The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1902-07-04
4 Fourth Of July Confession

4 Fourth u! Of July Confession
BY CHARLES EUGENE BANKS.
tcoopyright. 1872 by Daily story Pub: Co,
lieve what you say"
Indeed ] do, Miss Darlington"
Fourth Of July Is farce? Then
you really think that?"
II mean to say that all the money
spent in firing OF crackers and burn.
Ing rockets has no useful purpose"
1T expresses our feelings. think,
and that is all anything can do Tor us
in this world
Il do not agree with you. There are
many simpler and more sensible ways
Of giving expressions to our emotions
than by fllling the air with noise and
smoke. It is childish. Grown people
ought to be able to show their patriot.
ism in more sensible way"
Fudge. You are getting as dry and
uninteresting as those old books you
bury yourself in most of the time.
believe in life. Books are all well
enough in their way, but that is gener.
ally very tiresome way
The young man stopped to the side
Of the path and picked up a dry twig,
held it before his eyes for moment
and then swapping 1t sharply threw the
ends into the air.
why isn't that as good an expires.
sion as though it had been tightly roll
ed paper with little saltpeter con-
fined at It's heart? If break the stick
with q devotional thought concerning
the Declaration of Independence
shall experience as sublime a thrill
as though I had fired of cannon"
'.You might. Mr.. Wiseman, but we
are not all SO gifted with Imagination
Most of US require something outside
Of ourselves to move us sublimely."
The hot blood surged into the face
Of the young man at the retort. He
turned his gaze full on the girl at his
side. but she was already turning
away. calling softly to robin hopping
in the shade of an old apple tree that
grew beside the gate leading into the
farmhouse grounds. ~
"Milly!" he called, reproachfully.
wait till George Lounsbery comes
home from New York tomorrow and
you'll see what the Fourth of July
means to man with real red blood in
his veins. He was up last year and
brought more than hundred dollars
worth Of fireworks. don't believe
any one went to bed that night at all.
The sky was filled with red fire and
realized for the first time what it
meant to be an American"
"You mean the son OF Farmer
Lounsbery, suppose?"
Eyes, He's q great man now, al
though he was born and grew up in
this illiterate neighborhood."
.Milly-" h.
miss Darlington, if you please. Mr..
Shakespeare. Does your dingy old
leather.covered books tell you that
young man has. the right to address
young lady that he met only four
weeks ago with as much familiarity as
though she was his sister,"
The girl tossed her pretty head with
an air that might have been learned
in the court Of a queen, although she
had little knowledge Of the ways of
the world outside Of Mohawk Valley.
But was she not woman, young,
pretty, proud, whimsical-as most
pretty young women are? And what
need had she for instructions in the
art of coquetry? To the serious young
student who had come into the neigh.
borhood with no other idea than that
of earning modest living by teaching
in the public school she had knowledge
enough and to spare. He loved her,
OF course. There was no escape from
that. She knew 1t, too, as well as
though he had told her so with all the
fmpassioned fervor of Romeo. But
he had not told her so. How could he
when she met every attempt of his to
utter what filed his heart with good
naturedl railery. But he had not been
discouraged. She will listen to me
some day" he told himself over and
over again as he walked oversthe hills
or sat in his little room with an I'M.
read book in his hand. "a woman does
not like to be easily won. His read
ing told him that. He had never
dreamed Of a rival. The few young
men Of Randall seemed to feel that
she was not for them and treated her,
with marked reverence or surly dis
sdain. What was this she had been.
saying but now? George Lounsbery!
AS real man. with red blood IN his
veins. He felt the blood freezing in
his heart. N Fs, ~ u 1:
81 he--is Mr.. Lounsbery = friend
OF yours 3. E1Ss I.
:A friend of mine? Indeed: he 10. I
have known him ever since T was q
child. Hs "a q great man now. Cash
Ter q ~ bank IN the city ana trusted
With TONS of money Wait till you nee
how things viii move when he Al.
rives.. Il
He did WI although with no pleas
ant anticipat Ions. And that night Nc
saw the rockets strealing ACROSS the
s and : q heard Z. 81 t z honsst fox