The Grenada sentinel., 1903-07-04

bothering with them for some min.
utes.
Then suddenly the first gust of the
oncoming shower struck us.
What followed came quickly. The
balloon swayed over before the wind.
Down it bowed until the cord strung
out far aslant.
"Good gracious!" I cried, holding
hard. "Shell get away from me, Jarve!
Touch her off quick, or she will break
away!"
In the darkness we could not SEQ
Just where the balloon was, or what
it was over.
But the next moment we saw! Jar
Wis had managed at last to connect
the wires and touch off the balloon.
There came a sudden blaze and a tre-
mendous detonation, as if the whole
town had cracked clean down
through the oenter of the earth!
The shock bowled US both over, and
we heard a crash of timbers follow
ploded about 80 feet over the barn
and shed of worthy inhabitant of
B., who lived near the ball grounds,
and kept a lazy horse which he
hired to the boys at such high prices
that they had nicknamed him "Old
Gripus."
'We've done it now" gasped Jar
Wis, as he scrambled hastily to his
feet. "That's Old Gripe's barn!"
But that was not the worst. Shreds
of the burning paper and cloth from
the balloon must have fallen among
hay and straw, for even as we stood
staring in that direction bright
flame shot up from the building.
The only thing left us now was to
run to the house and shout: 'Fire!"
soon reused the fire department.; the
new steam engine and two old hand
tubs responded.
Through their united efforts, aided
considerably by the shower which
soon began to pour copiously, the old
mans house was saved from the fire,
but the barn and shed and an old
buggy were consumed.
| Jarvis and / were greatly worried,
and, indeed, were on the verge of
honorable confession of our act; but
now, l am sorry to say, to our relief,
we found that it was the unanimous
opinion of every one, including the
fire department and the owner him
self, that the barn had been struck
by lightning! For everybody in
town had heard what they believed
to be an awful clap of thunder!
Jarvis nudged me in the crowd, and
we went home to talk it over. We had
very little spare cash, and disliked ex
ceedingly to go home, own up tt
such. prank, and try to get $25t
each from an unsympathetic father
"Chum,' said Jarvis, with down
cast look, this is pretty low game
I know, but hadn't we better let wei
enough alone~-for awhile, at least?'
It was terrible temptation, and
have to confess that, after a grea
deal of mental agitation. we surren
, dered to it.
There was $500 insurance on tn
, barn, but the loss was estimates
I at $500.
we never mentioned the matter t.
: each other during our two remaining
years in college, for we were ia
: from rich; yet I knew by the wa
o Jarvis would look at me once
awhile that he was thinking of il
y and trying to discern how I felt.
+ But we said nothing. Directl
a after our graduation Jarvis went ou
= to Hawaii, and did not see him fo
three years; but we wrote ever
|. month or two.
d I knew that we should have to SCI
y tie for the damage before we coul
feel right; still, did not like to ope
Is the subject to Jarvis, for I did nc
3 know exactly how he was situate,
e It transpired that he felt the sam
way about it az I did; but the sens
h of dishonor wore him out first.
d II say, Jack" he added, as pos
d script to his letter last New Year
el day. 'Gripe,s old barn - pretty heay
ON my conscience. Hadn't we be
It ter AZ that up? In equity It will |
le q matter Of $3.50, interest and q
. which we owe to the Phoenix cor
e pany, and $500 20 0ripus; $325 eac
30 Hadn't we better do II ~ 4
lol We squared mp the long-standiI
.sconsxience account, last montl
Il and thus after six years-ended O
d, effort to make IL rain IN B. On 4
u night before the Fourth Of July
= Youths Conpauion.