The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-07-01

possibly permit you to go to the picnic
in the grOve?"
"Are you going, Kittie2"
Certainly"
81 cannot get back in time, fear.
Pshaw! l wouldn't miss it for worlds"
he said honestly.
'Then you do not intend to celebrate
q bit tomorrow
II don't see how l cam
what are you, a Chinaman?' the
sfrl said scornfully, her black eyes
flashing. "You haven't an atom of pa
triotism about you. I'm ashamed of
you! They're to set off a number of
empty glycerin cans and fire anvils at
sunrise and run the flag up on the hotel
and on all the derricks, and you-you
will be hurrying off to work about that
time like a Chinaman who doesn't
know the Fourth of July from any 9th
er day of the year"
The face he turned to her was full of
panied protest. "Say, DEAR" he whis-
pered, "don't be so hard on me. If
had not promised to shoot those
wells
ooh, don't distress yourself. Do as
you have promised, by all means, and
next year do not forget that you are a
citizen of the United States. l never
saw your like" she continued scornful-
ly. "Even the foreigners who come
here celebrate their great days, al
though they are in strange land, even
the Chinese celebrate their New Years,
and you, free American citizen, who
say you were born in sight of Bunker
Hill monument, pay no more attention
to the independence day of your coun-
try than one of your horsesw
81 am very, very sorry, Kittie''- he
began despairingly.
"Neyer mind" she said CURLY.
''Please let me get out here. People
will talk SO, you know, If they see me
riding into Gusherville on a nitroglyc-
erin wagon with YOU
AS he checked the spirited horses
and leaped to the ground to assist her
she futtered to the roadway on the
ease and grace of bird.
She left him without even a look, and
he saw no more Of her that night. His
big heart ached as he climbed into the
nitroglycerin wagon again and clucked
to his horses. She was the dearest OBJ
ject on earth, and after months of de-
voted courtship he saw her slipping
away just as her heart seemed warm
ing toward him. She had never con-
fessed that she loved him, but his at
tentions, his protestations of affection
and even his timid clasping of her
hand had seemed not unwelcome to
her. He had believed that she was
learning to love him, but now his
thoughtlessness had completely es-
tranged her.
Half an hours ride up steep and
winding road brought him to the nitro
glycerin factory, where he stabbed his
horses, refilled his wagon with square
cans of the explosive from the great
iron magazine, replenished his store Of
shells and then lay down upon bunk
in the factory to catch a few hours
sleep preparatory to starting for the
wells at daybreak. Shortly before
AdW II hC dIOScJ udIuSSSSu LIS DlS
horses to the wagon load of glycerin
and, mounting the seat, started for the
scene of the days operations.
He drove with what seemed reckless
ness over the rough road, considering
the fact that he was carrying 100
quarts of the explosive, but a discov-
cry he made shortly after leaving the
factory caused him considerable I'M
easiness. The reins had fallen under
the horses hoofs while he was har-
Messing, and one of the slender leather
ribbons had been cut in two by steel
calked shoe. He had not noticed the
accident in the dim light, and as he
was now considerable distance from
the factory he disliked to turn back.
ut will probably hold, and if the
team does run away and blow me
into a billion shreds who'll care?' he
said bitterly. They'll bury me in