Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1902-07-04
A Fourth Of July Confession
BY CHARLES EUGENE BANKS.

Copyright 1902. by Daily story Pub. Co.
Mr.. Arnold. | don't think you be
lieye what you say"
Indeed I do. Miss Darlington"
Fourth OF July is farce? Then
you really think that?"
Il mean 10 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 for us
In this world"
Il do not agree with you. There are
many simpler and more sensible ways
OF giving expressions 10 our emotions
than by filing the air with noise and
smoke. " is childish. Grown people
ought to be able to show their patriot
ism In more sensible way"
Fudge. You are getting as dry and
embarrassing 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 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 a robin hopping
In the shade OF an old apple tree that
grew beside the gate leading into the
farmhouse grounds.
"Millyi" he called. reproachfully
walt TIL 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 a 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 /
moant 10 DO an American"
"You mean the son OF Farmer
Lounsbery. | suppose?"
Eyes. He's a great man now. al
though he was born and grew up in
this illiterate neighborhood."
''Milly--"
Miss Darlington. II you please. Mr..
Shakespeare. Does your dingy old
leathercoverod books tell you that
young man has the right to address a
9Vuhk fh01 tudN it hitt Oii1 lOut
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.
I
pretty young women are? And what
need had she for instructions in the
art OF coquctry? To the serious young
student who had come into the neigh
borhood with no other idea than that
Of earning a 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 know II. too. as well as
though he had told her so with all the
mpassioned fervor OF Romeo. But :
he had not told her SO. How could he ,
when she met every attempt OF his to ,
alter what filled his heart with good :
iatured railery
rs he's Mr.. Lounsbery friend 4
II yours?" h
"A friend OF mineg Indeed he Is. d
rave known him ever since | was n
'hild. He Is great man now. Cash I
or In bank in the city and trusted d
With tons OF money. Wait till you see y
low things will move when he ar +
ives" II
He did wait. although with no pleas. II
mt anticlpations And that night he r,
aw the rockets streaking across tho
ky and heard the honest country folk IL
heer the neatly dressed. smooth-spok- /,
n young man who set OF whole pack
ges of fre-crackers with far less +
hougAt that one OF the wealthiest Al
mong them would have struck a b.
iatch And whom Il was all over. when W
be last red flame had faded out OF the
ky. the last psn-wheol had spit out its
pitcful little life. the last bunch OF b.
ro-crackers popped and danced over
,e slnged and trRmpled lawn. Arnold =
allied home alone through the woods,
srrying the burnt end OF single
rackcr tleht,y clutched ~ his hand
After all lad he not been right ,
hen he told Milly that all this cele-
ration was noise and fury. signify
'g ue.hing?" She had boasted to him .