The Columbus journal., 1909-12-15

| A REVENGE I'll
One bright May morning two chun'
~ boys labored with hoe and seed
drill on . 40-acre field in Schuyler
county. They had beat the sun up BY
several hours and at 8 had accom-
plshed the day . work of tweoedinary
hands. But there yet remained much
to do, for the entire tract had to be
covered and put in condition for nature
to begin her ripening influence before
those boys retired to their cots in the
attick of the old farm house. Nov
and then the father, resting up from
his own labors on another part Of the
farm, would come over and look at biz
sweating progeny and smile grimly'
He knew why they were out Herodine
Herod that day.
There was to be at Bloomfield some
body's "Stupendous Aggregation Of
Reptilian Marvels and Bewildering
Galaxy of Bejeweled Steeds, Earth
Shaking Elephants from India, Clowns
from the Bowery," ct oetrs. world that
hath no ending. By tiniahing up the
field that day the boys were to have u
their reward the use of two horses to
ride to Bloomfield, where "the sea Of
tents" was to undulate on the morrov's
breeze. Mother would give them gin.
gerbred cookies, but they were to have
no scrip in their purse. That didn't
worry. The only torturing dread was
lest it might rain; history comprised
no greater calamity than that would
be.
No field on the American continent
had gloried in such thorough grub
bing and seeding since the red man
moved sullenly. back to bis canyons
and mountain wilderness. Even the
old gentleman, who was an expert on
such matters, said the boys had done
we'll, and earned their holiday.
The dawn came on, with here and
there only q feecy speck against the
blue sky; no threats of rain. On every
highway we're horsemen and farm
wagons. pilgrims to pay homage to the
gods of mirth and marvels. It was q
happy crowd. In each wagon were
bankers of fried chicken, salt risin'
bread, pickles, doughnuts and cold tea
in bottles. Our farmer boys we're near
the head of the procession of pilgrims
decked out in new straw hats, rainbow
neckties and blue jeans. They knew
everybody and shouted boisterous
greetings as they swept by wagons and
creakiDg buggies.
Bloomfield was alive. Every road
was . swollen stream discharging q
tide of humanity into the mecca of the
pilgrims. Bands blared, bankers
howled and gentle farmers went blithe-
ly against every game. That's what
they came for and they would have
resented it as in interference with their
personal liberty had any official guar.
dian sought to caution them about
their pocketbooks.
The farmer boys from Schuyler
county, like true sons of the soil, first
found shady nook for their horses,
placed feed within reach and then yet
out to view the wonders. Talk Of
Venice and her gondolas. Rome and
the Vatican. Monte Carlo and its
golden glitter! They were ancient and
moth eaten alongside the great Amer.
lean institution, with its swelling can.
vas and seductive incense of sawdust.
They offered no clown who could fall
on his head in . dozen different ways
and then get up and laugh; no Seno.
rita Somebody, who could turn a
double somersault on horseback, jump
backwards through hoop and kiss
her white hands at wildly yelling
constituency composed of the bone and
sinew of the land.
After the parade the boys went to
their horses, sat down in the shade and
enjoyed their gingerbread cookies and
clear water from the town pump.
Then they discussed a plan of cam
paign for the real event of the day
getting into the "round top" The
ordinary method was to go BY the
boxoAice, where 4 gentleman with .
plug hat would sell you q ticket for
fifty cents. That scheme had to be