Smyrna times., 1911-07-12

"Oh, no, she didn't do that! But to
proceed with my story-Of course we
were lust like boys nowadays-hring I
our crackers and our cannon, Keeping +
up an incessant din all the afternoon. /
We couldn't wait till dark to set OF
our fireworks any more than you boys
will be able to wait tomorrow nlgnL
When the last piece had been burned
and we had eaten a watermelon or !
some ice cream we went to bed mourn
ing that a whole year must pass be-
fore another Fourth of July would
come around.
"Of course as we grew older our
way of spending the day changed
When VIZ reached the youth period we
Nould get together at the country
home of some one of our set of young
fellows and girls. / remember that
when ! was eighteen years old was
invited to one of these Fourth of July
parties composed Of youngsters about
nv own age. / met there for the first
time a girl about sixteen. She was
! called by a nickname which had been
| given her by her father when she was
a baby. 1t was TOttie. The moment /
looked at her felt sure that l had |
seen her somewhere before. But when |
saw that she didn'c appear to regard |
me as a former acquaintance l made |
up my mind thai must have been
mistaken. OF course we were now too
old, the boys 90 fire crackers and can
mons, the girls torpedoes. and we were
obliged to find other means Of amuse-
ments. Tue place where we were
spending the day was partly country
home and partly a farm Our hosts,
who were the sons and daughters OF
the owner, got out a wagon used for
carrying grain. and, covering its bed
with straw. took us all on the after
noon of Independence day for long
ride.
1--WE sang songs and shouted ana
laughed loudly at the poorest jokes
lust as boys and girls of that age
have always done on such occasions
and will 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 10
do our singing and shouting. At every
farmhouse we passed urchins VINO
waved little flags al US, and we waved
a return with our own flags and hand
kerchiefs.
"'NIen off here? cried the driver as
n we came to a steep ascent, and we
> jumped from all parts of the wagor
like startled frogs from log. wa'
trudging along wirh the others behin(
ie the wagon, the girl they called Totti'
u being one of those at its rear end.
~ hope you're not going to be a
= disagreeable as you were once, sh
eh said TO me. with a spark of mischle
- in her eyes.
N ".What do you meanP asked.
"'Oh, l saw you do a very mea
ne thing once.
ne When? Wherer
on ~ was sitting just as l am no'
en- on the rear of a wagon and you wer
ne walking behind
"'Do you mean to say that you haV
'se seen me beforeT
ad "'Of course do
v land what is the mean thing
ed didT
ar "'You didn't do it alone. othel
ice did it too
re- Tell me-
nd "'You were one Of a juvenile art
led lery company dragging a small ca
the non in a Fourth of July parade. "
of all turned out of the line without
the tifying your standard bearer, wi
we marched on alone. exciting lau;
vo- from those who saw him, especial
the us girls on the float
ma Il fixed my eyes on Tottie and Ike
them on her while she spoke. Ora
in ually in the features Of the girl
as sixteen | brought back those OF t
ups girl whom | had fallen in love wi
re- at ten. Six years don't count
zen much after twenty, but between
and and sixteen the change in boy OF
tile girl is considerable.
at lust think Of it, children; she b
and remembered me perfectly for years
1rn- But l thought you said. grandp
COR nut in Lucy, that when you turr
,dlv out of the procession she didn't lC
ong at you"
be. "Yes, but 1 said girls of that age
t he apt to be Ofish."
ro- "Go on" said one Of the older CIR
W 81 thought it queer that sho
have so long considered this girl a S
no. of sweetheart and then did not kn
It'd her when / saw her again. But
,T,ith fact that | had so considered her m
ond me feel very differently toward
rors now that had met her again.
81 q another thing made lot of differe
IT, to me-the fact that she had rem
80 bered me so long and recognized
80 notwithstanding that | had grown
rest 'a'i oS az lO"' -, 80 =
little On " ,ne "aeon "se'i. .so .ai,.od ovor
80 procession-how proud we boys
a - dragging our cannon.
y ~ "Wen, when we came in from