Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1908-07-02
A Fourth Of July Story.

It all came about through Nanny 6
visiting her cousins, the Tysons, one
Fourth of July. The Tysons lived on
a farm about thirty miles from the
city where Nanny lived. Mr.. Lea
Nanny's father, had sent out to the
farm in advance OF Nanny's going an
abundance of fireworks and a paper
fire balloon striped in red, white and
blue.
It was a moment Of absorbing in.
terest to all the children when Thad
Tyson, the tallest cousin, held the
balloon up, while Nanny applied a
match to the sponge hanging by a
light wire beneath the open mouth.
Then as the spirits Of wine with
which the sponge was saturated lgnit'
ed and the balloon, filling with the
current of heated air, began to bulge
and sway, Nanny quickly tied to the
wire hoop card bearing this inscrip'
ton:
4 p. m, July 4, l9-.
Will finder of this balloon please
report to the senders where it falls?
Nanny Lea, Mary, Katie, Annie,
Thad, George, Paul, Ward and Thom-
as Tyson.
Ford's Station, Bennington County,
Vt.
The balloon rose gently, with a
swaying motion, almost vertically.
At height of three or four hundred
feet it was caught by a southerly cur
rent and swept away, still rising, un-
til it faded to a mere speck, fingered
a moment all but invisible and finally
quite disappeared.
"There, Nanny, you see it is max.
ing straight for the city. Wouldn't
it be funny if you should find it on
your own roof when you get homer
said Thad.
In the fun and excitement Of fire.
works after supper the children for
got temporarily their interest in the
fate of the balloon. 1t was reawak'
ened the next morning, however,
when a good-natured farmer, who in
troduced himself as Cyrus Arnold,
came into the barn where they were
playing.
81 am lookin' for Miss Nanny Lea
and raft o the Tyson family" he
said, pulling card from his pocket.
"Do they live on this farm ?"
Recognizing the card, the children
cried with one voice. Eyes, sir," and
asked eagerly, "Dld you find our bal
loon ?"
"Why, ye-cs that is, yes, l found
part of it. 1t was hangin' on bush
close by where I left haystack few
days before. The curious thing about
it is the haystack's gone." Mr.. Ar
nold's eyes twinkled.
"The haystack is gone3'' echoed
Nanny, with a bewildered air. "How
did that happenH"
II don't exactly know, but l kind
Of suspicion that it burned down.
There's a heap of black ashes right
where it stood. An this ere card
was hangin' by the wire to the bush
1 was speakin' about" Mr.. Arnold re-
piled, pursing his mouth.
By this time the older children be-
gan to understand what had hap
pened.
can what's more, the farmer went
on, II kind of suspicion that that
thing set it afre.'
"What was the value of the hay p
asked Thad, who had been mending a
rake while the man was talking.
about So. The wust of it is it was
the widder Lanes stack, an she want
ed to sell it an lay in her supply oi
winter cordwood. Her land adjoins
mine, an I cut her hay to kind Of help
her out, seein' that she's too poor tc
hire it done. It's hard loss for the
old woman
"Well," said Nanny" did the mis-
chief, and I'll have to pay for it, but
I'll have to write home for the money
mo; ; that isn't going to do, )" said
Thad. "We must all of US bear our
share of this loss. Only I'm afraid
there isn't more than 81 in our bank
Just now. So what's to be done ?"
"How many o. you Tyson boys arr
big enough to rake haY2" Mr.. ArnolC
asked.
"All of us excepting little Tom,
said Thad.
"Well, now, see here. You all com'
over an help me out for couple o.
days with my clover, an I'll pay yol
regular wagea-thatis to say,in ashes
Then I'll turn the money you shoulC