The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1894-06-29
SOME STORIES FOR THE
FOURTH.
HIS HOPE BLIGHTED.

Brought Disaster on Victim of tn.
Tender Passion.
My cousin Amy lives at Bryn Mawr and il
a beauty. A few days ago l adOred her, bu,
now know her to be the falsest of her tickle
gender. can only lie here in bed and grOar
and vow vengeance upon the head of my sue.
cessful rival.
Sunday before the Fourth I went to Bryn
Mawr, and when / came away Amy said, oh,
SO sweetly. ''Now do be sure and come out
Tuesday and bring some fireworks"
have always hated fireworks and firmly
believe that if Dante had fiOurished in the
days and ways of this our noble empire he
would have devoted one more corner of his
''Inferno" to damned souls doomed to shoot
gigantic firecrackers forever in each others
blackened faces. But it was Amy's request,
so | spent more money than was healthy for
even sound financial condition and sent to
Bryn Mawr two large cases, full of assorted
fireworks, which were placed for safety's
sake in a little summer pavilion until should
arrive and unpack.
Amy wasn't in when arrived on the even
ing of the Fourth, so / took a Ratchet and
went to the summer house, lit cigarette and
proceeded to open the cases. Most of the stuff
was strewn around me when | heard voices
outside. l couldn't see their owners, for the
summer house is completely screened by lat
tice work and climbing vines, but | recog-
nized them as those of Amy and Jack Arm
strong. never did like that fellow. He has
a trick of slapping you on the back if you say
anything good that makes you quake all over,
and this, say with diffidence, happened only
too frequently in my case, and then he has
deep grow of voice that browns yours out
in conversation, 1t was he speaking.
$50 we're going to have fireworks by the
funny little cousin. (By heavens, he meant |
med suppose after each rocket and roman
luck-with one of thosese0nfounded pedantic
remarks of his. He's the most pompous little
popgun / ever saw.
'sDid you ever notice his walkY' he con-
tinued. sits like this" | couldn't see what I
you have no right to talk of my relatives that
way, at least until we are married." Then
there was sound like the ''cheep' of bird
several times repeated. The miscreant was
kissing her!
What heard made my half smoked cigar
cite fall from my dropping lips among the
fireworks as | stood palsied, nerveless at the
awful fact that Amy, my Amy, lovely, per-
fidious, tickle, heartless, cruel Amy, was to
wed a man who called me "pompous little
popgunv' determined to destroy this crea-
ture who crossed me, to poison his life, pull
verize his prospects-to blast him. Just then
there was hiss at my feet, followed by.a
pop, then sound as of an angered anaconda
and Il whole yolley of pops, ending with a
bang that half stunned me and filled the place
with smoke.
Bewildered, instead of making my escape
through the door sprang up one OF the side
screens, which had a semicircular opening at
the top, lust under the caves, and seated my
self on the rail at the bottom, preparatory to
swinging my LEGS over and dropping safely
outside
But instead. when raised upon my hands
to lift myself over, sOmehOw-for | am not
an athlete slipped and instead of falling to
the ground an unused hammock hook caught
IN my rearward clothing, somewhere in the
region of my waistband. and held me securely
struggle as / did to free myself |
had no purchase for my feet and no hold for
my hands. felt for my penknife to cut loose
with but that was also among the bursting fire.
works where | had been opening packages.
Then struggled and called for help and
raved and waved my hands and legs like a
spider on a pin. while cross section of
Gehenna was exhibited for my exclusive ben
fit | was brought up Il Methodist shall be
more firmly one in the future. After the
possibilities displayed by those infinite human
fireworks. what is not possible in infinite.
Superhuman pyrotechny! ,
The little crackers commenced it-pop-ter- .
rop. Then came some of larger caliber- /
bang-ter-rang, Then the giant cannon crack ,
by neutrality-suspicious. by fright, | hung
helpless while the infection spread to enthusi-
astic roman candles rockets, catherine wheels, I
tranges, bombs and fountains that Kissed. ,
whizzed and burst in all the tints of Iris. l ,
witnessed the birth of fiery worlds from star
dust. saw consultations wrought of plastic /.
nebua at white heat. saw suns and moons {
play tag and football. comets and meteors run I
races and collide with furious sizZles. saw ,
solar systems staggering to the diseord of the =
spheres while the stars shreked together and :
finally saw all the glitterng heads of the I
starry universe laid together in grand cata- i
.lysmic conspiracy to all come at me ut once +
IN universal sma>hup. Then the roof of \
.reaton fell in with mighty crash. and of :
course that was the end of me. (;
| was sure of il when awoke to find was i
mummy of the time of Rameses /. swathed 4
N bandages and smelling yillanously of iodo- =
'orm. ''He opened his eyes, said some one. +
md dmly saw Amy's brother Will bending =
,yer me. Then all the bitterness of life came :
pack again in one big fiood-Amy's falseness, Il
ny torn aud bleeding heart and the ridicue =
# my rival. Take me home," ] said \
Philadelphia Times. 4