The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1896-02-12
THE RED LANTERN.

ooh, pshaw, pop! What made you get
a red one?"
why, my son, thought q red Ian
tern would tickle you to death. "
"Naw," returned Jimmy, contemptu-
ously. "Iwanted one with green light
They're twice as nice"
well, now, that's strange" said
John Saunders, looking at his boys
disappointed face. "When I was q
youngster, I liked anything if twas red
"a red wagon, sled, top. AS long as
there was some. red about it thought
twas stylish and first class.
"Red is so common" said Jimmy,
with great airs.
go long" said the father. AREN'T
you ashamed, sir? That's the sort Of airs
you learn from playing with boys that
have money-at least their fathers have.
Red common. Well, so am common
SOS your ma, and, for the matter of
that, so are you, too, reckon. Don't
forget that, Jimmy. You re the son Of a
laboring man. Don't try to ape folks
who are better off in this world"
Jimmy Saunders picked up the de-
spised lantern and went out to the barn
with it. His father had just returned
from the town with few purchases for
the family and among them this lantern,
which was net up to Jimmy's ideas Of
lanterns. He wanted one with bright
green light and nickel trimmings like
the one used at Mr.. Somers' stables.
Charlie Somers said they were much
nicer than red lanterns, which were
common looking and only used by rail
road men. And what Charlie Somers
said was law to Jimmy Saunders.
Charlie lived in Chicago during the
winter and only spent his vacations out
in Indiana on his fathers handsome
country place. Sc, of course, being the
son Of q rich man and dweller in the
cities, his word had great weight with
the boy who had never been farther
away from the farm than to the neigh
boring town Of Dexter.
Mr.. Saunders farm lay next to the
railroad, which wound like great shin
ing serpent through the woods, the deep
cut beyond the creek and across the
swamp and on to Chicago, that wonder
ful city of which Jimmy never tired Of
hearing Charities descriptions.
But just now there was trouble il the
great city-mobs and strikes and confu
sion and chaos almost. Every day the
boys could hear Mr.. Somers speak Of the
state of affairs to the gentlemen who
were visiting him, and all agreed that
there were to be terrible times unless
the city was declared under martial law.
And as the days went On and rumors
of fires and killing and destruction float
ed out through the quiet countryside
Charlie and Jimmy both became greatly
interested in tho news and piled their
fathers with questions about the great
strike.
"What did yop hear in town today,
father" asked Jimmy, having recovered
from his veSation over the red lantern,
as his father was embarrassing Zebedee,
the old gray horse.
There's all sorts of news-the worst
goings on in Chicago ever you heard Of, "
answered his father. And Dexter, too,
is full of a crowd that's threatening to
burn the depot. They've overturned a
lot of freight cars and upset things gen
orally around the station. heard folks
saying that soldiers are coming from
New York some time tonight to re-en-
force the troops in Chicago, and they
were making threats that they shouldn' t
get farther than Dexter. 1 dunno"
gloomily shaking his head, "I dunno
what's going to happen, but I tell you
one thing-I'm glad We don't live in
Chicago, my SOD"
Jimmy secretly wished they did, so
that he might see some Of these exciting
scenes, but as they didn't he tried to
content himself by going to the Soners
country place, half a mile up the road,
to play tag with Charlie III pursuance
of an engagement made early that morn
ing.
When he went into the house to ask
for his playmate, who was not outside
as usual, he found al excited little
group standing about the telephone in
the hall ard Mr. Somers listening in
tently to the unseen messenger.
Perfect panic there tonight, he said
as he dropped the repeater. Troops
fired into the oh this afternoon; killed
half dozen people; fires everywhere; !;
wrecking going on and re-enforcements
coming from New York tonight; -
Hello, Jim," said Charlie, coming
forward. Come on. Let's play strike.
You be freight car, and I'll be strik-
er and overturn you"
This new game was followed awhile,
and then Charities fertile brain suggest
ed another scheme. You be train full
of soldiers coming from New York, and
I'll be the mob and stop you. "
So Jimmy, with many a toot and
snort and "chug chug," rushed here
and there among the shrubbery, playing
he was train, while Charlie piled
sticks on the track and tagged the train
and stopped it with smart green lan-
tern from the stable until both boys
were tired out. The sun had long since
set, and the darkness was coming on
fast. Il must 60 home" suddenly cried