Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-10-21
1T WAS 1896 O'CLOCK. "
So Said Mr.. Shaw's Time-Piece
Upon a Notable Night.

1t was not until fathers patience had
ceased to be polite virtue that Fred
and decided to carry out our plan.
He had said SO many times at break
fast, just as he laid down the carving
knife and fork, after waiting on us all:
''Flora, my daughter, ten o'clock is
late enough for any young man to stay
on an evening call" And Flora had
as often looked up imploringly, her
pretty face on fire, and said: "Why,
papa, how can l help it?''
To this defensive inquiry father
would not deign to reply. while mother,
Aunt Elizabeth and we boys maintained
a profound silence. each doubtless pom
dering how the difficult question might
be solved.
Roger Pettijohn was a sophomore in
the college town in which we lived.
He lied his class" was the son of his
father, Judge Pettijohn, and general
favorite with the young people. Fred
and | rather liked him; his boats were
always at our service. and it was one
of our choicest pleasures to spend an
hour in the study which he had fitted
up in one of the college dOrmitories, to
''be with the boys" There was no end
of curious things there. for Roger was
not a mere dig" but an enthusiastic
student of nature and famous good
pitcher in the college nine. Besides
well-stocked aquarium and large col
lection of stuffed birds, his room was
deckcd out with fencing-foils, patent
oars, boxing-gloves. fine pair of
antlers sent him from Texas, and a
good many things that would interest
boys.
But the one drawba to our enjoy
ment of Roger Pettijohn was that he
came to see our sister Flora not less
than three evenings in a week, and the
town clock usually struck eleven as he
went whistling homeward Not that
we boys or the household were at all
put out by his long calls We never
heard any thing from the parlOr, save
the subdued murmur of talking and
lreading, and now and then the meloGi-
.ous tones of piano or flute. But it was
zone of our little domestic secrets that
Flora was working for the valedictory
IN her class at the academy, and we
AL knew she could take it if she could
get time to study at home. But with
all the numberless housekeeping
duties which she took upon herself,
there was often not mach of study
hour left her. So Roger Pettijohn's
calis,eenJoyable as they might be, were
not>so cordially thought of or men
tioned in the family circle as they
would have been had they been fewer
or shorter
All this accounts for the plan which
Fred and l determined to carry ont.
Ne said,that Roger Pettiiohn should
be made. aware OF the flight of time. if
such "a thing were possible. 1t was
sevarai days before We hit upon a
scheme that suited U.S. ANY number
of fside jokes that might easily be
worked out came into oar minds. but
we were not sure we should enjoy rude
Jokes ourselves.
One day ut school Fred looked up
from his algebra with peculiar grin.
sn 4 few ssiautes | saw note work
rag It's way from desk to desk tow ard
ne. At last it came, and / eagerly
opened 1t alsaost d. plain sight of the
aTsGs-eyed Air. aSinter. who. we
thought, spent more of his time in pro-
hibSin@ levi, comm ulications. than
in explaining eguati,s7s and constIu-
ing oar difficult Latin >ltences.
FREQ note was as follows:
Tie got ii: You know The old cioek?
We'll. IL make il strike T. so b trd he II un-
Gcretaild. Don't FORGET {. More !aIcr'
hardly understood; but / gave my
assent without hesitation to Fred's
plan. whatever it might be: for he had
aSi:'i we hogs call ~ long head :,sid &
sale heel
ANON. tie treasures in our work
sh;p MAS a worn-out clock. The Oh | !
i.;;ie- piece had come down from
;a"iher generation and had been in
3 d. gIite valuabir but in the e.aes
Eaen EoGer FettiioIa game to see Our