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

bhh CAUthT AN ONEhhANGlN0 BhANCd
AND ESCAPED.
there is still a great deal of noise.
am inclined to be nervous, and noises
trouble me exceedingly.
The Brewer family consists OF Mar
garet, aged twenty-two-and l may as
well admit here that she was the prin-
cipal inducement for my visit: Helen,
commonly called Nell, aged seventeen;
Gus, boy of twelve, and Alec. ten.
l closed my eyes on the night OF
the Sd thinking how much pleasanter
would be my awakening than it had
been on other Fourths, when from 1
o'clock in the morning there had been
a succession of explosions. Breakfast
was TO be at . o'clock. and | need not
arise till after S. l slept soundly till
half past 4, when l awOke, thought
how delightful it was to hear no sound.
turned over for another nap. when a
bright light was flashed in my eyes.
Surprised. l sat up and looked to-
ward the window from which direction
1t seemed to come. The only light was
the morning dawn beginning toglimmer
through the easement. Not a sound
broke the stiffness. Thinking that
had been disturbed by meteorite or
huge firefiy-possibly a fash of light
ming, though | could see stars through
the window closed my eyes again.
| was sinking into q delicious Slumber
when another fash awakened me. This
time it was Of longer duration. and a
vivid point Of light just above the win
dow sill blinded me to everything else.
1t lasted for perhaps ten seconds. then
went out suddenly.
| had suffered so much of Fourth OF
July mornings from small boys OF girls
arousing me by means of firecrackers
that | was long in divininG the cause
of this altered method of torture. Some
youngsteT had flashed an electric hand
/ lamp IN my eyes. Probably Gus or.
Alice. who. deprived of the pleasure of
annoying persons on this Fourth of
July morning with explosions. had in
vented method of achieving the same
end. My hopes of quirt Fourth fell
thick in the blast" | realized that
while we may pass laws against youth.
full urmaments. while we may hribe
| the youth to discontinue harmful and
annoying practices. we simply jump
out of the frying pan into the fire. or.
rather. in this case had jumped out of
the fire into the frying pan. had
| simply got rid OF the hammering of
| the cracker on the drum Of my ear TO
receive the flash of the electric hand
lamp on the retina OF my eye.
| lay tossing in bed till o'clock.
then arose. dressed myself and went
out on the porch. The morning was
/ beautiful though the day promised TO
be hot An hour and half must
elapse before breakfast. and | expert
enced the pangs Of hunger Sitting
/ down in n wicker chair. ] threw my
+ hat on the porch, for my brow was per.
! spring. and waited. Happily / fell
asleep.
dreamed OF pastures green and
cool streams But presently there
came In my dream great winged in.
sect and perched on little bald spot
on the top CT my head just where the
. Indian wore his scalp lock He tickled
+ the skin. and ! put my hand up to
I scare ulLl away tie new away Tor
/ about six inches and returning. 1T
again in the same place. A second
/ time drove him away. but he fitted
/ about my hand. biting II and bounding
from it as though angry at being dis
turbed.
Iawoke. and. true enough. there was
the monster just settling again on my
bald spot. | fought him. and he
fought me. till. becoming thoroughly
awake. | got better view Of him and
saw be was composed Of yellow and
blue paper Moreover, one end Of a
string was attached to his body and
the other to a stick which protruded
from a window just above my head
Suddenly my toTmenter was ierked NJ
into the window. and | heard con
fusion Of giggles.
Wherein" | asked myself. is tbs
new Fourth Of July superior to tbs