes, ma; I'd like t take Phoebe
t the Fourth; but amt said nothin'
e pa bout it. kinder hate to, some
how. Can't you have little talk with
him bout it?"
"Well, s'pose ] can," replied the
mother, "but I'm sure ] don't know
what he'll think bout il.
Accordingly, after Jehial had re-
tired, she laid the proposition before
her husband
'Lord-a-massv, Mary! What r
idec! That boy a1owin' Square
Jones'S little gal round on Fourth o
July! Why, he's nothin' but colt,
an the whole town would be apokin
fun at the little fools. An, WHAT
more, no Jayhawk's got any call to be
mixiu' with the Jones after all the
trouble that we've had with the ole
Square over tlnt line fence. It's nj
poppy-cot. I'm willn' that Jehial
should go t the Fourth, but / don't
want any gal business bout it. Why,
Mary, jest think of that youngster's
takin' horse nu' buggy an ga
round there where they'd be a-shoot-
in frecrackcrs an anvils, and a-snap-
pin them pesky little torpedoes
Faint no place for horse, let alone
trustin' it with boy that's got ga
aboard He'll break his neck an the
gals too I"
'But you remember the time wher
you took me to the Fourth et Busti
and you weren't any older than Jehial
nnd hadn't had any more experience
with horses than he has.
This was an argument nd homincn
that the father had not counted on
He gave it several moments of silen
consideration and then took refuge j
bis lGs' platltpao