The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-04
MISS WINSTON'S FOURTH
By COLIN S. COLLINS

by filling the infants mouth with ginger
bread.
You see,'' ventured Nell, "you were not
decorated on Memorial Day, and we thought
tomorrow would do just as well. 1t will
be more exclusive to have celebration OF
our own and, besides, more appropriate,
being Independence Day and your aGrandfath-
er Winston having fought in the revolution
and his old uniform hanging upstairs Nell
was waxing incoherent, but Bud felt she was
getting on dangerous ground, and he re-
marked with the air of refraining with
difficulty from administering a reproof:
"Nell, I am afraid grandmother wants us
to come home quick before you blab the
whole thing. Good evening, Miss Winston!
Well see you in the morning. And with
a bow that indicated the respect due one OF
revolutionary ancestry, he drove his submis-
sive sister and brother out of the Eden,
where they would fain tarry, =
y - -
The sun was barely peeping over Jason'S
barn the next morning when Miss Winston
was reused by violent cannonading. Hurry
ing to the window, she saw Bud on her we'll
trimmed lawn hosting flag on an impro-
vised pole, while Nell held her ears against
the progress Of the national, salute of twenty
one guns improvised from giant hrecrackers
and tomato cans.
at isn't going off quite regular" explained
Bud in stentorian tones above the din, but
| some of the fuses is fatter than the others,
| and they go off too soon.''
Miss Winston smiled and asked where they
had found the flag.
"It's pllowcase,' replied Nell in house.
wifery triumph. I'VE made it ourselves. The
blue is from the laundry and the red grand
pa got to paint the shingles with 1t amt
just the right red but it does very well.
Now we going to give you another salute
and then go home to breakfast
Better stay here called back the dec
grated one 'I'll be down in a minute, and
| we'll have johnnvcake."
"And honey?" suggested Bud.
! Miss Winston nodded.
"Then we will stay" he announced grave
| ly, "for We have all the fireworks here and
| we told grandma something might happen
| that wouldn't come back for breakfast.
So We'll set off more pack of irecrack-
| ers and then come in
All morning long, Miss Winston, arrayed
| In fresh lawn dress figured with sprigs of
| dainty flowers, sat on the front porch with
| the double purpose Of serving as the center Of
| festivities and watching that Blink did not
set his clothes on fire. In the afternoon,
when the supply of pyrotechnics ran short,
| Bud grandiloquently announced that it was
| time for exercises and would Miss Winston
please open the program by telling them how
| her grandfather happened to become gen.
! eral, and did the soldiers really go barefooted
| in the snow at Valley Forge. Miss Win
| ston was not only willing but proud to do
| this, and later in the afternoon, in the dim,
| cool parlor, she served cake and lemonade,
| while the stiff horsehair sofa reposed the
| tattered regimentas which represented so
much to her and the youthful patriots who
were enjoying the most glorious and perhaps
most unselfsh celebration in their short his
tory. And, Of course, they had to stay for
supper. because when the longed-for dark
ness came Zach was to set off the fireworks,
roman candles, skyrockets and fowerpots.
| 1t was quite 9 o'clock when the last rocket
whizzed through the air and Zach was at lib
erty to retire to the kitchen porch for his
evening smoke: Blnks had fallen asleep
with his head in Nells lap and tender si
lence rested on the group, when suddenly
Il Bud sat up very straight.
II hear musc.'
It was music, the music suited to an
| Independence Day celebration-the piping
strains of a fife and drum corps Nearer and
nearer it came. The musicians swept round
the bend with half Of Chatham at their heels.
4 Marching in advance was the president. NJ thf.
village board. The procession stopped be-
fore Miss Winstons gate and the astonished
little lady, with her three delighted guests
circling around her, stepped Hospitality forth
The president of the board removed his hat
Its the sentiment OF some OF our leading
i citizens, Miss Winston, that we amt appre-
ciated the fact that we had in our midst one
| whose ancestor fought in our country's first
and greatest war, and we're glad even to be
reminded of said fact by these here children,
| and in token of that sentiment we have
brought the fireworks display along and, with
your permission, will set off the same in your
pasture lot instead if in the public square,
according to the usual CUSTOM He stopped
from sheer lack of breath, and Miss Winston,
all a-tremble over this unexpected honor,
gave her delighted consent to the subver-
sion of her pasture lot to patriotic uses. So
there were more red fire, more candles, more
rockets and innumerable fowerpots and mig
| ger-chasers; then came, spread in living
flames double portrait of Washington and
General Winston. Nell could stand It no
longer In a very ecstacy Of satisfaction she
+. flung her arms about Miss Winston's neck.
That's from papa. I wrote him to send
them down.
Bud gared at her through the darkness.
otis all right" he assured her, "since it's
so good; but I knew you couldn't keep q
secret
Nevertheless he smiled as he felt Miss VIM
ston's arm about his neck and her tender
kiss upon his tanned cheek. They wers
i starting for home now under Zach's care.
'tDear children, this has been the happiest,
the proudest day of my life and you have
made it so!'
"Yes, it's been bully day. assented Bud.
| vainly trying to stile the pride in his voice.
Blinks raised sleepy face for Miss VIM
| ston's goodnight kiss.
'"The lemonade was good too," he MUIR
| INJURED as he placed a confding hand in
Zach,s big rough one. And SO the four were
swallowed up in the summer darkness; but
long after they had disappeared, Miss Wins
ston stood at her gate inhaling the fumes OF
/ burned powder and enjoying them as a true
Daughter Of the American Revolution should
| rUUurr ON cnHfnfERCE