Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-01
D iek's DeclaIaiien Of independence
By TEMPLE BAILEY.

L =
| Dick was the very smallest boy In the
Dauntless Club Several of the members
had objected when his name was proposed.
but the president. Stephen Adams. had set
tied the matter after some discussion.
Let him come.'' he had said. HE will be
useful to run errands and to do odd jobs
| So from the moment of his admission to
the club Dicks life became one long round
\ of fetch and carry
| He did not mind 1t very much until plans
were made for a Fourth Of July straw ride.
The ten big boys of the club were to take
| the ten girls of the Thinlble Club. That
| left Dick without girl.
I'm going to ask Dot Hopkins" he an
/ nounced as the boys sat on Stephen Adams
| front porch and discussed ways and means
Dot doesn't belong to the Thimble Club.
| so you can't take her. said Livingstone
Witherspoon. The girls said she was only
| a baby"
dot is eleven began Dick. but Liv-
| ingstone interrupted him.
cut 1t out. youngster," he said languidly.
and wait until you are grown up before
you try to copy your superiors."
Dick looked at Livingstone essentially.
The big boy was round and fat and lady
like in manner. Dick was short and stocky
and aggressive.
I'll stay as I am. frank you.'' he said.
and match my brai. against your Drawn
3.
For the = axt week Dick was kept busy.
He ordered the wagon. he planned the
lunch, he was sent back and forth with
| notes from the ten big boys to the ten big
girls. Last of all he walked all the way to
Fort Rock to look over the picnic ground
and thereby hangs this tale.
On the morning of the Fourth he was up
bright and early. He saw that the straw
was in the wagon, he piled up cushions, and
he helped Uncle Pete, who was to follow
with the provisions. pack the baskets In
his rickety old cart. to which was htched
forlorn mule, which went by the name of
Misery"
A little after the boys came, and then
the wagon went the rounds of the girls
houses.
Jump out and help, Dick said Lazy
Livingstone, as the home of the last girl
was reached.
Bearning with good nature. Dick jumped
out but when he ttarted to climb back his
face fell, for every inch of room in the big
wagon was filled.
Too bad said Livingstone, you'll have
to come behind with the baskets little
boy and having thus added insult to in
jury he waved his hand to the driver and
the horses started.
Ii Dick had been namby-pamby the tears
that were in his throat would have risen
to his eyes, but he smiled grimly.
Lots of fun you fellows are giving me-"
he said, and ii must be confessed that the
big boys felt little ashamed of themselves
as they left behind them the forlorn figure
standing in the middle of the dusty road.
But the worm will turn, and Dick was
justly indignant.
Uncle Pete" he said to the woolly head
ed old darkey who with all the baskets
piled high in his old cart was driving
slowly in the wake of the picrhckers.
Uncle Pete. I'll drive with the baskets
and let you go, and you can have your
pay just the same"
Five minutes later Dick drove up to Dot
Hopkins and gave that delighted damsel
belated invitation to the picnic.
mir ItaC Qf tor hat ha folyi
short cut TO Fortress Rock, urging Misery
to the highest speed and talking fast to the
sympathetic Dot.
'"They have treated me like a baby Just
one too many times, he declared stoutly.
Il do more work than any of them, and
l am going to demand the right to do as
l please
Fortress Rock took it's name from the fact
that it was approached only by steep
narrow path, which led through a crevice
in the rock. scarcely wide enough to admit
two people abreast Once within, however,
there delightful inclosure shaded by
overhanging masses of stone and water by
little spring.
On his visit of inspection Dick had mo-
ticed that a great boulder had fallen just
inside of the entrance, and that it needed
only strong push to close the opening
and form barrier through which none
could pass AS soon, therefore, as Dot and
Dick reached the picnic ground they pro-
ceeded to carry into the fortress the bas-
kets and the buckets and the cushions and
the camp stools, and last of all the ice
cream freezer. Then Dick made a great
Moose and slipped it around the fallen rock
tied the other end of the rope to Misery's
collar and urged the mule on, and the big
stone, once started, rolled gently in place,
shutting in Dick and Dot and Misery.
When the big wagon with the shouting
girls and boys reached the path which led
to Fortress Rock the young people piled
lead. Suddenly they fell back as Living
stone cried:
Look, we are shut out!''
For a moment they stood staring at the
barrfcade that cut them off completely
from the GOODNESS and beauty within, and
then bit of white paper fiuttered to Ste
phens feet.
1t was an interesting document. written
in scrawly characters. Evidently Dick had
retained some memory of the formal word
ing of the other great declaration which
was read every month at school; but there
was also much original matter.
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
We hold these truths to be self-evident
that all men are created free and equal:
And you boys haven't treated me right
And 1 amt going to run all the errands
And Dot wants to be a member of the
Thimble Club.
And you boys have got to stop calling me
baby. or fight it out
Or Dot and / won't let you come in and
you can go home without any picnic.
And in support of this declaration, we
mutually pledge to each other our lives
and fortunes and our sacred honor
DICK WOLCOTT
DOT HOPKINS
When they had finished reading. the big
boys and girls looked at each other and
their laughter woke the echoes.
Are you two babes in the wood behind
there?" asking Livingstone's contemptuous
voice.
No answer.
''Oh, well. you can stay there AS soon
as Uncle Pete comes with the baskets we
will picnic outside"
Again their laughter rose, loud and
mocking, then 1t stopped. suddenly, for
from within the recesses of the rock came
the unmistakabe bray of a mule.
Misery! gasped the twenty young peo-
pie
Then they spied the empty old wagon
half hidden by overhangng tree
They have every one of our baskets in |