“Oh, say, talk sense, can’t you?” exclaimed Ibee. “What are you driving at, anyhow?”
“That’s all for the present, class,” replied Soami, tantalizingly, as she ran off with Angie, who had just appeared.
Ibee decided to hunt up Tom Holden before going to class, to find out what he knew. But Tom hadn’t heard anything about the question.
“I don’t see any harm in a few proper celebrations,” said Tom. “What’s Miss Helpem’s idea, I wonder?”
By the time the class assembled all the boys had heard something about “Miss Helpem’s Fourth of July idea,” and there was an unusual air of expectancy as the assistant nurse came into the class room carrying—what do you think?—a toy pistol, a bunch of tiny firecrackers, a bunch of medium-sized firecrackers, and some “giant cannon” crackers. Of course, they were very tiny, just the right size for Mary Frances’ dolls. The “cannon” crackers were like the tiniest real ones you ever saw.
Miss Helpem had just laid them all on the little glass table near the little glass medicine closet, when Shesa Brave came in carrying a little cannon—which would really “go off, if loaded.”
The boys certainly were surprised, for they thought they were to hear these very toys condemned.
“Good afternoon, boys,” smiled Miss Helpem, straightening her cap. “This is to be a very interesting lesson. It’s our Fourth of July lesson, even though the Fourth doesn’t come until next Tuesday. I hope we are all going to have a grand time on the Fourth. The girls’ class have planned their part in the town event. Doctor Surecure is in charge, you know. He is planning a civic and patriotic celebration. I shall ask Miss Shesa to read you the program. You will notice that your space is left blank. That is, left open so that we may fill it in to-day. Now, Shesa, read if you please.”
Shesa read the—