The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1899-06-28
porch, and we can sec the rockets in the

ems ana stream.
well, 1 can show you them easy
enough" said Liny, land a goodsized
vegetable garden"
II want to see 'taters growing" said
old Mr.. Daggett. Il can work garden
and cut wood, but that amt enough
to pay my board"
"I'll go home and see ma said the
girl, briskly, land I'll come for you
to- morrow. You needn't worry" she
added, with blush. 81 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. 1.-THE glorious
Fourth" he kept saying. ''The glori-
Gus Fourth. Freedom, emancipation,
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 sumptuous
early dinner Sin HONOR as she said to
Liny on the sly, "of both the freedom
| of the United States and 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. Poss discov-
cred him at the end of long row of
hoed cabbages, and exclaimed:
Laws, Mr.. Daggett, but you do work
| garden beautiful"
Yes said the old man, 81 can work
! a garden, but that amt enough to pay
my board
Later in the day Mr.. Daggett made
his way to the woodshed and cut up
pile of wood that astonished Mrs. Poss.
Laws, Mr.. Daggett," she cried, adj
miringly, 'but you certainly know how
to handle an aX!"
Il can work garden and cut wood"
said Mr.. Daggett, ''but that amt
enough to pay my board'
"And him eating no more'n a SPAR
row." said Mrs. Poss, in the middle of
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 shooting
| 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 [
| was hungerin' for and more. Liberty
| and freedom" he muttered, land all
| over in a day
at 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.
1--WE 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 a 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 great mastiff close
| at her heels.
'Oh, I'm so glad you've come out!"
cried Julia Gregg. 81 didn't dare to go
| in. Mary and l saw you this morning
| with that old man. l forgot all about
him, you know, until nearly a 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 l knew
you had heard me promise that day,
and that you knew l had broken my
promise, and that you had gone and
done it yourself. I 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 | 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: HE has forgotten, hasn't
he? The old man, l mean"
Eyes" said Liny, II think he has for.
gotten
Then the girl who was not American
enough to shake hands with people in
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