Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-06-09

when i was eighteen years olO i WIS
invited to one OF these Fourth Of July
parties composed Of youngsters about
my own age. 1 met there for the frst
time q girl about sixteen She was
called by a nickname which had been
given her by her father when she was
q baby. 1t was Tottie. The moment
looked at her ! felt sure that ! bad
seen her somewhere before. But when
saw that she didn't appear to regard
me as a former acquaintance I made
up my mind that / must have been
mistaken OF course we were now too
old, the boys to fire crackers and can
mons, the girls torpedoes. and we were
obliged to fipd other means OF amuse-
ments. The place where we were
spending the day was partly country
home and partly farm Our hosts.
who were the sons and daughters OF
the owner. got out wagon used for
carrying grain. and. covering it's bed
with straw, took rs all on the after
noon OF Independence day for long
ride.
I'VE sang songs and SHOUTED and
laughed loudly at the poorest Jokes,
Just as boys and girls OF that age
have always done on such occasions
and viii always do TO the end of time.
But there was no harm in it, for the
Fourth is a day devoted to noise, and
we had the open country In which to
do our singing and shouting. at every
farmhouse we passed urchins who
waved little fags at Us, and we waved
a return with our own dags and hand
kerchiefs.
"'AIen or herer cried the driver as
we came to a steep ascent, and we
jumped from all parts Of the wagon
like startled frogs from log. 1 was
trudging along with the others behind
the wagon, the girl they called Tottie
being one OF those at its rear end.
"'I hope you're not going to be as
disagreeable as you were once she
said to me, with a spark Of mischief
in her eyes.
"'What do you meanP I asked.
"'Oh, 1 saw you do a very mean
thing once
"'HShen? Wherer
ct was sitting Just as I am now
on the rear OF a wagon and you were
walking behind
"'Do you mean to say that you have
seen me beforeF
"'Of course do
land what is the mean thing
didP
"'You didn't do It alone. Others
did it too
TELL me-
"'You were one OF a Juvenile artil-
Iery company dragging a small can
non in q Fourth of July parade. You
all turned out Of the line without no
flying your standard bearer, who
marched on alone, exciting a laugh
from those who saw him, especially
us girls on the float
"T fixed my eyes on Tottie and kept
them on her while she spoke. Grad
uaIly in the features of the girl of
sixteen / brought back those Of the
girl whom 1 had fallen in love with
at ten. Six years don't count for
much after twenty. but between ten
and sixteen the change In a boy or
girl Is considerable.
"Just think of it, children; she had
remembered me perfectly for yearsT
"But I thought you said. grandpa"
put in Lucy, ''that when you turned
out of the procession she didn't look
at you"
"Yes, but said girls of that age are
apt to be offish.'
go on" said one Of the older girls.
'T thought it queer that should
have so long considered this girl sort
of sweetheart and then did not know
her when 1 saw her again. But the
fact that 1 had so considered her made
me feel very differently toward her
now that had met her again. And
another thing made a lot Of difference
to me-the fact that she had remem-
bered me so long and recognized me
notwithstanding that I had grown as
tall as I am now. When we men got
on to the wagon again 1 took seat
beside Tottie, and we talked over that
procession-how proud we boys felt
dragging our cannon
well, when we came in from our
ride. hungry as boys aud girls are
bound to be after an outing, we sat
down to tea, and took especial pains
to secure a seat beside Tottie, and we
kept on talking about that procession
in which we had first met till the other
boys and girls asked II that was the
only Fourth of July procession we
ing when the others were setting or
the fireworks Tottie and l stole away
together and were so engaged with
each other that we didn't see any fire.
works at all That's the end Of the
story"
what became Of TottieT" asked the
oldest girl
ooh. Totde and concluded to go
through life together. We've never
separated"
"You don't mean to say grandma is
TottieT
Eyes. she IS"
"H'mr' said the oldest girl. II knew |
that all the time"
June 9 in American