Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-07-02

night brought no fresh supplies. She
even went so far as to administer
mild dose of.senna to her eldest grand
son on the general principle that when
Buds curiosity failed something must
be wrong.
On the eve OF independence day the
three children sat on Miss Winston's
back porch sampling fresh loaf Of
gingerbread.
uecorars you tomorrow asked Bud
with labored poiteness.
.'Bless your soul, no." replied the old
lady, slightly puzzled, yet lending her
self willingly to any plan that might
bring pleasure to her young admirers.
'But what do you mean~
''You mustn't ask questions" respond
ed Bud with sudden severity and Incl
dentally heading off BIinks' attempts
at explanation by filling the infants
mouth with gingerbread.
sYou see," yentured Nell, "you were
not decorated on Memorial day, and
we thought tomorrow would do just as
NCAA4 IL w III NC l41OAC CACAoC1NO " La w
a celebration of our own aud, besides,
more appropriate, being independence
day and your Grandfather 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 remarked, with the air of one
od1
istering reproof:
"Nell, am afraid grandmother wants
us to come home quick before you blab
the whole thing. Good evening, Miss
Winston! Well see you in the morn
ing" And with a bow that indicated
the respect due one of Revolutionary
ancestry he drove his submissive sis
they would fain tarry.
The sun was. barely peeping over ia
sons barn the next morning when Miss
Winston was reused by violent can
nonading. Hurrying to the window,
she saw Bud on her well trimmed lawn
hosting flag on an improvised pole,
while Nell held her ears against the
progress of the national salute Of twen-
ty-one guns improvised from giant
firecrackers and tomato cans.
at isn't going off quite regular" ex-
planned Bud in stentorian tones above
the din, "but some of the fuses is fat
ter than the others, and they go off too
soon."
Miss Winston smiled and asked where
they had found the flag.
Its q pillowcase." replied Nell in
housewifery triumph I'VE made it
ourselves. The blue is from the laun-
dry, and the red grandpa got to paint
the shingles with. 1t amt just the
right red, but it does very well. Now
we are going to give you another sa-
Lutte and then go home to breakfast"
Better stay here" called back the
decorated one. "I'll be down in a min
ute, and we'll have johnnycake."
"And honey?" suggested Bud,
Miss Winston nodded.
'Then we will stay he announced
gravely, ''for we have all the fireworks
here, and we told grandma something
might happen that we woudp,55 come
back for breakfast off
one more pack Of fireerackeE sMen then
Come in Lmep,s,
All morning lot d Miss Winston, Aar-
rayed in a fresh lawn dress figu@d
with sprigs of dainty flowers, satEbn
the front porch with the double pIr-
pose of serving as the center of fes-
tivities and watching that Blinks did
not set his clothes on fire. In the aft
ernoon, when the supply of pyro-
technics ran short Bud grandiloquent-
ly announced that 1t was time for ex-
ercises, and would Miss Winston
please open the programme by telling
them how her grandfather happened
to become general, and did the sol
diers really go barefooted in the snow
at Valley Forge. Miss Winston was
not only willing but proud to do this,
and later in the afternoon, in the dim,
cool parlor, she served cake and lem
onade, while on the stiff horsehair
sofa reposed the tattered regimentals
which represented so much to her and
IAAC JOolA4uA P0il4Ol6 WIN WCIC C1l-
joying the most glorious and perhaps
most unselfish celebration in their
short history. And of course they had
to stay for supper, because when the
longed for darkness came Zach was to
set off the fireworks, roman candles,
skyrockets and fiowerpots.
1t was quite 8 o'clock when the last
rocket whizzed through the air and
Zach was at liberty to retire to the
kitchen porch for his evening smoke.
Blin&s had fallen asleep with his head
in Nell's lap and a tender silence
rested on the group when suddenly
Bud sat up very straight.
81 Near music!"
1t was music, the one music suited
to an Independence day celebration,
the piping strains of fife and drum
corps. Nearer and nearer it came. The
musicians swept round the bend with
half of Chatham at their heels. March,
ing in advance was the president of
the village board The procession
stopped before Miss Winston's gate,
and the astonished little lady, with
her three delighted guests circling
round herA stepped Hospitality forth.
The president of the board removed
his hat somewhat awkwardly and
cleared his throat.
.It's the sentiment of some Of our
leading citizens, Miss Winston, that we
amt appreciated the fact that we had
in our midsA one whose ancestor