The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-10
A FreCkIed Cupid
lBy Wilbur D.. Nesbit.l }

It IS not written III; DOCKS OI AdLS that the Fourth of July is any day. to propose to girl.
 Christmas day. Thanksgiving day, New Years Day. or any other day will do, but the Fourth is not roman tic; it is patriotic. On that day a man is supposed to love his native land. He is to listen to speeches, or make them, about the individuality of our country. He is to watch the hre- Works-where they are permitted and not do any sparkling on his own account.
 Every day is Fourth of July to some men. They have made up their minds that they hope to marry cer- tain girl, but when 1t comes to- stat ing their decision the tongue cleaves to the roof of the mouth and the right arm seems to have lost it's cunning.
 Jim Hicks was such a man. When love making was concerned, all days were the Fourth for him. Otherwise his name would have been Armand Decourcey. As it was, he was just what you would expect of a man of that name.
 Jim had been Keeping company off and on with Lucia Miller for a matter of three years. This guaran- teed him a certain standing as her beau but what woman wants to go on forever that way.
 On Luel1a's mind was the one i'm portant thought which rests upon the mind of every woman when she has found the right man. That was to make Jim propose. The romantic notion that a woman in love is coy, blushing thing, tiniorous. trembling afraid of the great masculine creat- ure, may be Justified in some cases. But with the Luellas and Jins of this world it does not obtain. Lucia had exhibited to Jim her deftneSs as. a cook; she had acquainted him with her cIeverness as a needsrWorker, she had demonstrated over and over that she would make an ideal wife.
 But Jim hadn't proposed.
 Consequently, on the Fourth, when Luella saw Henry Nelson. the bad non cracker he had kept secreted since last year.. and which he propos- ed tp explode somewhere during the day or evening, she made war plans.
 Henry" she said. .-.don't you know it's against the law to have such a f1recracker ?'s
 "Aw,'' Henry muttered. CT don't
 wen, it is. And if the marshal finds it out he will put. you in the lookup as an example.
 Aw! Somebody's always malkin' a example O. me. I s'pose you're gofn' 2 fo won't anq Dla6 2om.l on me So aoatninr for me-and 1t will be whole lot of fun for you. Henry"
 s'Wot ?'' sssx
 Don't you want to play a good Joke on Jim Hfcks?''<
 .Aw. He's your felIer. ' how to play good joke on him and I'll help you to- do it, You come up by our house this evening, and Jim will be there. I'll get him to stand at the gate and talk to me, and you slip up and set off your big fire- cracker right behind him. That'll scare him half to death, and will be just lots of fun for you
 for ?'' TT N--t-- -
 well, you know how big and strong he is, and how brave he acts. Let's see if we can't get a good one on him Henry"
 "Aw! I was goin' to shoot this off behind the school teacher
 But at last Lucia managed to con- vince Henry that he. could have more fun with the cannon cracker by ex- plodfng it behind Jim than if he set it off anywhere, else.
 Jim never has understood why Lu- ella was waiting at the gate for him
 
 standing there, talking sof the weath- 'er and the crowd down town and this. that, and everything It had always been her custom to greet him at the front door, and to express surprise at seeing him. This is one of the enJoyable hctions of courtship.
 think it Is so lovely when the stars come out as they are coming out tonight. don't you?" Lucia was asking Jim.
 . Bang!!s
 Luella shrieked and tainted dead away, apparently, but she tainted to- ward Jim in such a manner that the gate swung open and she reposed Imply against his manly bosom.
 Under the circumstances there was but one thing Jim could do, and that was to keep her from falling to the ground. This is best accomplished in the case of fainting lady by placing her head to rest on your shoulder. This comes natural to most men. What else Jim did, and what he said to Luella to calm her fears and to revive her to consciousness may only be conjectured.
 Henry Nelson, however, kept up g derlslve Weries of yells and howls of laughter, and L4uella at last opened her eyes and asked dreamily:
 Where am I?"
 Henry shouted: s.Aw! He was a. huggin' you, an he kissed you!'
 Then Henry turned and fled Jim shaking fist after him.
 Iuella," Jim said. I'm ashaIn- ed-but Henry told the truth. When you tainted in my arms just couldn't help kissins you.''
 Why Jin!''
 An now he'll teIl,ft all over town, an l don't want to have people talk in about you without good reason, so -so-hadn't we better have em say we're engaged?"
 And then it looked. as though Lu- ella had Tainted all over again. WOOD PARK BAND