The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-07-03

vile.
And all Beeville was up and doing
at the first peep o. day; even the very
young and small Beevillers found
themselves wide awake at the first
sound Of the roaring anvil which was
fred at the town smithy az early as
s o'clock.
One Of the happiest little Beevillers,
who had lived week prior to the
Fourth on happy anticipation, was
Fred Harper, aged ten. On the morn
Ing in question Fred's mother came
into his room and said: To-day is
the glorious Fourth, Freddie
On other mornings Fred's mother
had to call him many times before she
could prevail upon him to open his
eyes. but on this morning the few
words she spoke worked like magic In
waking him instantly. With eyes wide
open and heart full Of eagerness
Fred leaped from bed and bathed and
combed and dressed himself in his
Sunday best in much less time than 1t
usually took him to get his eyes really
open.
You see, Fred was a true patriot,
to whom the occasion meant a great
deal.
After breakfast Fred was restless
to start for the celebration grounds,
and could hardly wait till his mother
had their luncheon baskets packed
and his father was at the gate with a
two-seated spring wagon to carry
them to the grove.
But after arriving at the picnic
grounds the time passed very rapidly
indeed, for there was music by the
band and singing by the towns best
vocal talent. And, besides these
features OF entertainment, there was
drum corps parade, in which Fred
the flag.
Then came the reading of the Dec
laration of independence by a deep
voiced young lawyer who was duly i'm
pressed by the honor conferred upon
him by the celebration committee. AL
though the great words and sentences
that fell from the young readers
tongue found place in the ears and
minds of the Beeville fathers and
mothers. the young listeners grew a
bit restless and found it hard to keep
their seats beside the enthused
parents.
More than once Fred's mother was
obliged to shake him to keep him
awake, and once, losing all patience
with him, she whispered in his ear:
"Now, son, you sit up and keep your
eyes on the young man who is read
ing, and listen to everything he says:
and mind, If you don't keep awake I'll
not let you have the skyrockets l have
in mind to buy for you this evening""
Fred at once sat up, batted his blue
eyes and pinched his legs to keep him
self awake. Then he riveted his eyes
on the reader of the Declaration of In
dependence, his poor ears catching an
occasional and, to him, meaningless
word.
But as he sat there the young law
yer's face began to change and his
voice to sound dim and far away
Then sound ceased altogether, and the
reader gradually took on the form of
a huge skyrocket, his ford face look
ing for all the world like the gayly
red-painted business end" Of the
rocket.
This amused Fred so much that he
snickered, whereupon his mother took
hold Of him and pushed him away
from the bench where he had been sit
ting beside her, whispering Grossly to
him to run on away into the woods
and amuse himself, since he was too
stupid and too sleepy-headed to listen
to the reading of that "grandest thing
ever written-the Declaration of indie
pendence."
So Fred, shaking out his sleepy feet
and stretching his arms that ached to
be doing something, walked willingly
away toward the dense timber that
bordered the brook. He had not gone
far when he heard rustling noise in
the grass behind him, and, turning
round, no saw the young lawyer. who
was still In the form Of giant sky
rocket, coming at full tilt after him.
Fred stopped and waited till the
strange being came up, also kept 81.
lent, giving his new companion oppor.
tunity to speak first.
"Well, Freddie" said the human
skyrocket. in a strange metallic voice,
Il don't blame you for getting tired Of
all that lingo I was reading, for it
made me tired, too. SO thought I'd
Just change shape and have a little
real Fourth Of July fun. Truth is,
people-nor kids neither-don't know
what real sport is on the Fourth. II
Z fellow'd have q good time he's got
to turn himself into skyrocket or
giant firecracker and shoot himself
into the clouds. Then he can see ev-
erything and make all the noise he
wants to-"
That's great" exclaimed Fred, ad-
i. 3 b !, .