The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-09-26

surrounded by thirteen old ladleS, to
signify the thirteen original states,
The gals that's to stand for the newer
states are to be on another part of the
platform"
Half an hour before sunrise on the
morning of the Fourth all the church
bells rang as signal that the popu-'
lace should assemble near the flagstaff
and platform. In less than five min
utes thirteen aged matrons, dressed in
blue and preceded by the Grand Army
posts fifer playing yankee Doodle"
escorted the Goddess Of Liberty from
her home to the platform, while the
Grand Army veterans, with their drum
mer, brought up the minister and the
reader of the Declaration, and the Sons
of Veterans collected the young wom-
en- in white who represented the newer
states.
The managing committee -Howtree,
Beantassel and Runnels-all in their
Sunday clothes, and Beantassel with
his stepfather's musket, were already
ON the platform. They doffed their hats
to the goddess and her escort and again
as the newer states blushed and gig
gle6 their way up the platform steps,
but when Sam approached Runnels,
said to Beantassel:
'Look at him. l never saw finer
appearin' young man outside Of Vir-
ginia"
"Huh!' said Howtree, who had over
heard the remark. "He amt even q
patch to the goddess"
Beantassel, watch in hand, made
haste to call the platform and general
populace to order and to announce the
opening prayer. Afterward, although
he bowed his head reverently, he kept
one eye on his watch to see that the
venerable clergyman's patriotism should
not cause the prayer to overrun the
time allotted to it. No sooner had
"amen" sounded than Beantassel
sprang to his feet and shouted:
'Readin' of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence by Samuel Howtree, ESQ.,"
Then he stood aside moment to con-
template the picture which he credited
largely to his own stagecraft. 1t GER
tainly was impressive. At the platform
feiii, hSslf tilO hoSPtoAt any aSalAHl lAp
eastern glow of dawn, stood Virginia
in the glory of her nations standard
and her own beauty, all enhanced by
the plain blue gowns and white hair
of the thirteen matrons around her,
Near the foot of the Flagstaff and be-
side the old anvil which was to be used
as cannon stood Howtree and Run
nels, the latter gazing adoringly at his
granddaughter, while Howtree feasted
his eyes on Sam. AS the young man
| arose and bowed to the goddess, then
| to the old thirteen and the newer thir-
| ty-three and to the multitude, he was
in appearance highly creditable to him.
self and the maker of his new clothes,
Beantassel, fearing that the presence
of Virginia Runnels might embarrass
the reader and fearing also to say so,
had again and again urged upon Sam
the old stage injunction that an actor
should always play directly at the per-
son whom he most fears.
Sam had not read more than 200
words before Beantassel became satis-
! fed that the principal actors In his lit
tie play were entirely equal to their
parts, for each looked entirely self pos
sessed and self forgetfuli so he caressed
the musket of his stepfather and al
lowed the charter of our liberties to
pass into one ear and out through the
other while he dropped into day
dreams of what ought to happen after
the curtain fell-that is, after the lead
ing lady and gentleman had left the
stage. They looked as if they were
made for each other. Nobody, Bean
tassel told himself, could imagine
either of them marrying any one but
the other. No one aside from them
selves knew why. in earlier years, they
had quarreled instead of marrying or
why they had never been brought to-
gether again.
"He deserves her." said Beantassel
to himself as the reading progressed,
"He's unloadin' the Declaration spe-
cially at her feet, as if she was a god
dess sure enough. ! wish she'd look
at him minute, just one minute; but
durn her obstinacy, she don't look any
where except across peoples heads.
An yet she's hearin' ev'ry word. She
GOuluu IOOh 81 ali uTeu klllIu Qun
some if she was thinkin' about her.
self"
Then he looked at his watch and to-
ward the east. Evidently the sun was
very near the horizon, so the reading
must be nearing its end. Beantassel
had his cue-the closing words "our
lives. our fortunes and our sacred hon,
er"-and had persuaded Virginia to
commit them to memory, SO that action
might be immediate at the proper in.
stant. But some possibilities had not
been taken into account. The morning
breeze came In little gusts. The town
flag, to which the halyards had already
been fastened. was large, and no one
had known enough to arrange 1t ball
fashion, to be shaken out when 1t
reached the top of the staff. At Sans
last word Virginia seized the halyard
and began to pull, but the flag, flutter-
ing outward, exerted force which
was too much even for the strength OF
a young woman whose arms had never
lacked exercise.