SOME NOTED BEACON BEARERS 
“ Tommy! ” exclaimed Mother, aghast, “ how 
in the world did you get that great gash in your 
foot, child? ” 
“ Why-ee,” the lad returned, startled, “ I—I 
didn’t! ” and he lifted his bare foot for examina¬ 
tion. 
Instantly there was a shout of laughter from 
those assembled on the moonlit porch; for what 
seemed to be a gaping wound was the shining 
beacon of a firefly or lightning bug which the boy 
had accidentally ground into his heel. 
“ Well,” ejaculated Tommy, regarding the 
“wreckage” in rueful surprise, “ I thought every 
firefly that had wings was in the air to-night! ” 
“So they are, boy,” returned Uncle John, 
quickly; “ the poor creature which met its fate at 
your hands—or I should say heels —had not yet 
shaken out its wings. It was probably fresh 
from its cocoon in the earth. Or perchance it 
was not a firefly at all, but its close kin, the glow¬ 
worm. Indeed, from the extent of its luminos¬ 
ity, I should judge the latter to be the case. As 
the time draws near for the glowworm weddings, 
the male glowworms develop wings and take to 
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