Bang!

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4454, 14 April 1883, Page 1

Bang!

A ROMANCE OF THE FOURTH.

• BY FANNY FOfITEB CIABE.

! (Concluded.) Crack ! sputter! bang! and * smoke and smell of powder comes up from the boards beneath their feet; , '-" Oh, we'll be oh ifire presently,"Blanche cries out with a nervous laugh. '^Let ns go." ■ -"- : ;■. v. ;■.'-■• '\. " Look here, young man," Glair shouts to Ferdinand, "we've had quite enough of your ammunition." %: ' , .. "Three cheers for .the Fourth! Hi! Hi!" is Ferdie's enthusiasticreply. Then he scrambles upfrom the boat, opens a bunch of firecrackers; and dancing before them, behind them, right and left of them, rnakos following the pathway to the house like treading, the* ordeal by fire. . / " That's the.most vicious little brute I ever saw," said Mr Clair, between his clinched teeth. . -Blanche turns up toward him Tor the fir.st time that day her lovely unwrinklcd brow; and answers, warmly, "Ob. no, I love dear Ferdie : he's a great admirer of mine." " Humph! I hope you are as pitiful to all brutes that admire you, Miss Lavine." ■' ■■';:-' - ■• _' ■■• - .■■.•-.■.:" ■■ • Again that guileless look, and she answers : " Why, I've grf at patience with any sort of a plague, provided he: —that is, provided it— keeps wiiiiin bounds." Mr Clair scanned her placid face, coughed, frowned. laughed, looked very much puzzled, and walked the rest of the way with a care'ul regard, to making a ueat footprint, as if announcing that he had no more perplexing interest. The drawing-room and the pUno were his next thought. The torturing small boy would certainly find the order and decency of t at apartment not to his liking. " Would you kindly play for me, Miss Lavine ? " Clair asked. ".Certainly." The room was darkened, cool,.and full of flowers. Ferdie had retired to his lair under the piazza, where his explosives were stored, and everything seemed favorable. Blanche chose to play the noisiest music, to be sure, and chose to watch the action of her hands in the most commonplace manner; still Clair twisted himself about, and bent over backward, until by a good deal of discomfort he brought his face nearly opposite to hers.

" it seems," he began, "as if I were never to hare the chance to explain myself, to declare to you that lam miserable forever unless you' will be my—" Crack ! crack ! crack ! right under hig feet, and crack 1 Bounded all about the parlor floor. " Torpedoes ! " exclaimed Clair; and Blanche sprang up, quite seared, and looking after her light skirts. A villainoos hoot came from the doorway, where a villainous little freckled face lingered a moment, then disappeared just in time to avoid the descent of Mr Olair's angry hand. This episode was hardly over before Mrs Morton came downstairs with her chronic headache, and her shawl, and'her talk about neuralgia and dyspepsia, and physicians and their incapacity. All of which Mr Clair listened to until the lunch hour. At this time of general stir in the household, Ferdie found a moment alone with Professor Angus, and jumping up and down like the imp in a bottle that chemists have, be said : " I've fixed him. I've followed 'em up with crackers and my cannon all the mprnin'. He ain't had a chance ter say nothjn' to her. But say, Professor, my powder's most out, and pa won't gimme any more money." The Professor in his quietly benevolent way put his hand in his pocket, drew out a handful of money, and gave it to Ferdinand without a word. " Oh, thank yer!" screamed the delighted youngster, and made off to the neighbouring village, whence, by the time lunch was over, he bad returned with enough powder to explode a hundred trembling declarations. When the whole, party stroll* d out

again to the simdy p uzzas, Angus extertiary formations to the ladies, and Clair whispered to Pinner— " Who!s that infernal-bore, Tack? " . "HeVconsidercd clever,". Jack whispered, in return. "All science; never could understand him. Guess he's only a'formation' himself. Been here two summers with Blanche, and she might . be a megatherium fbr all the gallantry he ever shows her:" . .; Clair answered by a contemptuous ex- . pression, and occupied himself in laying . a trap for, the active and canny small boy. It was too delicate a matter to explain just how Ferdie had been, obnoxious, and 80 secure 'parental interference. There ' seemed to be nothing. Je/t but stratagem, and on,that Mr Clair depided. ■ Toward mid-afternoon everybody grew .rather inclined to.yawn, and before the : : drive there was a geßeral scattering—Mr . - .Morton and Angus/to-the library, Mrs >: Morton to her room, Jenny and Jack to the river-side. Another chance now for - the declaration. A certain corner of the , piazza was embowered in wistaria. Just ; , ;the^ spot, provided;the enemy can be : drawn off... v i. : " Ferdie," Clair began, with treacherous -ous blandness, " I'll 1 bet you a dollar gold piece you can't walk down to that big oak* ( " tree" . (pointing across a wide open space ' and two meadows) " and back again in ten 1 minutes." ; "Bet I can." " All right—try it;" and Clair had ensconed himself by Blance's side on the ■ ..= shady- seat. ?"Now then. One, two, : ;*three." : <. ■■ ■■ ■ < • • '<-•■ v In the most showy pedestrian style off went the champion,' and Clair, with the great satisfaction of having his retreat* ' ing figure in sight, began a new' sort of phrase to introduce the world-old subject. "I've often thought,*' he said, "on a summer afternoon like this, how unhappy, a. man ia .without companionship." " Yes," replied Blanche, with a childlike, grave simplicity, " one is generally alone when there's nodody with him." - , '<r He looked at her,, could see nothing but ingenuousness, and went on : " The fact is MissLavine —Blanche, I need a wife ; and;in.moments "like this, when everything is calm, bright and still—" There was an ominous grumble, Clair knew the sign, and held his breath. Then '.came such a burst and crash and splinter, that Blanche, with a shriek, ran away, ; ' and Clair saw through the vines just out- !; i side of their retreat flying fragments of "l 'wood, sputtering ends of crackers, nameless dangerous parcels going off one by one. In short, an old barrel had been .filled with explosives,, the thing had gone ',''•'";' to splinters with one great throe, and now ' the scattered lighted . fragments were lying in every direction. " _.''. Jack and Jenny , came rushing ont to m v . the.scene. Mr Morton was buried in the ,*•;'.'. tertiary,.or he would have come too. Mrs > .- Morton cried out from an upper window, , t \) f'Oh, don't let the house gel. on fire!" There was general-confusion, and Clair, . ■ trying-to remember that his last words were "calm, bright, and still," in order to take up the topic at that point, stamped . and ,tl)rew water and jumped savagely -upon dangerous blazing bits, while in the midst up comes Master Ferdie, heel and ■ toe, his (ask accomplished, and saying: " Gimme the dollar. I done it." Savagely Clair clapped a dollar on his tough young palm, demanding: "How did you manage to set off your explosion at that distance, you young - Nihilist?". i < \ - " Fusee," responded Ferdie, grinning like a. monkey. ',' Set a fusee." Presently everybody went for a drive, bnt-thera were four- inreaeli carriage, so there could be no more chance for tender passages until after dinner. -< •!'■ "If any time belongs exclusively to the :■"•';'small rbpy, that time is Fourth ofvTuly 1 Xc evening. Every man is bound to help him set off rockets and Roman .candles, and every woman to ejaculate. Ferdie forced 'Upon'Clair all the biggest " pieces"; Clair - must stay out on the lawn, Clair must be burned and smudged and made odorous with powder smoke. Tired of so much honour, the impatient lover escaped, and . ; on gome, shallow pretense led Blanche to ■:- the end of the piazza. It was' so dark that the group they had left, though nothing intervened, could opt see them, and Clair, made desperate by so many unhappy experiments, boldly clasped Blanche about the waist, imprisoned her cool white hands, and began : „. , "My love, my diearest-r-" ./■' *' '' She wrenched away from him, but not before a white fire from a belching, exploding object held by a little dancing fiend had .lighted all the scene. The eyes of every 6rie< .we're upon them. Blanche stood apart, dishevelled and angry, then hurried to where Jenny stood. Ciair

followed meekly, and Jack Pinner -brazen Jack Pinner, who never knew the meaning r-'bf delicacy hirnself-ractualiy drew him aside and remonstrated. "Say, Gas, now really that's going too far." .. . .- Glair-muttered some bad words, avoided the Professor's mildly observant eye, was not even grateful for Mr Morton's polite pretense, that j nothing amUshad been noticed,. but rushed down upon the lawn and again gave himself up to Ferdinand, his tormentor. He stood in green light ■ '- like a corpse, in red light like a hero, in ; ■■ changing yellow, blue, and purple like " "some horrible fabledrnonster, '"tfe was "' ' singed; he,smiled-"under fiery rains; '' hkrdly winced under a descending rocket ■tick; but noi more did he attempt the Ticinity ot'theV"beautiful Blanche, who looked out from'a cloucl'-,' of White lace as serene as ev.er, and. to .whom tliV. chang .ing lights brought wonderful and lovely , : transfigurations. , .; At last,,disgusted he;calledout, "Jack, it's time to go.''.. r-yuMt Afortoninade some civil protest, and rang for thft. groom,; but Clair flung back a hasty " (rood night ] I'm too smoky to be ormal," and strode off' towards the Btables. Jack Pinner - and Jenny stole away somewhere into space (nobody knows just what retreat*,lovers find), Mrs Morton melted into the. house, and Ferdie looked out from the rain and sputter of a Catherine-wheel, master of the situation. " Hi-o-o ! hi-o-o!" he yelled, with.an sar-piercing, yodel; then as he stamped ..-.out some, few sparks, and smouldering fragments, he announced to the elements, . " I bet I fiied him. Hi oo !" . The young hero then executed a- war- . dance up the stepß of the deserted piazza, and in his gladness felt impelled to continue it. So, with a hop and a leap and a victorious ''whpop!" he rounded a cora ' ncr, and oame to the, wistaria shaded seal, now "checkered with the light from the juit rising moon. Here he stopped quite , . abort, and ashed, " Hello, who's thnt ?" for a strong hand had checked his career, ', -and held him in a tight clutch. . ■ - -\ "Ob, it's you, Professor/ said Ferdiej v,: •! he recognized that the band belonged

to Angus, who was sitting in the flecks of moonshine. " Hello ! who —" Ferdie went on; but he got no further, for there, be i side Angus, her lieavetily fair faco laid against his sh ulder, his arm holding her close and firm, was—Blanche. She laughed a little, and stammered, " "What shall we do ?" as Ferdie stood with his begrimed little face all stony with surprise. Angus answered : " The small chap has done us good service to day. Tell him." Blanche drew the suit of knickerbockers close up auainst her white draperies, and whispered, " I've just promised to marrjr Professor Angus," and she put a gentle kiss on the round, freckled cheek. Ferdinand raised one howl—a roar of misplaced confidence and unhappy lovethen, with a prolonged boo boo, sank down at Blanche's feet, all on her pretty white dress, and sobbed out, " I—l wantwanted to—to marry you myself." " Pot>r little fellow, he's all tired out," ! said Blanche, and wrapped him up in her knitted shawl, vrhile he cried and cried 1 away, first aloud, then more and more quietly, until he fell fast asleep. After a while the two happy lovers piloted along between them a very' limp and worn-out small boy to his own room. There Angus helped him off with those knickerbockers, while Ferdie, between sleepy sobs, ejaculated at intervals (with all the feeling of a CaDsar exclaiming, " if t j tv, Brute !"'), " I thought you was a brick, but you ain't a brick." At last he tumbled into bed, and was playing marbles or flying kites in the laud of dreams within half a minute. Clair remarked airily to Pinner; when they heard of the engagement: "Well, Jack, you know- I was ner»-r refused, forl never really offered myseif." Jack turned upon him the shrewd eye with which he views the market, slapped him on the back, and answered, with a laugh: "Guess you didn't, old boy. Bang !" Ferdio soon fell in love with a very young lady who had a lisp and yellow curls, and atßlanche's wedding he overate himself fearfully, and threw the slipper after the bride with his wildest, leap and his loudest Hi! hi I—Harper's Bazaar.