The Sauk Centre herald., 1912-11-07
i, daughter?" Ee locked keenly

why, no father. I'd be sorry to
do anything in opposition to your
wishes, but you know / have a right
to my happiness" Her voice was
curiously like his own as she spoke
"You mean that you will elope with
him?"
"Oh, no; some day you will give
your consent"
"Never!" declared Jacob as he
! picked up his newspaper. "By the way,
Alice, you've invited "a lot of people
down to Edgebank for the Fourth,
haven't you?"
"Yes-and will you please order
the fireworks, father? We want q
display for the evening after the big
dinner"
"very well, I'll attend to it my
SELF"
1t was the very night before the
Fourth when Jacob Sellew remem-
bered the fireworks. His daughter
and the servants had already gone
down to the country house, and he
! was stopping at a hotel. There was
new motor car to go down, too,
and he had decided to drive it HIM
self as he was skilled operator and
the roads were perfect.
He ordered the fireworks by tele-
! phone and stopped for them with
the new car, fer Alice had sent in an
urgent reminder of their need A
few minutes afterward he went on
his way, the tonneau Of the car and
every available inch Of room in the
seat beside him being filled with
explosives.
Rockets and Roman candles, red
| and green fire, set-pieces and cannon
crackers made up the assortment.
Jacob Sellew made an annual sac
| rifice of gunpowder to show his
, patriotism.
His trip across the ferry and along
| the suburban roads was uneventful.
| Things did not really begin to hap
| pen until he reached the turnpike and
| speeded little.
The new car worked like a clock
a well-oiled, smoothly running clock.
The moon rose and made the road
| white and clear. There were still five
miles between him and his home.
He decided to smoke. He forgot that
| he carried a load of explosives.
! He lighted a cigar and hummed a
little tune. Something went wrong
and the machine wabbled. 1t would
not respond to the steering wheel,
and just as he reached the curve Of
| the road that bordered Cyrus Ken
| bricks estate the machine swung
| into the well-traveled roadway and
| entered the grounds of Jacob Sell
LEWIS bitter business enemy.
TO describe Mr.. Sellew's anger
would be painful. He swore as he
tossed his cigar aside and jammed
all the levers and turned the wheel
this way and that.
In his chagrin at the situation he
! lost his nerve and sat helplessly as
the machine wabbled up the avenue,
| freakishly turned aside to cross the
lawn, only to stagger to a standstill
| of the big house.
There were people sitting in the
veranda and he heard exclama tions
and a mans shout.
Then the real performance began.
A rocket Kissed from behind him and
shot horizontally across the park. 1t
burst its flaming way through a
handsome spruce tree and left de-
| struction in it's wake. Other rockets
shot forth in the most independent
| manner. Fortunately most of them
were headed away from the house.
Roman candles pouted, red fire
blazed luridly and the cannon crack
| ers roared as they wrecked the new
automobile.
Jacob Se1lew was on the ground,
| dancing frantically around the dam
gerous display, lodging rockets and
candles with surprising agility.
| All at once came some stablemen
| headed by Jack Kendrick, carrying
! long hose. In three minutes the
/ blaze was extinguished and Jacob
Sellew was standing by the singed
; and smoking machine waiting the
| approach of his arch enemy.
What could he say?
| Jack stood a little aside.
Cyrus Kendrick stamped across the
! lawn and shook his fist in Mr..
Sellew's bewildered face.
What do you mean, sir, by tres
passing on my grounds and making
an exhibition like this-eh? Are
| you crazy?"
For the first time in his career,
Mr.. Sellew found himself making
| humble apologies to Cyrus Kendriek.
He was deeply grateful when they
appeared to believe his story. He
could have embraced Cyrus Kendrick
when that gentleman told him to
forget it," and led him into the
library to partake of stimulants.
Truthfully speaking, Jack had
winked at his parent. Otherwise
Cyrus might not have displayed this
forgiving spirit, for his garden was
as the apple of his eye.
| "Er, Jack" remarked Jacob when
he was feeling better. 81 wonder if
you would mind telephoning over to
Alice and asking her to drive over
after me?"
| "I knOw trick North <Uo NJ fhot