The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-04
THE EVENING STORY
Elizabeth's sane Fourth.
(By Jane OSBORNE


beth, when the town council passed an
ordinance limiting the legal celebra-
ton of the day to speeches, parades,
and fireworks of a quiet and unexctt-
ing kind, thought it incumbent on her
self to make life as bearable as pos
sible fer as many as possible OF the
small boys of the neighborhood.
She began with her Sunday school
class as a nucleus, and invited them to
picnic; and each and every one of
them asked permission to bring
small brother friend. Her own broth
come for her, and help her bring the
children home at sunset.
Elizabeth, as soon as the morning
parade was over, started out undts-
mayed with some twenty irresponsible
boys in her wake.
Nov, boys she said as she gave
each of them flag, a paper drinking
cut, and a small box of provisions
when they were all settled safely in
the open car, we're going to play sol
diers- These are our rations- I'm the
general, and I'll appoint the two boys
who behave best on the way out cap
tains to help me manage things. You
know, soldiers obey, and that's what
you must do
IF we're soldiers, we can fight,
can't we?" demanded Peer Dolan, the
fierce light of a born warrior shining
in his red-brown eyes
| 'Jimmy's cat ate my singin' canary.
You ought to have seen it-just two
bites-''
Jimmy's placid round face darkened
into a frown Probably the canary
bothered him: it shrieked, it didn't
sing" he vouchsafed. Surreptitious-
| ly, he kicked Peter.
Now, get out" exclaimed that hot
headed young man, cor I'll
See here, boys" interrupted Eliza
RI %
you act this way I'll turn around and
go home this minute. Remember what
I said about the captains
Then and there, with the tact that
makes q successful general. Elizabeth
decided that she would appoint Jim
my and Peter, the two most unman-
ageable of her soldiers, captains
The first real hitch in Elizabeth's
plans came at the fork in the road,
Elizabeth started on the path to the
right; the two captains. voicing the
opinion of the whole army, advocated
the path to the left.
please. Miss Elizabeth" pleaded
Jimmy, there's rock out there
where the Indians used to build fires
for signals. Please let's 60"
/ And in the end Elizabeth found her
self mildly following her muttnous
army to the spot in the world where
she least wished to be. Just a year
! ago today Robert Willis and she had
wandered up the same path. They had
stopped to rest Oh the famous Indian
stone, and while they were there Rob
ert had surprised Elizabeth by asking
her to be his wife. She had refused
him, for she had not trusted herself
and had thought that the quick warm
feeling which came to he with his
words would leave her Today she
realized her mistake. She had pur-
posely brought the boys t. the foot of
the valley. But she had meant to
walk up the path on the right side to
a pretty spot where she knew she
could look across the tree tops to the
old Indian stone. With dismay she
watched her young soldiers scamper-
ing up the hillside and suddenly she
heard a whoop of delight from Peter
Dolan, the first to reach the Indian
stone.
I'm silly, sentimental, foolish
thing" said Elizabeth, wiping a few
drops from her eyes, land just de-
serve every bit of this
Putting feeling and sentiment aside,
Elizabeth hurried on and overlook the
boys. Then, standing on the very spot
where she and Robert had stood to-
gether, she began to give instructions
to her small army. Some she sent for
water to a nearby spring; some she
sent to gather sticks for an Indian fire;
Jimmy and two privates were assigned
the duty of gathering flowers for the
lQncn table, ana all the OLnSr soldiers
were given some small task.
BY the time this work was done the
boys had lost whatever reserve they
| had at first felt because o unaccus-
toned linen collars and unnecessarily
SIN Doth hair and shining boots. Pea
nuts, chewing gum, candy, marbles
and various other boyiSh treasures had
made their appearance. Lunch added
to their good spirits. But Elijah beth
felt out of key and although usually
she would have been happy at the
happin ess of the children and the sue
cess of the picnic, she found herself
wishing for sunset. Once in a while
she would steal away from the boys,
playing in the woods, and wander out
to the edge of the great boulder
Perhaps" she unused to herself,
"some silly Indian maiden once stood
here watching for her indian brave,
whom she had foolishly sent away,
and that's just what the silly girl de-
served
Again her eyes rested On a large
pine tree spread out in the valley be-
low her She remembered watching
it sway in the breeze year before.
and she idly wondered how many
tragedies and comedies it had witness
ed in its old life.
The boys. in spite of their generals
preoccupation enjoyed every minute of
their sensible" fourth. When the sun
dipped suddenly below the opposite
hill tops. Elizabeth breathed a sigh of
relief, but the boys begged for a little
more time.
Yes" said Elizabeth, I'VE will wait
here for my brother who's coming to
take US home "Oh," she exclaimed
lsuddenly, 81 told him the other path
Boys. won't two of you go down the
path to the fork in the road and wait
there for Mr.. Tom? He thinks we are
on the other side of the valley. I wish
Captain Jimmy and Captain Peter
would please go. You don't know him,