Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-07-03

Rena's 20, Say Can You See,' etc. as
he drummed tnoGghtfully on his desk.
w must have an orator Of the day."
broke in Houseman, the man of energy,
land I've been thinking that young
Lawyer Foote Of Phelps would be the
one to wake up Mortified; and we
are Bile to pay him handsomely for
the speech"
The presidents face blanched, but
ne was diplomat enough to hold his
tongue. The proposed orator was
Margie's best beau, and that program
was again edging toward q monopoly.
But if this Was OF Providence he was
not the one 10 ~gainsay it; 50 Foote
was booked for the grafton, IF they
could get him."
Get him!" mentally unused Powers,
"Of course. He'd break his neck to
show off before Margie.' But another
was speaking.
And as TO music" he was saying.
there's the Phelps string band. They
can come right along with the orator
of the day and Phelps and Mortified
can celebrate together"
Shades Of the hydra-headed com
bine! The scheme was moving Matil-
las way fast!
That's the checker!" cried Dumfey,
the most influential of the lot. Il will
write at one and do the inviting.
Wen give them a good dinner and see
to the rest"
How this thing was growing; what
a magnitude his Fourth had already
assumed, and it vas only in embryo!
Surely there was more patriotism in
Mortified han Mrs. Powers dreamed
of.
But Nevins, who admired the presi-
Dent as the sun of their cluster, was
ready with the climax.
Our chief here car read the DeCla-
ration of Independence, and we-the
rest of us-will consider ourselves a
committee Of the whole on decoration,
fireworks and other things"
The chief felt a great and most an
comfortable lump under his collar and
firmly declined.
"Well,' said Nevins, determining 70
get the honor fixed as near the central
orb as possible. Miss Margie has a
fine voice and Wen put her down for
the reading
President Powers swallowed the lump
in his throat. That was plainly pre-
destination, so he cheerfully submitted.
In Tue time Nevins waited on Miss
Margie and she sweetly consented TO
do the reading. And Mrs. Powers was
asked to kindly make out the pro-
gram for that weeks issue of the
Mortified Palladium
"'Rastus," she exclaimed as soon as
Nevins' coattails disappeared around
the corner, this certainly is getting TO
be a family affair" in spite of your
qualms.
ITO make il sure, I'll sandwich Ben
and Rena in for their song and I will
head the table committee"
The president Of Mortified put on
his hat and went out in the garden to
hin He was only a figure head after
all, even If they did spell 1t with a
capital p. His name was Powers, but
he hadn't any influence; he was shorn
as clean as Samson!
On this libery loving sphere the bit
ter Is often mingled with the sweet.
naturally. then it was no strange
thing that the Powers family found
aloes In plenty stuffed into their pa
triotic dessert.
Nc criticisms were forthcoming con-
corning the celebration for that was
a success both In attendance and en-
thusiasm; and the dinner and fire.
works were simply elegant" with
weather to match. But when the gos-
sips found time to manipulate the wires
1t went out that the presidents FAM
lily instituted the new departure on pur-
pose to air their attainments and show
off Margaret's beau: and not because
they were any more patriotic tina, 9TH
er folks.
1t was at this j%uncture that Erastus
Powers changed his mind on the ques-
ton of predestination, and declared to
his wife that Ii was nothing but a
sleek scheme of the devil. TO reflect on
him officially. And he swore within
himself, and by himself. that mo more
golden opportunities should make 4
fQ,i Of hint"