Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1899-06-29

give you your visit TO the country, Mr..
Daggett?"
The old man pressed his hands hard
but his eyes filled as he looked at Liny.
Then two young beautiful eyes filed
also, and both pairs turned to the win
dows, and saw through the mist in
them the board fence with the hot July
sun upon it.
MFR. Daggett," said Liny, softly,
would you like to spend the Fourth of
July in the country with me? Not at q
grand place. can't promise you that;
but they're going to have fireworks not
far from us, we can see them on the
porch, and we can see the rockets in the
town, too''
Il want to see the green grass said
the old man; Il want to see some chick
ems and a stream
Well, L can show you them easy
enough" said Liny, land a good-sized
vegetable garden
L want to see 'taters growing. said
old Mr.. Daggett. II can work garden
and cut wood, but that amt enough
to pay my board"
iii go home and see ma said the
girl, briskly, land I'll come for you
tomorrow. You needn't worry" she
added, with a blush. Il haven't got
enough other things to think about to
forget, and I have to come to town
even on the Fourth of July, to bring
vegetables
Mr.. Daggett sat beside Liny the next
morning when she drove away from
the town, drinking in the country air,
leaning out and smiling at every
stream, peering up wistfully at the
birds along the road. THE glorious
Fourth he kept saying. THE glori-
Gus Fourth. Freedom, emancipa ton,
independence, that's what it means"
The old man was made very welcome
at the little house with the big gar
den, and Mrs. Poss had a sumptuous
early dinner ''in honor" as she said to
Liny on the sly, "of both the freedom
of Mr.. Daggett."
He was told by his cheerful hostess
that he must enjoy himself in his own
way; so Mr.. Daggett did not spend an
idle day. He found hoe and went to
work in the garden. Mrs. Foss discov-
cred him at the end of long 1c,y of
hoed cabbages, and exclaimed:
Laws, Mr.. Daggett, but you do work
a garden beautiful"
Yes" said the old man, Il can work
garden, but that amt enough to pay
my board
Later in the day Mr.. Daggett made
his way to the woodshed and cut up a
pile of wood that astonished Mrs. Poss.
Laws, Mr.. Daggett," she cried, adj
miringly, ''but you certainly know how
to handle an ax!"
4 can work a garden and cut wood"
said Mr.. Daggett, but that amt
enough to pay my board
And him eating no more'n spar
row." said Mrs. Poss, in the middle of a
long consultation which she and Liny
held in the front room.
They sat ON the porch that evening
watching alternately the fireworks in
the grounds of the great house three
miles away and the rockets shootiE q
skyward from the city, and when they
had had enough of fireworks they went
into the house together.
"Well, I've had a glorious Fourth ~
said the old man; there amt no doubt
about it. I've seen them things I
was hungerin' for and more. Liberty
and freedom" he muttered, land all
over in a day"
1T wasn't that way with the United
States, remarked Mrs. Poss, proudly.
No" said Mr.. Daggett, looking
down, sit wasn't that way with the
United States" But this Fourth of
July had had to do with his liberty and
freedom.
I'VE want the Fourth to be as good
to you as it was TO the United States,
Mr.. Daggett," said Mrs. Poss. Laws,
Liny, you tell him straight out what
we do want
MA and me would like you to stay
here all the time, Mr.. Daggett," said
Liny. Laws! don't thank me! If you
must thank anybody, thank ma"
Thereupon Liny escaped to the front
yard.
But was it an escape, after all? Out
side the gate was pony carriage with
the lamps throwing brightness on the
road, and there was man opening the
gate, and at the gate was a girl with
yellow hair and a great mastiff close
at her heels.
''Oh, I'm so glad you've come out!"
cried Julia Gregg. Il didn't dare to go
in. Many and l saw you this morning
with that old man. l forgot all about
him, you know, until nearly week,
and then we agreed that he had given
US up and forgotten, too, and we were
expecting so many visitors, and-and-
when l saw you this morning | knew
you had heard me promise that day,
and that you knew / had broken my
promise, and that you had gone and
done it yourself. / told mother all
about it, and she says you must come
to see us. She wants to know you.
I've been seeing you in the post Office
and different places all my life, and
when I was little l used to cry because
/ didn't have black eyes like yours,
but l didn't know you were SO good"
The pony had shifted his position and
the lights from the lamps showed two
glowing cheeks as Julia Gregg asked,
wistfully: lie has forgotten, hasn't
he? The old man, mean
''Yes," said Liny, Il think he has for
gotten"
Then the girl who was not American
enough to shake hands with people in
the manner of the president of the
United States, put a hand on each side
of Liny's face and kissed her quickly,
saying again: II didn't know you we're
SO good" Then she laughed and ran
and jumped into the carriage, and the