Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-29

wv tHe punt mere
Yes. She's tied up over there.
llcnty was just seeing that"
Then let's get aboard" said Car
michael. He sprang from the tuXi, paid
of the man, grabbed Peter.
They joined lIenty and got aboard.
for h. knew 1t would be no use
hunting up Jim's houseboat. If sho
were staying thcrc they would be all on
the river still. If she Ind gone back
10 town it was no use his going IN
untl! next morning. lie had left these
fellows alone, rather casually, nil the
afternoon. lie was their host, after ali.
fie'd have TO look after them this eve.
ming. 1t was now just matter OF
hours! before he saw her. The blessed
certainty was with him that he was
gong, to see her. All was clear ahead.
no closed 1t into his mind just as he
h had smut her letter. into his pocket
book, and turned to his guests.
'pid you mark the finals? Can I
| have a look?'
1t was still too light for the fire.
works display which winds up Royal
iienley. Already the punts were set.
thS toward the boom opposite the club
houses; through the mellowing golden
| maze peoples eyes were fixed on the
odd, deceptive wire frameworks of the
set pieces on the banks: scaffoldinv
mat would show up in outlines of flamo
when the darkness fell.
Just as, earlier In the day, Clover
had kept her lookout for him. so now
carmichael found himself searching for
ner while there was still light enough
10 recognize faces. figures. His clear
Eyes noted the river throng. Every
nov ana then his glance was taken by n
noiI huc or primrose color, which, in
sunlight. would have been a smash nf
yellow. Yellow, Clovcr's color, sbn
would be dead certain, he thought IN
DC wearing yellow; was this?
NoI AS the punt came alongside he
"" that the gown or wrap was that
OF a stranger.
Every powerfully built young mon
welding punt-p pole he scrutintzod
Was that Jim Holt: All! The girl
with long hair down her back! Was
" Sandal! No, again. Once no
thought he saw Llcwclyn. Carmichael
IN his ignorance Of ali that had passed
Imagined Llcwelyn might be in attend.
ahce today: Another yellow cape! Was
1t ahe?. No! Another false alarm.
oBrirn, ut the other end OF the
punt, was equally Oh the alert. hut
lnf" was tricky: pcrversey she jcrkcd
the strings. still she kept her puppets
! apart.
In the Cleaning
-, Gradually tho gloaming closed in.
lh" day which had begun SO exquisite.
, ~ IN silver mist was 10 end as ey.
4uisiicly in amethyst gloom. In that
heaV!nS f1otila people began lighting
UP thelr lanterns; great primrose globes
win plots of rosc-color and black. or
emerald patterned with orange, lam.
bent background to the darkiy sil.
houcttcd proilles of people bending
above them. Moons Of light from tho
iahlcrns were flung up, sometimes on n
fhcc, on q pair OF busy hands. Never
! the hands or face Tor which Harry
! Carmichael looked and ycarned.
| 1t grew dark.
| Across tho stream there appeared q
smudso Of brightness, u jazz Of movo-
inenti music sounded! All that was
from the fair ground now lighting up
with Its swings, its cocoa SHES, gall
loplng horses, merry go rounds, e>,,sy
! shouts.
On the river the press was thickcn.
ing: o'Brien dropped his pole; prcs-
entity there would he no room for pole or
pHdd!e; ana the casirst way Of getting on
wa" TO pull yourself along by the gun
vale OF the craft next to you.
Arc CANOE" babbled the voices in
the gloaming, mind your fingers,
thcre l say, keep your hands in.
slue the boat there, please! ""s Mind
your paddle. Oh, sorry +you
will break that paddle: carcfuilyi
lSilIy fool, bringing canoe into this,)
Lie down, Peter" from Gar.
He was still searching; but he knew
! that 1t was hardly worth while. SO
uci'Se mad the press become. Where
you were there you stayed, except for
tne SOW, imperceptibla drift togethcr
Oi the whole mass, the solid IAN Of
boats. newly lighted lanterns, cushions.
people wearing wraps over their sum.
"ler trocks, muiilers above b,azers.
Presently there sailed away over the
water. above tn" clouds, the hrst fairy
IKE tire balloon. Peoplc began to
stand up in the rocking punts. "Sil
uowh there, plrase, sit down." voices
cried.
Then, with tho bang Of the first ma
room, the fireworks began. First tn.
sArlekIng hlss-~the LOUD explosion thnt
! 10 Luauy there woke ecLoes Ot years only
just forgotten, then, down poured the
RAIN OF fiery serpent&, orange. gold,
crimson
\ long drawn "Ah" OF admiration
lrOm the crowd; some child's excited
snriil, ION, look, look, daddy look Z"
| irccs, river, people, clouds became
Acctic, unreal, phantasmagOrical us the
setting OF some exotic pauet.
! But no wilder or brighter than was
tho transformation scene in the mind of
one OF those young men in the crush
ot spectators. lie sat there with one
nnnd clutching the collar of his terrier.
the other Oh ths ganwaie of tho boat
Jammed up against ms; his eyes turned
skyward to tho lurid display--and
all he saw, in black or white, were tho
words: Il love you, l do love you |!
On, my Harry!"
Voices all around--''Ahl That's a
pretty ons sayl Those are
the best yet! . Oh, look at those
scriggly ones oh, they 're going on still
- like the ones that burst green
Where did that one go2
Ware stQrsheIl ""~ WHAT'S the
matter with Il punt? Ha, there
uney so again! " Hoo - ray !!
- A -" 80 ali! -
Look, Daddy look"
The darkness fell. Nobody noticed
when It was full night, 30 were their
eyes fixed on that colored display zig
tagging over the heavens.
Only the paper lanterns glowcd moro
brightly, the burst rockets SCARED more
brilliantly into the heights. their re-
iections dived more vividiy into the
river depths; only tho ''set pieces' Of
Catherine wheels and airplanes and