The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-09-19

nels, with profound bow, "if you'll let
me help fire the anvil. reckon I'm not
too old to learn, if there is a son of a
Revolutionary soldier to teach me. Did
your ancestor fight in Virginia, subj"
"He was there when CORVALLIS
weakened" Howtree answered.
But where do l come in" asked
Beantassel. '"The only man in town
that's got Revolutionary musket
oughtn't to be left out"
"That's so, sure enough" said How
tree. "Look here. What's the matter
with you and the Revolutionary musket
standin' at present arms while the
flags goin' up an bein' saluted? There
won't be anything like it in all the
country round"
Beantassel said nothing. He could
not, for his vivid imagination showed
him a picture of himself as the sole
military force at the colors, and the
picture caused him to assume what he
took to be a military attitude, of which
closely pressed lips was the most OBJ
trusive detail.
"The immortal Declaration will have
to be read" suggested Runnels, "an'
who's to do it? I'd like to do it myself,
seein' I'm Virginian an Virginian
wrote it, but l don't believe my voice
would be equal to the demand. Mr..
Howtree, why can't your son Sam do
it? He used to speak pieces pow'ful
fiery at the exhibitions when I was a
member of the school board"
81 dunno bout SAM" replied How
tree, shaking his head doubtingly.
Hes more'n thirty year old, an there
amt a better all round man in the
county, but for all that he's one of the
take-a-back-seat kind when any show
in offs goin' on"
81 reckon" said Runnels, 'that if
gal, my Virginia, can stand it to show
off, as you call it, no grownup man has
got any excuse to be shaky. It's only
to be before old friends and neighbors.
If your Sam won't, then my Virginia
won't"
"That settles itv' shouted Howtree,
coloring a little, while his old eyes
flashed. "Sam won't take dare from
no gal, not even from your Virginia,
who"-
Runnels stepped quickly toward the
speaker. Beantassel instinctively step
ped between the two men, for he re-
called past differences which had SEEM
ed to threaten blows, all on account of
the long past quarrel between Sam and
Virginia.
"You said, suh," Runnels announced
slowly and clearly, ''that your son
would not take dare from any girl,
even from my Virginia, who"-
"Who is as splendid a gal as any |
ever saw, except maybe the one l mar
ried," said Howtree.
The two old men shook hands with
many gestures of courtesy. AS they
did so they unwittingly stepped upon
the toes of the would be peacemaker,
but Beantassel did not protest, or he
was looking forward to what he hoped
might come of the association of Sam
Howtree's father and the grandfather
of Virginia Runnels. Beantassel him
self had married young. His children
were already grandparents and farther
west than Farway. Beantassel was in
stinctively matchmaker He, like all
other Farway people, had believed that
Sam and Virginia had been created ex-
pressly for each other and never would
marry otherwise, for each was now old
bachelor or old maid according to the
custom of speech of a section of coun-
try where boys married as soon as they
reached manly stature and girls were
women as soon as they got into long
dresses. All sorts of plans had been
made by Farwayites to bring the two
together again, but as no one knew
how the original estrangement oc-
| CURED, and Virginia was very proud
and Sam was very stubborn, all such
match mending efforts had failed. Yet
Beantassel dreamed with his eyes
open, and what can one not hope in
dream? He recalled incidents and sit
uations from his player days. If truth
really was stranger than fiction, why
| might not Sam and Virginia yet outdo
the wonders that Beantassel had seen
| enacted on the stage? Howtree's offer
of flag with which to drape the God
uGsS VI 14IDCtll was SlSll VI uOpC, 81
was his compliment to Virginia's beau
ty and Runnels' suggestion of Sam
Howtree as reader of the Declaration
of Independence. Really the possibili-
ties were so brilliant that when the
planning of the coming celebration
was interrupted by an invitation for
| the three oldest men of the village to
join the local Grand Army of the Re-
public post over a pail of cider Bean
tassel dropped behind his fellow COM
mitteemen to dream and wonder.
When Howtree, a mug of cider in
hand, announced formally to the G. A.
| r. that the old timers of Farway had
determined to have an old fashioned
Fourth of July celebration, the G. A. r.
men, who were still chock full of pa
| triotic ardor peculiar to the day, raised
three mighty cheers and promised, in
dividually and collectively, to do ev-
erything in their power to help the pa
triotic work along. They offered the
use of all their flags, their fifer and
their drummer. Then the post CON-
mander, who apparently had been TAX
ing something stronger than cider, in
sisted ON pledging for the post ''our
lives, our fortunes and our sacred hon.
or" whereupon Howtree, Runnels and
Beantassel emitted three hilarious yells
and shook hands all round.
| Before bedtime that night everybody
in Farway knew of the coming celebra-
tion and had pledged attendance and
| fe,h ha