Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-07-04

use them in China to kill murderers
and robbers. They put wan O thin
big ~frecrackers bechune the teeth of
a murderer and make him light the
fuse wild his own hand and blow his
own head off. Thin Chinese is mighty
crool, Mickey, mighty crool."
This vivid description intlamed Mick
ey's desire, which was Casey's motive
in telling it, for the incident occurred
on the eve of the Fourth, and Casey
was afraid that the big firecrackers
would be carried over the national hol-
iday and remain a loss on his hands.
In order to deepen the impression al
ready made upon the boy Casey per-
mitted him to handle one of the twins.
The boys eyes had widened to
their utmost capacity when he was
outside the window, but now that he
could feel the red jacket his hands
trembled with the eagerness of pos
session and he would have given ten
years of his life to W it.
"Take it along wild you, Mickey"
said Casey, cajolingly. Thin crack
ers were made in Chow Chow, in
China, for the Cooney Island trade,
and | want to get rid of thin | have
on hand before | send another order
to Wan Lung, the haythin."'
But | have no money" said Mick
ey sorrowfully. my father is goin' to
give me three punches of little fire.
crackers and a pinwheel, but I know
he wouldn't buy wan O. thin big fire.
crackers for me-"
Well" continued Casey, you come
down here tomorrow mornin' and
carry in a half ton of coal for me and
I'll give you the big cracker"
The next morning Mickey was busy
for two hours carrying chestnut coal
in a nail key and dumping it in Casey's
cellar. Just after noon, with a smile
covered with coal dust and a bosom
tull of chuckles, he received his prize.
No grass grew under his bare feet
as he ran homeward, the precious
powder mine clasped to his bosom.
Holding the big firecracker aloft as
he darted through the kitchen door,
he exclaimed;
Mother, l have it! Amt it q
beauty?"
"Well / don't see anything about IL
to be maxim a fuss over" said Mrs
Finn, who, like most mothers, had
no love for fireworks. "Now, don't be
bringin' it nearer to me, as Mickey
ran toward her. 81 don't want to be
blown into the middle O. next week,
Throw the dirty thing away! I'm
Altered O. me life while you have it in
your hands! Now, don't be goin' near
the stove wild it! Arrah, We little
s~palpeen, will We take it off the stove!
Take it off afore we blow the roof of
the housed" and the frightened woman
ran into the bedroom and peeret
through the keyhole.
With the r-ecklessness of boyhood
Mickey exclaimed, as he lit a mattel
and reduced his mother to Mysteries
by pretending to light the firecracke
stem:
"You needn't be Altered, mother. II
nip it out afore it goes off"
In this simple fashion the Afternoon
of the Fourth passed away in the FIN
household varied by the boy with oc
casional visits to the neighbors, whom
he threw into a panic Of fear by pre-
tending to light the big explosive.
Mrs. Murphy and her three childre.
were gathered around the kitche
table when Mickey placed the lighte
mammoth in the middle of the table
Two of the boys went head frs
through the window, while Mrs. Mu.
ply tried to crawl under the kitche
stove.
All this excitement afforded the DO
a good deal Of delight, but he r.
served for the evening the culmini
ton Of his Joy. He intended to bio
his father up as he sat in his chair G
the back stoop.
Mickey thought 1t would be an !
spring sight to witness his father fl
ing across the back yard and plo'
ing up the ground with his nose
order that he might have an audien'
appropriate to SO great an occasio
e Mickey had spread the news amor
S all the boys of the neighborhood, al
at nine o'clock 50 boys sat on Il
r fence surrounding the back yard. N
y Finn, tired of the excitement of Il