; W . i I I tiifl sffiisssiissrYTFTCBl'Bwfw Ps 1 IVE or six years ago, when the rain-making ox- ' periments were being conducted, .first at Wash ington, afterward in Tex as, my college- chum and 1 became greatly inter ested in the subject. We were then sopho mores at 13. Elementary chemistry was our regu lar course of study that year, and wc spent most of the spring term experimenting on our own account and exploding a vast number of gas balloons. We made a great deal of noise, and maintained that we produced rain. Showers certainly did follow some of the explosions. The spring term closed on June 2G, and all the boys went home, except my chum Jarvis and myself, who, in consequence of spending so much time experimenting, had been "con ditioned," and had a week's hard work to make up in our Greek. Ilnthcr than have it hanging over us all summer and into the next year, we agreed to do it at once and have done with it. Permission was accorded to us to go on living in our rooms nt the hall, and the resident profes sor in Greek consented to gh)e us an jfyestm examination. Hardly anyone except the old jani tor knew that we had not gone home as usual; for, naturally, we were not very proud of being obliged to stay after term time to make up our work. We stayed indoors all day, and burned the midnight oil, be sides. It was dreadfully hot during the labt four days ot June, but we toiled away with Greek grammar and lexi con, hoping to get home for the Fourth of July; and we should hnve done so, but our Greek professor ate too much cantaloup on the day set ior the examination, and thought for 48 hours he had appendicitis. It proved to be no such serious trouble, but it hindered our plans. The professor was not able to exam ine us till the afternoon of the third, eo we could not possibly get home ior the Fourth. Jarvis was furious. "Confound cantaloup!" he grum bled. "And confound a professor that doesn't know better than to eat it! No use to start now. We couldn't get home!" he raged on. "I won't spend the Fourth in a railway car! Let's stay here and shake the old town up! Let's send up a balloon at midnight! We'll make it rain here to-morrow!" Rather an incendiary sentiment, the reader will say, but we had been shut up with Greek for six long, hot days. We had access to the laboratory in Chemistry hall, where we had our balloons, and generated 'the oxygen and hydrogen gas for exploding them. There was a quantity of cotton cloth, paper and glue, which had not been used; and that evening we made n balloon ten feet in diameter, which we succeeded in charging, outside the window, with oxygen and hydrogen from the laboratory retorts, in the proportion of two to one, that being the formula by which tho two gases unite to produce water and a par ticular ear-splitting explosion. JWe finished the balloon, and had line gas generated at a little past 11 o'clock; and then, after charging large Leyden jar from the static electrical mnchine, we started out to astonish the quiet little town, and usher in the Fourth of July. We had a large ball of strong ma jiihi twine and a spool of small cop per wire, the ends of which were at tached for a spark at the base of the balloon. We led our balloon, like a frisky colt, along the luue at the rear of the chemistry building, and out across the campus to the edge of the pine woods. Then we let it rise. The night was very dark and still, but clouds had risen in the north nnd west, and there was a frequent glow of lightning in tnat quarter, although so distant that the thunder could not be heard. "There's a shower coming!" Jarvis exclaimed, as the balloon began its ascent. "We shall have to make haste." But as yet there was not a breath of wind stirring; the balloon had risen and hung directly overhead, and was pulling hard at its restraining string. We knew from past experience that when the electric spark acted on the two gases the explosion would be something tremendous; but we thought that at a height of 800 or 900 feet, out there by the woods, no damage would follow. And perhaps none would have fol lowed, if all had gone ns we planned, but Jarvis had a great deal of trou ble connecting the wires. He was bothering with them for some min utes. Then suddenly the first gust of the oncoming shower struck us. What followed came quickly. The balloon swayed over before the wind. Down it bowed until the cord strung out far aslant. "Good gracious!" I cried, holding hard. "She'll get nway from me, Jarve! Touch her 'off quick, or she will break away!" In the darkness we could not see just where the balloon was, or what it was over. But the next moment wc snw! Jnr vis had managed at last to connect the wires and touch off the balloon. There came a sudden blaze and a tre mendous detonation, as if the whole town had cracked clean down through the center of the earth! The shock bowled us both over, and we heard a crash of timbers follow ing the report. The thing had ex ploded about 30 feet over the barn and shed of a worthy inhabitant of B., who lived near the ball grounds, and kept a lazy horse which he hired to tho boys at such high prices that they had nicknamed him "Old Gripus." "We've done it now!" gasped Jar vis, as he scrambled hastily to his feet. "That's Old GripVs barn!" But that was not the worst. Shreds of the burning paper and cloth from the balloon must have fallen among hay and straw, for even as we stood staring in that direction a bright flame shot up from the building. The only thing left us now was to run to the house and shout: "Fire!" That we did with a vengeance, and soon roused the fire department; the new steam engine and two old hand "tubs" responded. Through their united efforts, aided considerably by the shower which soon began to pour copiously, the old man's house was saved from the fire, but the barn and shed und an old buggy were consumed. Jarvis nnd I were greatly worried, and, indoed, were on the verge of honorable confession of our act; but now, I am sorry to say, to our relief, we found that it was the unanimous opinion of every one, including the fire department and the owner him self, that the barn had been struck by lightning! For everybody in town had heard what they believed to be an awful clap of thunder! Jarvis nudged me in the crowd, nnd we went home to talk it over. We had very little spare cash, and disliked ex ceedingly to go home, own up to such a prnnk, and try to get $250 each from an unsympathetic father. "Chum," said Jarvis, with a down cast look, "this is u pretty low game, I know, but liadn't we better lot well enough alone for awhile, at lenst?" It was a terrible temptation, and 1 have to confess that, after n great deal of mental ngitation. wo surren dered to it. There was $300 insurance on the barn, but tho loss was estimated at $300. We never mentioned the matter to each other during our two remaining yenrs in college, for we were far from rich; yet I knew by the way Jarvis would look at mo once in awhile that he was thinking of it, and trying to discern how I felt. But we said nothing. Directly after our graduation Jarvis went out to Hawaii, and 1 did not see him for three years; but wo wrote- every mouth or two. I knew that we should have to set tin -fnf 1lO (lltmnfro heffiril wo nnnlil feel right; still, 1 did not like to open the subject to Jarvis, for I did not know exactly how he was situated. It transpired that he fell, the same way about it as I did; but the sense of dishonor wore him out first. "I Eiy, Jack," he added, as a post script to his letter last New Year's day, "Gripe's old barn is pretty heavy on my conscience. Hadn't we bet' ter fix that tip? In equity it will bu a matter of $390, interest and all, which we owe to the Phoenix com pany, and $200 to Gripus; $325 each. Hadn't we better do it?" We squared up the long-standing "conscience account" last month; and thus after six yenrs ended om effort to make it ruin in B. on tho night before tho Fourth of July. Youth's Companion. The Small Boy's Day HIS ls- U any one should ask you, Or even it no one should The Day w o Celebrate. That Is, 'lo-morrow is tho Day, But we start In All ot one duy previous So as to be certain Of good measure. Don t worr , Or lose any sleep over It 11 no one should ask you Never tear. livery one will tlnd It out. The man who didn't know . That it was l The Fourth l ot 1 July i Would have to be blind In both eves. Dear in both ears Aim lame In his Intellect. To be perfectly sate It would be well ubso For him to be In darkest Atrlca And to have been Dead ten veura. rClasr Tnere ls dunger UUl (Jl-UIMU Wilt 11I1U 11 UUl. In fact, Most ot them know It now And thoBe who do not Are rupldly acquiring The lmotmutlon. Along about this time of year It ls one of the Most obvious 1'ncts Ever bi ought to the attention Ot.a great people. It is easier than falling Krom a bicycle To know when It ls The Independence day. All one has to do Is to remove one's head From between tho pillows, Take the cotton Out of one's ears And listen. Fourth of July. Was Invented by the Yankees. The Chlnete wo: ked patiently For many centuries And invented the firecracker. Together they make A great combination. Also a noise Which resembles the shot That was heuid round the world, Only it's louder. 'wfltl Fourth of July , was comparatively narmiesa. Had about live cents To spend. That would buy 100 crackers. After they were touched oft He was through. Possibly he got up In the morn ing And Phot off the old musket, ' nut he was not allowed To waste ammunition During the day. No one was hurt Unless he nte too mucn. Now It ls different. The small boy Who Is not allowed To hnvo two Toy pistols, One In each hand. A firecracker between each toa And a bunch of cannon crack ers To throw Into street cars Thinks heir abused And that his lather Is not patilotlc. Many yenrs havo passed Since we licked the British But. say, we did such a Job Of It that we are Obliged to get together Once every year and Veil! Our forefathers foughtj Bled nnd died That we might shoot fire crackers Once a year Provided we had the money Or credit To get them. They licked tho British So thoroughly That the latter Never Interfere With our Innocent sports. And we are nt liberty To shoot off our thumbs. Kars or toeH To express our feelings. Then turn the Small Boy loose. Give him full swing, And matcheH, As well as guns. Bet him enjoy himself While we Take to the woods. Chicago Dally News. sife A Unique I Celebration 8 By if. H. LANCASTER. pmmiJMHQ S LANCE crossed the Inwn jHjT he vns hailed by a chorus A-, 9 of anxious voices: "Come ueip us, jance. j-iuusu come." He shrugged his rnthcr heavy shoulders, and came slowly toward the group under the cedars. "What's up?" ho asked, lazily throwing himself upon a seat a littlo apart from the rest, and leaning for- ward to bend the grass down with his stiff-brimmed straw hat. He did not look nt anyone as he put tho question, but the young Creole re plied: "It's Cedoni." "I hnve nothing to do with it," corrected Ccdonj, whoso vivacity and fun had vanished when Lnneo ap proached. "All, but you said it must be some thing different this year." "Oil, it's your Fourth of July cel ebration, is it? The same old cry. You nre tired of barbecues and re gattas and fish fries and sunstrokes. You expect moMo help you with such n conundrum?" Lance spoke with good-natured impatience, but ho did not look up. "Why not ignore the Fourth? Not have any celebration nt all? That would be quite a novelty for this hot-bed of patriotism." His Inst words were drowned in a clamor of indignant protests. "We are going to read the Declara tion," insisted the Creole, who was the orator of the town, "but how, nnd where?" Lnnce dropped his lint into the grass and stared at it. Ho was think ing of a curious dream he hud had the night before, and spoke aloud ab sently: "Hy torchlight, upon the wa ter." Such being the words lie hnd seen in his dream upon the intigienl leaf at the fountain of Castalia. The party of young folks received them with joyous acclamation. "Go on. Lance, you havo made a grand beginning. Now, when?" Lance lifted his head and looked nt Cedoni: "At midnight, when the clock strikes 12." "The oracle has spoken," cried tho young Creole. "Why look so mysti fied, my friends? We will hnve a floundering party on tho night of July the third. At midnight we col lect around the torches rend the HE WAS THINKING OF A CURIOUS DREAM HE HAD HAD. Declaration, make speeches, sing songs in short, celebrate tJie glori ous Fourth. There will be no smell of burning meat, no din of ec-iuion, no sunstroke. Only dewy coolness of early morn, dancing lights on gleam ing waters, poetry, music " "Yes," interrupted u praetfeal mem ber, "and after we are through with all that, we can take our flounders on shore and have a fish fry." "Yes, indeed! And then we could dance on the beach to the music of a fife." "In our wet clothes. Tlmt would be n fioundering party, sure enough." "Nonbensei We would have tents." "Oh, oh! We might as well havo lemonade and peanuts." "No! We'll use the bath houses" "Hut where will the flag oome in?" "Let's print the invitations on Hags." "We could have little flags fastened to our spear staffs." "Oh, there'll be flags to burn." ' And by dint of interjection, ex clamation and explanation, the crude Idea was developed, and Invitations re solved upon to n unique celebration of the Glorious Fourth; one 'that was to be patriotic in the extieme, and yet avoid heat und sunstroke, dazzle und dust. Through it nil Lnnee sat staring at his hat in the grass, and thinking in his iober, sturdy way. Of course, it wim only because he hud been 1 (jpj ?;fiSjJPf rending "Den Hur" that ho drcaml of tho priest nnd tho fountain and the magical leaf. Hut tho answoi to his question: "How and where would happiness come to him?" had been: "Hy torchlight, on tho water." Why should those words, of all oth crs, have appeared upon the drip, ping leaf? Ho grew mirvous when Cedoni was urged to join the party, and when she consented he got up and walked awny, feeling weak and unnerved through the whole of his big, brawny frame. "I'll do it," he muttered, "if T live until the Fourth. At any rate," ho added, after a pause, "I'll bo done with this sickening uncertainty." Hy which it mny bo inferred that Lance was not in a very hopeful mood. Ho was in a ntill less hopeful mood when he joined tho flounderers upon the momentous night. Cedoni was WHIBMBiM W&WmmMrM mm IHil ESBsBPyaBSSlB AND SO THEY CELEIIRATOD THE FOURTH flirting with the orator, who carrlce her basket, nnd threatened to grow sentimental. It was a largo party and a gay one; tho long line o torches, the flushing waters and laughing voices, shouts of triumph, ejaculations of dismay. Over all tin eternal &turs brqodlng peacefully above the trivial toils of man. Lance splashed along with dogger determination, spearing flounders, aiu saying nothing. He would say some thing presently while the speechc were being made. After they wen." ashore the oracle would be void. Hf saw no hope of a word with Cedoa until the orator should bo called t attend his public duties. Even their she would probably bo invited lnsld the circle of light. Hut he would hc that h' did not go. Like all quiet men, when a deed was once deter mined upon, Lance expected to carry it through. He had not an idea wlia he would say only that Cedon.' should stay and listen. So it hap pened that when the grand stand a bay of shallow water was readied, and the torcli bearers began to cir cle around the speakers, Cedoni felt u strong hand upon her arm, "You wish something?" Her tone was distant, as it hnd been ever sinco he reproached her for that bit of idle gossip. "I wanted to speak to you," Lnneo replied, quietly. "Wejl?" "After the speeches begin." "You must excuse me. J am to sing tho opening song." "I can't excuse you." "You must!" But he held her arm firmly and silently, while tho circle closed nnd the song began. "Do you consider this courteous?" she asked, indignantly. "I wanted to speak to you," ho re peated, quietly. "Weill speak for" The notes of "America" swelled out and drowned her words. Hundreds of voices sing ing under tho stnrs, and tho music floated far away over tho silent wa ter. It was soul-iiiBpiring, yes, waw inoro than that. Lance leaned over Cedoni. "I love you, dear." His strong voice was a little husky. Did she hear? She stood by him until tho orator's tones rang out, and then she moved. "Wait," nc said. "Did you henr?" "Yes," she answered, steadily. When the second speaker came for ward, Lance spoke again, quietly. He was not pleading, only stating a fact- "This suspense is killing me." Cedoni's spear fell into the water with a splasli. Siie caught tho big, unsteady hand ir. both her own, and kissed it. Far away was cheering, and torch light and song, but hero upon a log half-sunk in tho sand sat two lovers talking of well, a dream, a fountain nnd a lenf, And so they celebrated the Fourth. Was the mnnner unique? Minneapolis Housekeeper. Ilffore flie Foartlh. Little Willie has ten fingers On hi hands to-day. Ah, what apprehension llnntra When wo should bo gay. For a question grim, uncanny, Fills the soul with sonow; l Can he hold up Just as many When we're through tin morrowT Washington Star. iV jn fmmm39amiSis' uiMmsm .jut! . .: '.. 'A,.;