. . .

Fine night

It was Festival time again, and everyone was wondering what the showpiece would be. The Joneses gossipped about it with the Stodgers, and the Stodgers with the Harraldsens, and the Harraldsens with the Montagues. The Montagues, who were in on the secret, just smiled secretively, and refused to tell any of the details when pressed. "It's a surprise!" they said. "You wouldn't want to spoil the surprise, would you?" And then they went back to the barn to spend more time helping with the preparations for the party.

"I can't wait!" said Becky Samuels to her latest beau, Jonathan C. Perron. The C. in his name stood for Carmen, a fact which he hid as best he could. "I bet this year they'll set up a rollercoaster!"

"There isn't enough room in there for any size rollercoaster, and if they were building it out back we'd have seen something. I think there'll be fireworks."

"They did fireworks four years back. They never repeat, you should know that."

Jonathan, who had forgotten, blushed.