CHAPTER VIII.
How to Spend the "Fourth." That evening, after supper, Frank retired to his room, and, settling himself in his comfortable armchair, was soon deeply interested in one of Bayard Taylor's works.

While thus engaged, a light step was heard in the hall, and, afterward, a gentle rap at his door, and Julia came into the room.
"Now, Frank," she began, "I don't want you to read to-night." "Why not ?" he inquired.
"Why, you know that day after to-morrow is the Fourth of July, and--" "And you haven't got your fire-works yet ?" interrupted Frank.
"That's it, exactly." "Well," said her brother, rising to put away his book, "then, I suppose, I shall have to go down to the village and get you some.

What do you want ?" "I want all the things that are written down on this paper." Frank took the paper and read, "Three packs of fire-crackers, four boxes of torpedoes, three Roman candles, half a dozen pin-wheels, and a dozen sky-rockets." "Whew!" said Frank, as he folded up the paper and put it into his pocket, "that's what I should call going it strong! Well, I'll tell Mr.Sheldon [the store-keeper] to send up all the fire-works he has got." Julia burst into a loud laugh, and, the next moment, Frank and Brave were out of the gate, on their way to the village.
In the mean time several of Frank's acquaintances had been amusing themselves on the village common with a game of ball.

At length it grew too dark for their sport to continue, and one of the boys proposed that they should decide upon some pleasant way of spending the Fourth.
In spite of the humiliating defeat which Charles Morgan and his companions had sustained, they were present; and the former, who had been making every exertion to regain the good-will of the village boys, exclaimed, "Let's go hunting." "No, no," shouted several.
"The game in the woods isn't good for any thing this time of year, Charley," said James Porter, who, although he cordially disliked Charles, always tried to treat him kindly.
"Who cares for that ?" exclaimed Charles, who, having always been accustomed to lead and govern his city associates, could not endure the steadfastness with which these "rude country boys," as he called them, held to their own opinions.

Although, during the whole afternoon, he had been endeavoring to work himself into their favor, he was angry, in an instant, at the manner in which they opposed his proposition.