Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1915-06-11
An Incident of
independence Day
By EUNICE BLAKE
By EUNICE BLAKE


girl with Scotch ancestry. How many
suitors there were for Miss Mac
Gregor's hand only Miss MacGregor
knew, for she never spoke of her Of
fers to any one. Certain it is that
there were two whose attentions were
SO marked as to be especially notice
able. These were John Kershaw, al
Englishman who had recently come to
America, and Michael O'Connor.
Miss MacGregor, being a bit of a CO.
quette-What girl is not ?-may have
accepted the attentions Of one of these
men as foil for the other, but if this
were true it was impossible for any
one to tell which was the foil and
which the man foiled There were
t.-o,c - lco.>>Ivu ,.-,,i ti1o ..iy is
pose Of worrying them.
A crisis came in this triangular love
affair on the Fourth of July. Mr.. O'Con-
nor wrote Miss MacGregOr a note in
Nltlng her to accept Il seat in a window
above the store where he was employ
ed to witness the Fourth Of July pa
rade. Miss MacGreyor replied that she
had already made Il partial engage
ment for the day She was not sure.
She would know by the evening before
the Fourth and would advise him. She
had already received an invitation from
MI. kersnaW to the same effect and
had written him the same answer she
had sent O'Connor.
Now, each of the rivals knew very
we'll that the partial engagement men
toned referred to the other MI. Ker-
shaw, on the afternoon before indie
pen1ence. day, called on Miss Mac
Gregor for Il more definite reply to his
invitation She received him kindly,
but t,e. Jared that she did not think it
girl. es' tally one Of Scotch descent,
to ee.e.,l:te Independence day with an
English, an. There had been he
reditar. sfd between the English and
Scotc- es until the crowns were
united i ono king, and there had been
a lcl- Del ,Neeu nc English anu
A.. ~
NiN: III al al, CoAG tc tLt
Fourth of July with an Englishman?
Pat al. that has passed anu gone"
pIoteste ! Kershaw failing to detect
thai the young lady was chatting him.
Its the Improperly of the thing
she persisted
MI. Kershaw left her without hay
ing secured consent. and later Mr.
OCOnnOr called.
II don't think, MI. O'Connor," said
Miss MacGregor, that it would be in
order for me to view the Fourth of
July procession in your company"
"Why not?' asked the young man,
astonished.
Because the day celebrates the win
ming of American independence from
Great Britain
But I'm Irish; not British at ALL
ireland was a part of the mother
country that oppressed the colonies
Besides, | had a great greatuncle who
fought under the Scotch Irish banner
at the battle of the Boyne Your an
cestors were on the other side"
Hang my ancestors! What do
care for a fight that occurred more
than two centuries ago?"
Nevertheless, the Fourth Of July is
a day that is, or should be, near to the
heart of every American. It would be
hurtful to my feelings to celebrate it
In company with one whose ancestors
were on the other side in the fight for
independence"
but we're all of the same blood
English, Scotch, Irish and Americans"
Family feuds are the most bitter
Mr.. O'COnnor was obliged to depart
with no more comfort than his rival
had received
During the evening Miss MacGregor
called up each of the rivals by tele-
phone and told him that she would oc-
cupy seat on the stand from which
the parade would be reviewed by the
governor and she would be happy to
see him there. She regretted that for
the reasons given it was not appropri-
ate that she should accept his kind in
v1tatiOn. but bit of a chat would be
in order.
At first each of the gentlemen was so
d1sgruntled at this disposition of his
invitation that he vowed he would not
go near the reviewing stand But curl
oslty got the better Of both. Miss Mac
Gregor would undoubtedly have an es-
cort. Who would that escort be? Not
only curiosity. but rivalry, turned the
scale
independence day opened bright, and
multitude of stars and stripes flut-
tered in the sunlight. Both Of the suit
ors took positions where they could look
| upon the reviewing stand, and as soon
aS they w Miss. AAoo