Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1920-10-14
THE FOURTH
By MYRTA ALICE LITTLE.

went Blackie Boys girl mother, stand
ing at the kitchen window with the
heaviest water pail In her hands, self
plying with a vim, because father
had forgotten to fill it.
"Good for you, son! Aim like this F!
Seer doomed Blackie Boys boy ia
Their from the side lines under the ap-
pie tree.
Blackie Boy aimed. Then it hap
pened.
Blackie Boy began to yell, then he
yelled harder. He flung his pistol into
the grapevines, then himself on the
ground, and kicked. He screamed!
And Blackie Boy was gathered into
plump, white arms, and mothers
voice and her yellow fluffy hair and
the green grass were all around him.
while father stood on one foot and
growled, like thunder-high up ana
away.
whats the matter with the kid?
Can't find a place where he's hurt.
You got him nervous watching him! J"
The lips that were saying soothing
things to Blackie Boy, as the hands
searched for the hurt, shut hard. IF
you hadn't insisted on the pistol, Tom!
"It killed me, jes' like muvver said
piffles killed folks" sobbed Black1e
Boy.
"Where did 1t hurt mothers boy"
II won't not tell you," bawled
Blackie Boy, sitting on his fat hands.
"You go way" Sturdy legs kicked
into mothers square chin. I'm
killed." Then he drew long breath.
"That's the stuff. Be a man." adj
vised father. "Be a man, Blackie
son."
The boy subsided sobfully.
eyes, a man?" breathed mother,
patting every inch Of the round little
body. "A nice example you set your
son on a holiday and on our fourth
wedding anniversary, that ought to
be holy to you, taking him away and
teaching him to use firearms. The
year he came you were-kind, and
you've had spells since-and was
free to do as Liked"
"This is the year of the dependence
Of Mrs. Black, and of the independence
of the u S. A., the One Hundred and
Forty-fourth," Knocked Tom Black, Sr.
"Heck of an idea being married on
the Fourth of July, anyway"
"Or any time" said Blackie's moth
err crisply. "And now you've lost any
pride about talking like this before
him. I want my freedom, tell you,
and I'm going to have it, and I'm go
ing to take Blackie Boy with me
now! He's just scared of the
naughty pistol. Mother knows"
Father turned on his heel and
grumbled himself into the house.
And all the time father knew that
lately he had been getting irritable
and bossy and unreasonable.
making a fourth anniversary cake
just the same, is she?"
Down among the yellow daisies
mother was saying to reasonably
quiet Blackie Boy, "What made you
scream like that? Tell me-"
II won't not tell you. I was man"
said Blackie Boy. thrusting his left
hand into his blouse. II won't not
show you my hand that's killed. Is
we goin' to have a pinnic today,
muvver?"
"Would you like to go away with
mother all the timer" whispered the
little voice. "And mother could work
tip tap typewriter and get lots Of
money the way she used to and buy
a drum for Blackie Boy, and every
day we'd have a picnic"
And all the times Blackie Boys
mother was talking she was thinking
how silly and jealous and unreasona-
BILE she had been lately.
"Would you like to live with just
muvvy?" asked Blackie Boys mother.
81 luv muvvy an luv favver," said
Blackie Boy. "An' for two sens show
muvver an show favver my ham an
I was q man, muvver, an / didn't not
envy not much. Come an fin favver."
They found father washing the cook
ing dishes, with a sheepish expression
on his face.
"Ook, favver!" begger Blackie Boy,
thrusting out his little left hand. And
the fat, pink knuckles were pinker and
puffier than usual, where just an ordi-
nary baby humble bee had sat down.
II didn't not cry much an it's all
wight now. I want two sens" said
Blackie Boy. can I wan to fin my
piff1e an a pinnic."
"Thats it, son." said father cheer
fully. "He wants your pinnic and he
wants my piffie, mother, and 1 want
your cake and-smiles, and you want
we'll, we all want pinnics together. All
dependent on the rest of us and we
like it. Frost that wedding cake and
I'll make a tin pan drum and We'll
start all over again. I've been too cross
to live"
"Won't you fill that water-pail7 It's
awfully heavy. And then find his pis-
toll. Of course you wouldn't let him
have anything that would hurt him."
said mother promptly.