AT THE MILITARY EXHIBITION.
IN THE AVENUE FACING THE ARENA.
An Unreasonable Old Lady (arriving breathless, with her grandson and niece). This'll be the place the balloon goes up from, I wouldn't miss it for anything! Put the child up on that bench, MARIA; we'll stand about here till it begins.
Maria. But I don't see no balloon nor nothing.
[Which, as the foliage blocks out all but the immediate foreground, is scarcely surprising.
The U.O.L. No more don't I—but it stands to reason there wouldn't be so many looking on if there wasn't something to see. We're well enough where we are, and I'm not going further to fare worse to please nobody; so you may do as you like about it.
[MARIA promptly avails herself of this permission.
The U.O.L. (a little later). Well, it's time they did something, I'm sure. Why the people seem all moving off! and where's that girl MARIA got to? Ah, here you are! So you found you were no better off?—Next time, p'raps, you'll believe what I tell you. Not that there's any War Balloon as I can see!
Maria. Oh, there was a capital view from where I was—out in the open there.