The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-07-11
ANANIAS
CELEBRATES
A Fourth of July
Story
By CLARISSA MAcKIE

Mge In the tnr0eS OF Fourth or JUL
celebration echoed across the quiet BAY
where Captain Barnabas Fish and
were pretending to Ash of the break
water, when as,a matter Of fact we hat
all fed from the annual village racket
Maria Fish was sitting In the bow
OF the roomy boat, knitting away upOr
the captains next winters mittens
when suddenly she glanced up and
caught her husbands genial eye.
"Barnabas," she began, 1--WE beer
thinking"
swell, don't do it again." he caution
ed. "Fust thing you know. Maria. you
will come down with brain fever and
i won't get a dad blamed decent bit t.
eat till you get well agin."
Maria shifted scornfully. and then
her face broke into pleasant smiles
you remember that story you told
me about Ananias Slime and that can
nibal island?" she chuckled mirthfully
The captain slapped his knee joyful
ly. "Of course l do" he roared. 81
allow / never had mate that did sc
many queer things. It's kept me young
laughing at EN-"
"Well, you tell Miss Telham all about
It," advised Maria. and she winked
knowingly at me. Maria is aware that
it is my delight to listen to Captain
Barnabas while he spins his sea yarns
and my visits to Ounce Harbor are
thus frightened accordingly.
II am waiting" l smiled across at
the captain.
"Well, you mind my hook" he order
ed, and, lighting his pipe, which is a
most necessary adjunct to the story
telling, he pulled his cap down over
his merry blue eyes and began.
1T happened thirty years ago, before
1 sailed the old Indus there" He waved
his pipe toward the fine old schooner
riding at anchor near his cottage on the
mainland 81 won't bother you with
details about what ports we was sail
ing for, but we was long past the Fills
when the monsoon struck us. Maybe
we didn't scud before that hot whirl-
wind!
1.-THE poor little Susan B. leaked like
sieve from the beginning. and we
was all mighty thankful when just at
daybreak there came mighty wave
and hove her spang up on the coral
beach Of little island.
at was q pretty sight. tell you.
when the sun rose out Of the black
clOuds-blue water and white beach
and green palm trees waving around
"In three hours we had breakfast.
changed into dry clothes. and then the
hull crew Of US tramped around that
little island to see where we was. -
"Of course Ananias Slime was head
tusker, as usual 1t beats all how
much nerve and executive ability my
first mate had. 1t was Ananias who
discovered the queer native huts hid
den In the woods, and 1t was Ananias
who hypnotized the chief and brought
him salaaming and kotowing before US
"'King Kauriru.' said Ananias. with
a flourish of his skinny arm. 1t does
beat all how that fellow could pick up
languages. In FIVE minutes he was
gTtnning and gesticulating with that
greasy cannibal like brother.
i"Then Ananias came over to me,
smitking and rubbing his hands. as
Was his way when he was pleased
with himself.
I" Captain ses he. I've impressed 1t
upon these here heathens that we're
their masters-that we've taken this
Nland In the name of the United
States Of America. and so they owe
allegiance to that country. Mebbe
none Of you folks remembered that to-
day is the Fourth of Julyr
dad blame It! We had forgotten
clean forgotten, and Ananas, remem-
bering 1t took the wind out Of our sails.
So we just listened humbly to what he
said and agreed with him.
ave been telling them all about
the birth Of our republic simpered
Ananias, and about the Fourth Of
July, and now I'm going to teach them
to salute the flag. Watch!
"Ananias took a teeny little Ameri-
can flag from his pocket and stuck the
stars and stripes in the sand. Inside
of an hour be bad fourteen savages
bobbing their woolly heads in front Of
It. I guess they thought it was some
new fetish. The rest of the tribe were
women and children. and they wouldn't
bob their heads to nobody except the
chief. They knew where their bread
and butter came from. leastways their
vans and missionaries. I reckon" The
captain laughed silently.
"How You do go on. Barnabas!' re-
proved Maria. locking at him over her
spectacIes.
The captain knocked the ashes from
his pipe and retiiled it.
.oThat was only the beginning OF
what Ananias Slime learned those
heathens to do. Before dinner time he
had told 'em the history of the United
States from the time Columbus sighted
land up to the latest political scandal
in New York city. He recited all he
could remember OF the constitution
and the Declaration Of independence.
and then he calmly opened big box
OF fireworks he had bought or Chi.
nee In Singapore and showed 'em
few tricks In the way Of noise and ex-
planned that as today was the glorious
Fourth of July It was fitting and prop
ar that they as new citizens should