The Somerset reporter., 1896-02-06
THE RED LANTERN.

tern would tickle you to death.
Nav, returned Jimmy, oontemptu-
ously. II wanted one with green light.
They re twice as nice. "
well, now, that's strange" said
John Saunders, looking at his boys
disappointed face. "When l was a
youngster, 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. y
"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, l reckon. Don t
forget that, Jimmy. You re the son of Il
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 not up to Jimmys 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 ont
in Indiana on his fathers handsome
country place. So, of course, being the
son of a rich man and a dweller i'll 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
full city of which Jimmy never tired of
hearing Charlie descriptions.
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
We're 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 i'll the news and piled their
fathers with questions about the great
strike.
"What did you hear i'll town today.
father?" asked Jimmy, having recovered
from his vexatiom over the red lantern,
as his father was embarrassing Zebedee
the old gray horse.
There all sorts of news-the worst
goings on in Chicago ever you heard of, y
answered his father. And Dexter, too,
is full of IA 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. ] dunno, !"
gloomily shaking his head, 81 dunno
what's going to happen, but tell you
one thing-I'm glad We don't live III
Chicago, my son.
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 Somers
country place, half a mile up the road
to play tag with Charlie in 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 an excited little
group standing about the telephone in
the hall and Mr.. Somers listening in
tently to the unseen messenger.
Perfect panic there tonight, - he said
as he dropped the repeater. Troops
fired into the mob this afternoon; killed
half a dozen people; fires everywhere /;
wrecking going on and re-enforcements
coming from New York tonight.
Hello, jim, said Charlie, coming
forward "Come on Let play strike.
You be freight car, and I'll be strik-
er and overturn you.
This new game was followed awhile,
and then Charlie 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 foot 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 a smart green lam
tern from the stable until both boys
We're tired out. The sun had long Since
set, and the darkness was coming ON
fast. " | N ost go home, suddenly cried
Jimmy. "Gracious | didn t know 1t
was so late. Mother will be awfully
worried "
well. be sure and come over tomor-
row. cried Charlie after him. and
we'll play strike again.
"All right" answered Jimmy as he
went whistling down the road.
AS he came near the road Jimmy