Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-07-02

nation, at all. But" and she cogitat-
ed moment-"our Margie can read It.
for that matter; and Ben and Rena
can sing the Star-Spangled Banner
beautifully Then there's their
cousins, over at Phelps; they own the
string band. Wen get them. and your
Fourth's assured, 'Rastus''
President Powers felt in his bones
that the matter was really settling. but
the drift of the partial outline struck
him as being a monopoly.
1T might be Objectionable. he ven
turned. ito make the programme a
family affair" Matilda"
"Humph," she returned. warming up.
why should they object? We've waited
dozen years for the rest to move.
Mercy! / don't believe the people here
know even how many signed that won
derful paper fixing the Fourth for all
time"
Well Matilda, he answered, wear
lily, 1T seems to me you are dead gone
on the Declaration"
Don't be blasphemous, 'Rastus." she
interpolaied, you're the president of
Northdeld-'
And" went on her husband deaf
to the interlude, III bet you $40 to
a penny, if you dare. that not one coun-
Gilman can tell whether it was signed
at all or not"
His wife fairly gasped with surprise
and disdaln. DO you mean to saw
that Mortified has retrograded like
that. Erastus Powers? Surely the
pagan ancestors are not far in the
rear!"
Il was speaking OF the town coun-
ell, only" he answered as ii pronounc-
ing sentence.
We'll, you tell them it was signed
by SO of the biggest Fourth. o. July
men on earth at that time; our first
congressman, too
And Mrs. Powers swept up and down
the apartment, very Goddess of
Liberty
The town council met that evening
and the president was commissioned
by the powers behind the throne TO
see to it Very ably did he "sug-
gest," and mention the natter" and
before he was aware they were all
wonderfully enthused.
~ N'N'AN NAAAAOoA lit~tl Den ana
Rena's 20, Say Can You See" etc. as
he drummed thoushtfully on has desk
We must have an orator of the
day, broke in Houseman, the man Of
energy, land I've been thinking that
young Lawyer Foote. of Phelps. would
be the one to wake up Mortified; and
we are able to pay him handsomely for
the speech"
The presidents face blanched, but
he was diplomat enough to hold his
tongue. The proposed orator was
Margie's best beau, and that pro-
gramme was again edging toward a
monopoly. But if this was of Provi-
dence he was not the one to gainsay
1t; so Foote was booked for the ora
ton, IF they could get him"
Get hint" mentally unused Powers.
"Of course. He'd break his neck to
show off before Margie" But another
was speaking
And as TO music" he was saving.
there's the Phelps string band. They
can come right along with the orator
of the day and Phelps and Mortified
can celebrate together"
Shades of the hydra-headed combine!
The scheme was moving Matildas way
fast!
That's the checker" cried Dumfey,
the most influential Of the lot Il will
write at once and do the inviting.
Well give them a good dinner and see
to the rest"
How this thing was growing: what
magnitude this Fourth" mad already
assumed, and it was only in embryo!
| Surely there was more patriotism in
Mortified than Mrs. Powers dreamed
Of
But Nevins, who admired the presi-
dent as the sun of their cluster, was
ready with the climax.
"Our chief here can read the Declara-
ton Of independence, and we--the resi-
of us-will consider ourselves a com
! mittee of the whole on decoration, fire
works and other things"
The chief" felt a great and mos