The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1898-04-09

hearing Of all this detestahle racket" who
in the afternoon did not care to venture on
the lake, for there was q storm coming UP,
and, moreover, she had paper" to pre-
pare; who in the evening, when he mildly
suggested strnliing over TO watch the fire
works. advised him to wait till women
achieve their Independence, and then there
will be some fireworks worth SEEING" and
who announced her intention in the mean
while Of celebrating Independence Day by
attending meeting Of new women in the
lois CT neighbours barn, where certain
modern Patrick Henrys in petticoats were
to be gathered together to assure each other
that, failing to secure liberty, they were
ready to welcome death.
Poor Jack! He was blind, indeed. He
did not see that his 'scnselessness. as he
was mentally calling it, was nine tenths @:
it put to tease him. Driven to desperation
ne even offered himself as her escort 10
this meeting. She was quite able to take
care of herself. She would go alone
And she went And she found it all in
tensely stupid, almost as stupid az Jack
had been in taking her at her word when
she declined his escort. She found that,
instead OF listening to the ringing cries Of
liberty or death, she was bearing only the
squeaking Of the fiddlcs over at the club,
where, the fireworks over, dancing had be-
gun. She caught herself wondering which
OF the girls Jack was dancing with Was
it that dreadful katharine Blake, who had
tried so hard to get up Irritation with
him lass year? Or pretty Florrie Black
WELL for she was pretty, in an inanimate,
wa1-doll fashion? Or that fascinating
little Mabel Mortimer, who seemed to cap
tivats every man she met?
Then she was called upon to read the
paper that she had prepared that afternoon
when she would go much rather have gone
sailing with Jack. 1t was a commonplace
little paper, hut because she was in bit
ter mood she read it with d bitterness that
won her audience. That was the right
spirit, said thu next speaker. Men should
he made to consider we'll the voice OF their
complaint. They should be no more able
to close their ears to it than TO the mighty
reyerheratons Of the thunder that now
seemed to shake the very earth the storm
which had threateacd all day had broken
now.
Little of this vas heard. The terrible
voice OF the storm without drowned the
voice Of tn" mere women within. II il
had been heard, it is doubtful il il would
have been needed For those new women
were, after ALL very like the old aomen.
They were terribly frightened. Finally
there came "A flash that seemed 10 burn into
their very soul and shriyel them 10 cnlrrs,
followed by n clap that made them fee.
that the globe itself was splittng:a smell
OF smoke, OF burning wood, of sulphur
In another minute they knew that the
barn was on fire
4 wild rush for the ladders and crooked
stairs followed. Fortunately, Dorothy's
new Womanhood did not desert her at
pinch. She kept enough OF her wits about
her to remember that she must not Join in
the stampede. Sho must keep perfectly
still til Jack came for her. She had not
long to wait though aiterward she would
have told you ii was an eternity, before
she heard Jacks voice shouting: "Dor.
othy! Dorothy! where are you? Don't be
frightened. It's Jack. Pm coming to
you"
As she answered his call she remam-
bered thai he had never before called her
Dorothy" never before had taken it for
granted that she thought OF him az "Jaall;n
and she knew that 50 long as they both
sAoald live it would always be dorothy"
and Jack" between them in the future.
Later on, when she stood with Kim
watching the village fire company pustir.
out the flames, che realized that Indepen-
denco Day was over. But abe did not
regret it. She had been too Gloss to death
so clamor Tor liberty.