Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-07-01

1919 szsarss b began to wake up;
Ic.,l-r---. s1sffS 5 b e remembered
.-SSsss 3 $500 that it was Fourth
- gs 49, of July. That worst
noise of all-w Ii V,
that must be Jacks pistol, which he
had been saving up money to buy all
winter and all summer. And that
other sound-that must be torpedoes ;
and there was the old dog, Hero, bark
ing at them, and no wonder: it was
enough to make any respectable dog
bark.
Firecraclers! UGH Wasn't the pis-
tol bad enough without all these side
shows? Just then Jack called out from
the yard below:
Conn! Conn!"
The girls name was Constantine Rich
mond; but she was too slight and bonny
for such long name, and everybody
called her Conn.
She shook back her fair, soft curls,
as golden as baby now, though Conn
was fourteen, and putting little shawl
over her shoulders, peeped out of the
open window, as pretty little slip of
q girl as you would care to see, End
looked down on the face, half boyish,
half-manly, which was upturned to her
If Jack had been her brother, perhaps
she would have scolded him for Conn
loved her morning nap, and the gen
eral din had decomposed her, no doubt.
But Jack was only her cousin, and her
second cousin at that and it's curious
what a difference that does make.
Your brothers your brother all the
days of his life; but your cousin is an
other affair, and far less certain So
Conn said, quite gently:
"What is it? Can I do anything?
BIZ, I'm sure / don't want to help You
ms any more noise. This has been
On, really dreadful"
She spoke with droll, little fine
lady air, and put her pretty little
fingers to her pretty little ears, and
Jack laughed. He had not begun to
think of her yet as n charming girl
she was just Cousin Conn.
What, he cried. mot like noise
on Fourth of July? Why, you don't
dc >erye to have country"
i'm sure | wish l hadn't" said
Conn, with little dash of spirit.
Are you dressedl" cried the boy
sixteen years old, but all a boy still.
No"
well, just hurry, then, and come
down. I'm off in half an hour with
the Brighton Blues, and I want you to
see first how this pistol works.
High honor this, that she, a girl,
should be invited to inspect the won
derful pistol
Conn began to dress hurriedly.
What should she put on? Her white
dress hung in the closet such a white
dress as girls wore then, for it was
many years ago-all delicate ruffies,
and with blue ribbon sash. as dainty
fine as possible. She knew that was
meant for afternoon, when Aunt
Sarah would have company. But
might she not put it onnow? Perhaps
Jack wouldn't be here then, and she
could be careful. So she slipped into
the dainty gown, and fastened hooks
and buttons IN nervous haste, and then
looked in the glass, as every other girl
thst ever lived would have done in her
place.
It was bright, fair face that she
p here all pinkan white, and with
IL violet eyes over which the long
g. IN lashes dropped, and that soft,
b q, golden hair that lay in little
In and ripples round her white fore
hes ! and hung wavy mass down to
tn lender waist which the blue rib
bon girlled. Conn was pleased, no
don't. with the sight she saw in the
N rror how could she help being? She
tripped down stairs, and ont of the
door. Jack whistled when he saw her.
What all your fineries on at this
time of day? What do you think
Mother Sarah will say to that?"
The pretty pink flush deepened in
the girls cheeks, and she answered him
almost as if she thought she had done
something wrong;
'Fll be SO careful, Jack. won't
spoil it. By and by you'll be gone,
and wanted to look nice when ! saw
the new pistol. "
This seemed extremely natural to
Jack The pistol was to him matter
of such moment that no amount of
demonstration in its honor would have
seemed too great. Viewed in this light,
IT really appeared quite meritorious
act that Conn should have put on the
white dress, and he looked her over
with that air of half-patronizing APP
provsl with which boys are apt to re-
gard the good looks of their sisters and |
their cousins.
Then he exhibited the pistol. 1t
bsl-as boys knife. or gun, or boat
always has-distinguishing and in
dlyldnal merits of its own. No other !
pistol, though it were run in the same /
mold, could quite compare with it, and |
1t WAS by some sort of wonderful
chance that he had become its pos
SCISSOR. Conn wondered and admired
with him to his hearts content. Then
came breakfast, and then the marching
of the Brighton Blues. This was
company of boys in blue uniform
handsome, healthy, wide-awake boys,
from fourteen to seventeen years old I
every one of them the pride of I
mothers, and sisters, and cousins.
They were to march into Boston, and |
parade the streets, and dine at e
restaurant, and see the fireworks in /
the evening, and ] don't know what |
other wonderful things.
Jack was in the highest spirits He (
was sure he and his pistol was neces-