Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-07-02
COPYRIGHT 1905 bI FPAhNh5WEET


berries on the mountain side just back
of the widder Lanes place. They
never We're ripe so early before, and
there never were so many of 'em.
They're worth u cents quart in New
York city. / guess the widder's too
feeble to pick any for market this sea-
son. What do We say?" Mr.. Arnold
suggested.
THAT would just be funp' cried Nam
ny, overjoyed.
The other girls thought so too. 1t
was unanimously agreed that the pros
pect of going off ten miles into a
strange neighborhood was in itself
most aliuring and that it would be a
pleasure to repay the widow threefold,
if possible, for the loss they had I'M
Willingly caused her. 1t was 4 ques-
| ton whether it would be equally pleas
ant for the young hay harvesters, but,
as the boys professed to regard lightly
the hardships in store for them, that
objection was quickly overruled.
Accordingly at 3 O'clock the next
| morning great wagon lined with
straw took up its load of eight Tysons,
| one Lea and five Elliots-children from
| an adjoining farm who had begged to
| join the party. They reached Farmer
| Arnold's place soon after o'clock.
| All wished to visit the scene of the
| confagration first of all. The frag-
lnent of the balloon mentioned by Mr..
Arnold still chung to thorn bush.
Nanny glanced at it casually. Then
she gave slight exclamation of sur
| prise, for through one OF the white
| cores of tissue paper she saw writing
in lead pencil. One corner of the paper
was turned forward, showing plainly
four words, ''This balloon came
| down.
| Eagerly she pulled the paper from
the clinging thorns, turned it and read
aloud:
| This balloon came down on the Brom-
| ley farm at 4:22 p. M, July 4 and was
| again sent up by John Blair. assisted by
There followed list of twenty-four
names of girls, boys, young men and
others who appeared to be their ED
| ers
This is interesting" said Thad,
/ scanning the list. a humorous smile
overspread his countenance. Il haven't
| the slightest idea who all these people
are, but how would it do for US folks
to go home and let Mr.. Arnold send
over to the Bromley farm for his har-
vesters and berry pickers? I don't see
that this affair concerns US particu-
larly."
The suggestion was received with a
storm of indignant protest, the smaller
TySons in particular raising such an
outcry of remonstrance that the chick
ems pecking and scratching in an old
henhouse near by ran distractedly and
noisily in all directions.
"I'il tell you what We'll do" said
Mr.. Arnold, who had come out from
the house to invite the party to break
fast and who was told what had been
discovered, "we'll drive over to Brom-
ley's, state the case an get them to
join in with us. Those folks are Brom.
ley's summer boarders. / guess we
can give them all a job. The wilder
won't mind if they clean out the blue.
, berry patch.'
This proposition was received with
] enthusiasm.
; The Bromley house stood at the foot
; of the mountains. When the wagon
) drove up, the guests, having apparent
ly just breakfasted, were seated or
the veranda or swinging in hammocks
1t was decided that Thad should act
{ as spokesman for the visitors.
, Great was the establishment and con
sternation of the audience as ThaC
,,