Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1905-07-01
1. !. 4:
JACK GRIDLEYS CELEBRATION



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~ ACK GRIDLEY crawled through
I'll hole In the fence back of his
" home and cautiously tiptoed toward
the house The sun was higher than
Jack had intended it should be when he
returned; when he had slipped out OF the
back door, just before midnight with
two big cannon crackers and his pockets
full of smaller ones, and had Joined Bill
Ainsley, to set the church bell wildly
ringing, on the stroke of II, In Joyous
time honored salutation to the glorious
Fourth, he had planned to he back In
his room and In bed before the sun rose.
But the noisy hours had fed and now 1t
was broad day.
A rooster crowed on a neighboring |
farm, and from the henhouse back of
him the old Buff Cochin answered long
and clear. Buff was Miss AIMS alarm
clock, and beads Of anxiety stood out on
Jacks face as he cautiously but hur-
riedly lifted the latch of the back door.
Why didn't 1t open? He had left 1t I'M
locked when he stole out In the night
and now-he gave a reckless, desperate
I tug, but the door yielded not one whit.
Could he have carelessly left the hook so
that it fell back in place with the jar
Of closing? He must have. Jack glanc-
ed uneasily towards Miss AIMS bed
room, then slipped off lis shoes, climbed
to the low shed at the back, ran swiftly
and noiselessly across the roof, and
reaching up to the window sill of his
room pulled himself up, and with sigh
Of relief dropped inside. Thank heaven,
L.. lie xrida
He was none too soon, for even as he
slipped his jacket off preparatory to
? jumping into bed. Miss AIMS thin,
cracked voice rang up the narrow stair
way: Jack, you can get up nowV
"Yesm," was the meek reply. Waiting
such length of time as would naturally
elapse during the process of dressing,
Jack filed his pockets with the remain
der of his crackers and presented himself
In the kitchen. Jack Gridley was moth
erless, and his father, commercial trav-
eler. had found q home for the boy with
Miss Ann Hobart.
Good morning" said Miss Ann, as
Jack entered the kitchen. Good morn
ing" he replied as he hurried toward
the woodshed for an armful of wood.
Breakfast was ready when he returned,
and there had been no opportunity to fire
a cracker.
"John," said Miss Ann, helping him
to a second dish Of oatmeal, ''if l were
" you l would save those two largest
r crackers for this evening, to close the
day with" "Yes'm," said Jack.
" "Now, suppose" continued Miss Ann
2 that you give them to me for safe keep
ing; l am afraid the temptation to fire
them will be too great otherwise" Jacl
grew red in the face, and hastily gulpeC
down A glass Of milk. Cant, they're
t. busted" he said.
y "You mean they are broken. But yol
= haven't told me how you broke them,
continued Miss Ann, sweetly. IL
fred 'emr Jack blurted the truth on
Is manfully. "John Grdley! what do yoi
ID mean?" All the sweetness was gon
from Miss Ann now. You haven't fire.
d. cracker since you rose this morning
Now, when did you fire those big ones
H. Tell me the truth Instantly
Last night" said Jack feebly. "a
what time last night?" 81 don't knON
les what time" was the weak reply
E John Gridley, you look me in the fac
Sc and tell me what time you left thi
20 house" The jig was up and Jack knee
il. well, if you must know, 1t wa
OF few minutes Of r." he said.
rs "Hand me those crackers, every on
an vou've got Now, John Gridley, don
i'll Won stir foot outside Of the yard tn
is dav. Now go out to the woodpile an
70 saw until tell you to stop"
- Poor Jack! He wouldn't give MI;
uS Ann the satisfaction of knowing no
had he felt. but when his stint of woo
'e, was finished, he fled to the barn and u
in a dark corner Of the hawmow he ha
. his cry out with only the sympathet
~ whinny of old Nell in the stall beloN
for comfort All the morning he ha
4 heard the pop, pop, pop Of crackers, al
later the circus band, as the processiC
paraded the streets; he had even caugl
4 Just a glimpse of the parade as 1t ente
ed the tent, for the circus had pitch'
not far from Miss AIMS house. Th
was the first circus in Easthampton f
years, and Jack had set his heart
going. Miss Ann strongly disapprov
of circuses, but Jack had written to
father and obtained consent, providii
he was a good boy, and now-Jack we
4 afresh. Most Of all he wanted to S
the elephant Git was a small circus Al
had but one Of the huge pachyderms).
About o'clock Miss Ann relented
3 the extent Of allowing him to have
4 crackers, and In the noise of these
\ tried to drown out the noise of the Giro
: Z band that fioated out from the big din
. A canvas so near and yet so far. Sudde
~ II flashed into his head that he mig
Il send up crackers on his kite. Why nc
He had read Of n camera being sent
to take photographs, and If came
4 could go, crackers could. Jack set
; 4 work at once to put his idea into exc
ton. A long fuse was made and Alta
ed to the crackers. Near the crackers
string was tied to the fuse, and this
turn was tied TO a Bit Of wire on
kite string near the kite, which had be
L. pulled in. The free end Of the fuse v
zn'a lighted, the kite set free, and Jack wat