The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-09-28

Wtfo Iust IKE D0yb nOW6Qaye-ur1nE
our crackers and our cannon, keeping
mp an incessant din all the afternoon.
We couldn't wait till dark to set OF
our fireworks any more than you boys
will DO able to wait tomorrow night.
When the last piece had been burned
and we bad eaten q 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 we reached the youth period we
would 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
my own age. l 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 l
looked at her | felt sure that ! bad
seen her somewhere before But when
| saw that she didn't appear to regard
me as former acquaintance | made
up my mind that l must have been
mistaken. OF course we were now too
old. the boys to fire crackers and cam
mons. the girls torpedoes. and we were
obliged to find 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 its bed
with straw, took Va all on the after
noon of Independence day for long
ride
"We 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 will always do TO the end of time.
But there was no harm In 1t, for the
Fourth Is day devoted to noise. and
we had the open country In which to
do our singing and shouting. Al every
farmhouse we passed urchins who
waved little flags at us, and we waved
a return with our own flags and hand
kerchiefs.
MEN off herer cried the driver az
we came to a steep ascent, and we
Jumped from all parts OF the wagon
like startled frogs from a log. was
trudging along with the others behind
the wagon. the girl they called rottie
being one of those at Its rear end
IL hope you're not going 70 be as
disagreeabe as you were once. she
said to me- with a spark OF mischief
In her eyes.
"'What do you meanT | asked.
"'Oh. / saw you do a very mean
thing once,
"'When7 WhereT
~ was sitting just as | am now
on the rear of a wagon aud you were
walking behind
"'Do you mean to say that you have
seen me beforeT
"'Or course do
land what Is the mean thing ]
didr
You didn't do IT alone. Others
did II too
Tell me-
"'You were one OF a Juvenile artil-
lery company dragging a small can
non IN a Fourth OF July parade. You
all turned out of the line without no
tifying your standard bearer, who
marched on alone, exciting a laugh
from those who saw him. especially
us girls on the float
Il 0xed my eyes on Tottie and kept
them on her while she spoke. Grad
ually in the features OF the girl OF
sixteen | brought back those OF the
girl whom | 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 q
girl Is considerable
Just think Of 1t, children; she had
remembered me perfectly for yearst"
but thought you said. grandpa"
put in Lucy. that when you turned
out OF the procession she didn't look
at you"
Eyes. but said girls of that age are
apt TO be offlsh."
"Go on" said one of the older girls.
81 thought II queer that | should
have 40 long considered this girl sort
OF sweetheart and then did not know
her when | saw her again. But the
fact that had 80 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
notwithsta nding that l had grown as
tall as ! am now. When we men got
on TO the wagon again took a seat
beside Tottie. and we talked over that
procession-how proud we boys felt
dragging our cannon
We'll. when we came In from our
ride. hungry as boys and girls are
bound to be after an outing. we sat
down to tea. and took especial pains
TO secure n seat beside Tottie. and we
kept on talking about thar procession
In which we had first met TIL the other
boys and girls asked II that was the
only Fourth OF July procession we
had ever taken part in. In the even
Ing when the others were setting or
the fireworks Tottie and stole away
together and were so engaged with
zach other that we didn't see any fire