Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1904-07-01

| can mousse was q rope winch extended
about ten feet out of the house. The
end of this rope was to be lighted and
then the boys were to run away and
watch proceedings. The rope COM
municated with a quantity of firecrack-
ers underneath the house. All the
pocket money that FIVE boys could save
and earn for a week had been invested
in explosives and stored away there
for the Fourth.
Finally the appointed moment ar
rived. Clifford, who was the Guy
Fawkes of the conspiracy, touched a
lighted match to the end of the rope.
Then the five boys stepped back to a
safe distance. Very eagerly they
watched the progress of the tiny point
of fire moving slowly along the rope.
Closer and closer to its destination
crept the spark.
ITS getting there. boys" said Frank
Middlebury.
"Landy! won't il be great?" cried
another.
Watch 1t! It's nearly there!" Cliff
ford exclaimed.
Sure enough the tiny flame had
reached the boundary of the house. 1t
was creeping inside. An instant-and
all would be over The building, and
the members of parliament, supposed
to be seated inside, would only be a
memory None of the five said word
and each held his breath in eXpecta.
ton of the terrific crash.
ITS coming now!" shouted Frank
as they heard the report of one small
tirecracker
But it didn't come as fast as they
expected.
1T takes awful long," Clarence sail
in discouraged tone.
Yes, it did take a very long time.
Five minutes passed. in fact, and still
no greater sound had they heard tlau
the one small cracker
Whats the matter with the thing?"
said one boy.
Maybe the rope was tangled up in
side" suggested Frank.
mo it wasn't, either" answered an
other in disgust.
you were here first, Cliff Didn't
you go in and look at things to see if
they were all right?"
81 looked just before 1 started down
to see the procession and 1 didn't have
time to look again after l came back
before you got here"
Say, boys, somebody's been mod
ding, think" said Frank.
'"Oh, pshaw! l don't It'll go off yet"
Clarence persisted.
well, I'm going to go and look"
said Cliff.
The other boys were little timid
about approaching the tin cam
house, but Clifford, with the true Guy
Fawkes spirit, went straight ahead and
peeped in at the opening. The Others
confidently expected to see his head
blown off, but nothing of the kind
happened, nor was it likely to have
taken place. For what do you sup
pose Clifford saw as he looked in?
Well. it was truly enough to make his
blood boil. There was not sign of d
firecracker to be seen, and instead
there lay the end of the burn rope in q
pail of water Clifford stepped back
and beckoned to the other boys. He
| do lllCl SpSSCultSS w ucl ali udN
taken a peep at the disappointing
scene, the indignant conspirators Of
the "gunpowder plot" at once hurried
over to the Gray's house. AS it hap
pened the professor was at home
With loud voices and excited gestures
= the boys told their story, intersperset
9 now and then with wild conjectures a!
2 to the probable perpetrators of thu
1 trick. The professor heard them out
and just as he was beginning to speal
. in serious reproof of their daring
= scheme the door opened and Rutl
e came in. To the surprise of everyon,
f her arms were piled high with fire
D crackers. She flung them impulsivel.
on the floor at the boys feet, and ex
$ claimed, in defiance: There are you
e hateful old firecrackers!"
t AT first all present were amazed
5 then look of contempt oversprea,
: the boys faces such as would hav
i been study for a painter. The pro
4 fessor spoke gravely:
: "Why, Ruth. you ought not to hav
taken the boys crackers. If you kney
n that their plan was a dangerous one
e you should have told me about it,"
q 81 wouldn't be a tale-bearer." Sh
raised her head proudly. Il did it be
s cause they wouldn't let me be in it.
The professor hardly knew what t
), say, for the scheme, of the boys ha
Il been a dangerous one. and it was wei
Y that it had been interrupted; yet Rut
S had done wrong thing to take tn
h crackers as she had. He explained t
e the boys what serious thing they ha
: planned, what harm it might hav
e DONE and added
Vt Here are your crackers. Go, fir
G them in the time-honored way, an
y don't let me hear of any more such en-
l. terprises as this" Then he smiled
i And, boys, you must learn sooner O
: later that you cannot outwit a woma!
be she little or big"
:" The boys crestfallen at so common