The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-10-08
IT WAS 1896 O'CLOCK"
So Said Mr.. Snaw's Time-Piece
Upon Notable Night.

II was not until fathers patience had
ceased to be polite virtue that Fred
and decided 70 carry out our plan.
H. had said 20 many times Mt break
fast. just As he laid down the carving
knife and fork. after waiting on ~ all:
"Flora. my daughter, ten O'Clock Is
late enough for any young man TO stay
on an evening call" And Flora had
a. often looked up imploringly, her
pretty face on fire. and said: "Why.
papa, how can help it2''
To this defensive inquiry father
would not dcign to reply. while mother.
Aunt Elizabeth and we boys maintained
. profound silence. each doubtless pom
dering how the difficult question might
BE- solved.
Roger Pcttijohn was sophomore in
the college town in which we lived.
lie lied his class. was the son Of his
father. Judge Pettijohn, and a general
favorite with the Young people. Fred
and rather liked him; his boats we're
always AZ our service, and II was one
OF our choicest pleasures TO spend an
hour in the study which he bad fitted
up in one Of the college dormitorics. 70
'be with the boys" There was no end
Of curious things there. for Roger WAS
not mere dig" but an enthusiastic
student Of nature and famous good
pitcher in the college nine. Besides a
well-stockcd aquarium and large col
lection Of stuffed birds. his room was
dccked out with fencing-foils, patent
oars. boxing-glovcs. line pair Of
antlers sent him from Texas, and q
good many things that would interest
boys.
But The one drawback TO our enjoy
mcnt Of Roger Pettijohn was that he
came to see our sister Flora not less
than three evenings in week. and the
town clock usually struck eleven as he
went whi>tling homcward. Not that
We boys or the household were at al
put out BY his long calls. We never
heard any thing from the parlor, save
the subdued murmur Of talking and
reading. and now and then the mclodi
Gus tones Of piano or flute. But II wa.
one Of our little domestic secrets tha'
Flora was working for the valedictory
in her class at the academy. and WI
all knew she could take il IL she could
get time 70 study at home. But with
all the numbcrlcss housekeeping
duties which she took upon herself
there was often not much Of stud,
hour left her. So Roger Pcttijohn's
calls. enjoyable Is they might be, wers
not 50 cordially thought Of or men
toned in the family circle as they
would have been had they been fewer
or shorter.
All this accounts for the plan which
Fred and determined to carry ont
We said that Roger Pcttijohn shoult
be made aware Of the flight Of time. /
such thing were possible. II wa
several days before we hit upon I
scheme that suited us Any number
Of rude jokes that might easily b.
worked out came into our minds, bu
we were not sure we should enjoy rude
jokes ourselves.
One day at school Fred looked uT
from his algebra with a peculiar grin
In few minutes | saw a note work
Ing Its way from desk 10 desk towart
me. At last il came, and cagerl,
opened u almost IN plain sight q tn
- -he-tNt w VT. WiuttT. Wuvs W.
thought, spent more Of his time in pro
hibiting ''cril communications. thar
N explaining equations and constIu
ing our difficult Latin sentences.
Frcd's note was as follows:
w I've got ~ You know the old clock
We'll, Ill make u strike Y. so hard he'll un
ocrstand: Don't forget it More later
hardly understood; but 1 gave m,
assent without hesitation 20 Fred
plan, whatever Il might BE-; for he has
safo heel. "
Among the treasures In our work
shop was wom-out clock. The OH
dme-picce had come down from
another generation. and had been Il
q: day quite valuable; but IN the day,
when Roger Petliiohn came 70 - on