Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-29


IleImer. mayor of Lariat. had so decreed,
euce of his special cOterie of politicians
And in the bosom of his family. with less
profanity. but more impressiveness and
numerous gestures, he had uttered the
same prophecy
Ever since his election to office Helmer
had been planning a Fourth of July glori-
'fcation that should be the pride and Won
der of the Conejos county and the Rio
Grande valley. and should make his prede
Cessors' celebration look like a prairie dog
hunting for cover. Rumors of the great
occasion spread from overland to mesa,
and from mesa TO foothills. until the coun-
TRY was ahame with patriotic enthusiasm
Of the Helmer-Lariat brand
Its going to be the greatest ever" muir
INJURED HeImer as he walked out of bank
one morning. folding a snug roll of bills
drawn from his private account The citi-
zens of Lariat had subscribed literally to
the celebration fund, but John Helmer did
not propose to let a trif1ing matter like
financial shortage stand in the light of his
glorious celebration.
| The last Fourth of July show had boosted
q candidate for legislature orator but.
thanks To a judiCiOuS showing of votes in
Couejos county and the kindly intercession
of the railroad company, Helmer was able
t. announce that real United States SEN
atur would grace his celebration. Under
he previous administration the national
airs had been sung by the church choir ac-
Crmpanied by Miss Mirandy Wilson on
meek and wheezy melodeon. Helmer hired
the county seat band, and induced the
: houl teachers to train the children prom
Using each youthful singer a glittering
badge and patriotic sash. The Declaration
Of Independence must be read. of course
and there Helmer halted in despair. There
was NO way of improving on that immortal
document.
Bat hold-it might-yes surely it might
he read by a man representing Uncle Sam.
The year before it had been monotonously
delivered by the county superintendent of
schools. but this year Dave Ewing, deputy
sheriff Of CouejOS county. who had been to
college and knew city ways. agreed to hire
the necessary costume from Pueblo, even
t. the gray wig and goatee.
Not that Dave cared anything about
haSking in The glare of public interest as
| represented by Lariat and COnejos county.
He WAS not the sort of fellow to make a
grand stand or gallery play. but he loved
Lena Helmer. the mayors daughter, and
If she wanted him to don the garments of
PIerr"t and swing on the edge of the moon
h. would have made a violent effort to
ohlige her. Besides he read well and he
did not mind sitting on the platform with a
'nitsd States senator
Incidentally Helmer had arranged for the
usual basket lunch and barbecue in the
grove at noon. followed by horse racing
broncho busting and chicken pulling at the
fair grounds For the fireworks in the
evening. the browning event would be a
fiery Uncle Sam surrounded by flaming
patriotic cOlors.
| But these incidenta1s all faded into in
significance in Helmer's mind when COM
pared to the program On this had he ex-
pended all his ingenuity and originality.
With the night of July 3 came signs of
the morrOw's triumph which were sweet as
incense TO Helmer's spirit. Cowboys and
miners. struggling in from the south and
the north. reported a general movemen
toward Lariat, while from the east and
a general hegira of the ranch populati ton
and all for Lariat and Helmer's celebra-
ton BY shutdown every livery stable in
the town was filled. And then came word
from division headquarters Twenty-Five
miles down the line, that the railroad COM
pany had been Obliged to order out a spe-
Cial for the following morning to aCconmo-
date the visitors who We're flOcking in with
the United States senator and other guests
OF honor. In fact, the senator who was
70 speak on Our COuntry-Its Past and
Future Greatness was bringing with him
number Of political lights lesser OF
course. than his glorious self. but still on
terms Of intimacy with such corporations
as railroad companies. and quite capable of
holding up the same for annual pass.
All this had been hilariouSly discussed
over the Helmer supper table. and as Hell
msr rose. with forced carelessness drop
ping two toothpicks before he could get a
grasp on one, he said to his daughter:
Now, Lena. you don't see anywheres
that cog might slip IN that program to-
mOrrOw do you?''
NO. Daddy: everything Is going beauti-
fully The children sang this afternoon
without single mistake. and Dave knows
thu declaration nearly by heart"
His Uncle Sam suit come all right"
| Yes. and il fits like glove
That's good. Dawes the tallest. like
lest and straightest fellow round here"
And Helmer went back to the scene of his
embryonic triumphs-
| Yes. and Dawes the dearest fellow that
ever lived murmured Lena. as she helped
her mother with the supper work. When
II was finished she walked between the
rows Of larkspur and dahlias TO the gate,
gazing across the deep ditch which d.
vided the residence part of town from the
rough. One-stOry shops and stores. Lariat
was an ambitious little town. and present
" its electric lights. a block apart twin
killed. out like fire-fies in search OF frolic.
From one end Of town TO the other arose
the sound of revelry. In the Deems Hotel
the band. just arrived from the county
seat. was preparing TO serenade the mayor
and other prominent citizens. and the ten
tatlve and preparatory blarings made
Iena's heart dance IN joyous anticipation.
Perhaps there would be dance tomorrow
night in the rink
Suddenly Lena caught the clatter of
hoofs on the ditch bridge. and her hand
instinCtively caught a vagrant lock in
place. then felt OF her ribbon collar. No
horse save Dawes Cyclone had that rhyth-
mic hOof-beat. And a minute later the
wise Cyclone was nibbling block sugar in
T.cna's hand, while his master stood by
smiling. his arm around Lena's slender
waist.
Shall you enter Cyclone tomorrow.
Dave. for any Of the races" she asked as
the horse licked the last scrap of sweetness
from her hand.
Dave drew her closer to him and said a
trife anxiously:
Il don't know. dear. That's what I
came to see you about. Maybe L shan't
BE- in town tomorrow"
Not be here tomorrow? Why, Dave
Ewing What do you mean"
| The Declaration of Independence, Uncle
Sans costume. her fathers fine plans. all
Sc ned to crumble in hopeless mass at
her feet
Dave was also thinking of the fateful
exercises but he did not mention them
You see, it's this way, dear. Long Pete s
been seen up on the Devils Basin trail by
some of the men from the xxx ranch
| At the name OF Long Pete Lena gave a
nervous start
Il don't believe the fellows made any
mistake about Pete, for it's just like him
To catch up a string Of good horses tomor-