The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-07-04

carrying grain. ana. covering Its bed
with straw. took us all on the after
noon of Independence day for a 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 will always do to the end of time.
But there was no harm In 1t, 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 flags at MS. and we waved
return with our own flags and hand
kerchiefs.
Men of herer cried the driver as
we came to steep ascent, and we
jumped from all parts Of the wagon
like startled frogs from log. was
trudging along with the others behind
the wagon. the girl they called Tottie
being one of those at its rear end.
~ hope you're not going to be as
disagreeable as you were once, she
said to me. with spark Of mischief
In her eyes.
"'what do you meanY asked.
"'Oh. | saw you do a very mean
thing once.
"'When? Wherer
81 was sitting just as am now
on the rear OF wagon and you were
walking behind
do you mean 10 say that you have
seen me beforeT
"'Of course | do
"'And what is the mean thing J
didY
"'You didn't do it alone. Others
did 1t too
"aTell me-
"'You were one of Juvenile artil
lery company dragging small can
non In 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
rs girls on the float
Il fixed 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
girl is considerable.
Just think of 1t, children; she had
remembered me perfectly for yearsl"
But l 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 offish''
go on" said one of the older girls.
Il thought it queer that | should
have so long considered this girl sort
of sweetheart and then did not know
her when | saw her again. But the
fact that l had so considered her made
me feel very differently toward her
now that ] had met her again. And
another thing made lot of difference
to me-the fact that she had remem-
bered me so long and recognized me
notwithstanding that | had grown as
tall as ] am now. When we men got
on to the wagon again took seat
beside Tottie. and we talked over that
procession--ho proud we boys felt
dragging our cannon.
well, when we came in from our
ride. hungry as boys and girls are
bound to be- after an outing, we sat
Town to tea. and took especial pains
to secure 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
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
each other that we didn't see any fire
works at all That's the end Of the
story"
What became of TottieY" asked the
oldest girl.
"Oh. Tottie and concluded 10 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 81 knew
that all the time"