The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-02-18
~ ! pslrsit ~ Tsrsed Psrais.



HI was one Of that kind Of boys vno
need good whipping about twice per
veek. but Who think they ought NOS %
- whipped more than once n two years.
H;s amusement was sliding down hill on
nothing. blufing some boys, and prepar-
ine cayenne pepper lozenges LOT un-
suspecting cats He was often heard to
remark:
fittings has got to git up n howl
when Le0nidus is aroundm
CHAPTER hat TWILIGHT.
Time, sundown-scene, the interior OF
. well-prcserved woodshed. The sound
of blows and cries rent the solemn still
ness Of twilight's mystic hour, and the
old man was heard saying:
There, guess that'll lastyou for day
or two! I've put up with your sass as
long as l can"
No reply-nothing but deep-drawn
sobs and quavering signs.
The old man threw away the strap and
walked into the house, and Leonidus sat
on the corner of an old table to mediate.
CHATTER m.--A BLOODY RESOLVE.
"Thaps the last licking I'll ever take
from any mortal mani" whispered the
lad, shaking his fist at the kitchen door.
"And I'll make the old man sorry that
he ever laid strap over his only SON."
He resolved to run away and become
a pirate! He would sail the raging main,
revel in murder, acquire ducats, and
then come home and take revenge on
his father. With Leonidus to resolve
was to execute. He entered the house,
passed upstairs and was soon engaged
in making up a bundle, consisting OF
one pair of patched pants, one photo
graph of his girl, one jack-knife, one
cotton sock and few walnuts. The
bundle was thrown out Of the window,
and then
CHAPTER Iy.-LEONIDUs LOOKS AROUND
the room for the last time. The bed
stead looked familiar, the old blue chest
in the corner had a thousand tender
memories connected with it, and the
broken down chair seemed to hold out
its arms and plead for him to stay.
would if the old man hadn't licked
me-" answered Leonidus; "but I'll show
him what kind of coffee-mill ami"
He passed downstairs and halted to
embrace the baby. He wasn't down on
his mother, and he gave her sweet
smile. He crawled in behind the stove
and whispered to the dog:
"Good-by, old Samson. I'd like to
stay here, but I'm too old to be licked"
And he passed out of doors and the
great wide world was before him.
CHAPTER v.-soLEMN THOUGHTS.
Securing his bundle Leonidus crept
into the back yard to see if it was really
best for him to become pirate. The
polar wave chewed at his ears and red
dencd his nose, and he wondered if the
pirate business wasn't pretty cold bust
ness. He didn't know whether it was
best to make for Toledo or Chicago in
order to become buccaneer, but he
finally passed through the gate. He
walked around the house several times
to catch glimpse of his mother. 1t was
hard to tear himself away. He knew
how she would take on next day and how
the papers would call it another Charley
Ross case, and he decided to 60 into the
yard and think it over again.
CHAPTER VIA RAY OF LIGHT.
After little time spent in thought
Leonidus decided that if his father would
agree never to lick him again, and would
give him two dollars per week to buy
candy, he would not run away and be
come a pirate. He would go in and make
the proposition to the old man, and if it
welcome a career of blood.
He went in. No one had noticed his
absence, and each face looked as natural
as if he hadn't been gone twenty-eight |
minutes. He felt some little delicacy
about broaching the proposition, and as |
feeler" he asked the old man to lend |
him his knife. 1t was handed to him and
returned after awhile, and Lconidus de-
cided to put off making the proposition
until morning. He got into his little bed
feeling that it was positively his last
night, but the next forenoon he was |
heard splitting wood in the back yard |
and saying to Jack Sparkling:
GIVE concluded to wait until he ticks |
me just once more, and then nothing can
stop me-no.hing on earth" -Desroit
FIRE. Press.