Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-06-11

olu OTIueTIN lueTc wis uut oue
point Of attack on a mans Sensibii-
ties-the ears. When youngsters were
permitted to make noises their atten-
ton was fixed on the articles with
which they caused the torture. Now
that they are not permitted to make
noises. their attention IS fixed on the
tortured. and where their firing OF
crackers. guns. canuons and other
death dealing articles caused but one
kind OF suffering their inventive gen
ius now causes a multiplicity. Would
that the great republic had never been
born-or L.
l left the house to the young scamps
and went or into the grounds, sitting
on a rustic seat under a tree. But
here real -mosQuitoes-were
evidently celebrating an anniversary
Of their own, for they bit my face, my
hands and my neck. and I was forced
to keep in constant motion TO drive
them away. So l got up and walked.
Yes. l was forced to walk for an hour
treadmill fashion. when 1 was reliev-
ed by a call to breakfast.
How nice 1t was this morning" re-
marked Mrs. Brewer. mot to be awak-
ened by those horrid crackersI I don't
remember ever before sleeping on a
Fourth OF July morning after daylight
Did you enjoy It, Mr.. Collamore?"
Very much" I replied. l cast my
eyes about the table TO detect who had
annoyed me. my gaze lighting on the
boys. To my surprise. they showed no
consciousness OF guilt But by the
way Nell poked her nose down near
her plate in an effort to conceal her
features l knew that she had been my
torturer.
And here l will remark that, despite
the reputation of the small boy for
waywardness. for causing his mother
distress by climbing trees and getting
into mudholes while dressed In his
best suit. for smashing things without
reason or provocation. he is not to he
compared for pure cussedness with
certain girls from fifteen to eighteen.
/ refer to the kind of girl commonly
called hoyden and in some cases tom
boy. And l will further remark that
Nell Brewer was the quintessence OF
have what we call an innocent way
with them. They can look purer,
sweeter. more pious, than any other
girl. But when Satan comes out in
them he dances a highland fling.
l was sitting after breakfast with
Margaret on the porch near the door
OF the conservatory. Margaret was
discoursing on the changed Independ-
ence day>how much more restful.
more quiet than the old Fourth.
Everybody seemed to be harping con-
tinually on the subject. They didn't
harp so much before it had ended.
was sitting with my back to the con-
servatory when | felt cold water sprin-
| Killed. against the back OF my neck run
down my spine
"Oh. Mr. Collamore." cried Nell, I'm
so sorry! was watering the plants,
/ and the sprayer slipped"
! Nell" said Margaret, you should
! be more careful"
It's Of no consequence, | assure
! you" said. with the politeness expect
ed of a guest.
II hope didn't wet you" said Nell.
Not at all. only few drops; they
I feel deliciously cool" aud | rubbed my
! neck and ruined shirt collar with my
I handkerchief
! But as the day wore on l had my re-
| venge on this family who delighted in
! the new Fourth. Tommy fell off the
/ roof of the barn and broke his arm.
/ Alec. not having any trecrackers to
set off. set fire to the dry grass and
/ came near burning up all the buildings
| on the premises For Nell's annoy
ances to me | resolved TO punish her.
so | invited her to 20 rowing with me
on the river. intending to give her IA
! ducking if | could was willing to
Z suffer myself from the water if l could
put her into 1t. and | wouldn't have
/ minded drowning her. | upset the
/ boat. but so agile was she that She
caught an overhanGing branch and es-
capped with no more serious damage
! than a pair OF wet feet. while l was
! obliged to swim for dear life.
When | got into dry clothes asked
| Margaret 10 go for drive with me in
/ the auto. While We were driving she
said:
Isn't II nice to ride on the Fourth OF
July not fearing the horses will he
frightened by a cracker We neither
have horses now nor crackers" She
/ had hardly spoken the words before
one OF the forward wheels struck
stone, wrenching the steering wheel
out of my hands. and before could re-
cover II the auto had swerved. strnck
a telegraph pole and thrown both Mar
garet and myself into a ditch II was
a miracle that we were not both hurled
against the pole and killed. We were
black az your hat with mud
Such was the finale OF the new eK-
! plosionless Fourth ! have endured
many a cracker anniversary. but never
have suffered as on this regenerated
Independence day. when all was still.
The ending was worse even than /
have depicted II. for Margaret waH so
mad at having a new and costly dress
spoiled in the ditch that she never has
forgiven me for putting her there She
aaya II was al due 10 nv t.arelpSsneas