The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-21
JIM'S EXHIBITION.

A Celebration Which VIII Be Long Re-
mem5ered by at Least Twelve Small
Boys.
1t was Tuesday. the Fourth of July.
Dark-eyed Ralph and laughing-eyed
John, two little brothers, still in kits,
had not been so happy since Christ
mas. Their father had come into din
ner that noon, bringing basket load
ed to the brim with sly-roclSets, Ro-
man candles, pin-wheels, grasshoppers
and fire-crackers of all sizes, to send off
as soon as it was dark.
cause if it's light" explained Ralph,
TO thirteen-year-old boy, who lived in
the alley, you couldn't see them so
WELL
Guess I know that" said the alley
boy, lounging still farther over the
low fence, that divided the alley from
Ralph's and Johns back yard. where's
your pawpa, now?'
''Goned widing wiz mamma" an
swered John, resting from a violent
5pading of his special sand pile.
jim, the alley boy, whistled bar or
| two of Comrades
who's taking care of yous?" he sud-
denly stopped to question.
LENA, only she's awful busy iron
ing" Ralph took his turn to answer,
setting his spade deep in his sand pile
This time Jim did not whistle at ALL
He crooked his first finger, s9uinted his
right eye, and beckoned the little boys
nearer.
Il say" he confidentially observed,
''it's terrible long to wait till tonight,
just to see them few fireworks go off,
amt it; do yer know where they are?"
Course we does" replied Ralph,
while John. scenting something jolly
under this question, blinked his mis-
chief-loving eyes.
well, yer just go and bring them
out once, and leave us look at them"
Jim suggested, ''mebbe I'll show YOU
how awful pretty they'll go off in day
time in old, empty shed, wild no light
coming in"
Ralph and John scampered toward
the house; then they stopped and
looked at each other
'Oh! go on wild yer" cried jim,
springing over the fence, mo one said
yer shouldn't show 'em to me, any,
ways: hurry up; it'll be awful pretty
fine the way they'll go off, um-m-m."
This was too much for Ralph and
John: they skipped into the house, and,
by dint of considerable pushing and
showing, they got the big basket out to
the boardwalk in the garden, where
jim seized it and scuttled out of the
yard. the little boys at his heels
Now, here's yer old she'd" said jim,
stepping into loose iointed little
building standing on cross-street
about two blocks from Ralph's and
Johns house, "'spose yer run round
and tell the other little dodgers to come
while get the show ready, and don't
say nawthin' TO the big peoples: they's
never willing to have boys have their
own ways"
Ralph and John ran off on their err
rand, while Jim tackled up the pin.
wheels, loosened several packs of shoot
ing-crackers, unstrung and bent several
double for ''fizzers." and got all in
readiness for his show.
Ralph and John must have done their
errand well, for they soon came back
with dozen other little boys, beside
Robbie Brown, who was SO delighted
with the scheme that he hoped most of
the way on one foot.
What do you think Bobbie was do
ing?' asked John, as leader of the little
crowd, his laughing eyes expressing
volume of fun"
Dun no, said Jim. pushing the door
wider open for the boys to enter
Why, he was chasing Jones'es cows
into the lake 10 get drink of water,
awful much bigger than they is,''
They might been drownded, Bob
bic" demurred Ralph.
We'll. who tares?" responded Bob
bic. Struggling his shoulders, COWS
don't have funerals, does they?"
No one questioned this logical re-
mark. instead they all rushed round
the shed with kind of war-whoop.
then settled themselves cross-legred
upon the floor in front of Snowman Jim
and his exhibit.
''Get II a goen. there. called Bobbie,
after they had waited two minutes in
the dark and seen nothing, who wants
to wait forcver?'
Nobody did, and Jim FASTENED 10 light
q Din-wheel.
Unlike most pin-wheels. it went
beautifully, whizzing and huzzing and
Showering iron-fling-lilxe bits OF pow
der into the darkness with charming
effect, that set the boys 10 elapping as
soon as il had ceased. There were two
more as successful. then there was
an lnterlude OF cracking, banging
bunch Of fire-crackers that jumped
50 near the boys that they popped
this way ana that like popping pop
corn IN pepper. 10 escape il: then
came the grasshoppcrs and snake or
two, that wriggled and twisted. and
souirIned a2d Kissed 70 such perfection