Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1897-10-28
o.
IN or
1t was a peremptory mo"

mo, Freddy, don't think any more
about it."
Can't you make an exception just
this once" begged Fred, my brother,
looking like a prosecuted sinner.
mo! You might lose it; somebody
might find it; we might be exposed to
all sorts of calamities; someone might
get into the house"
stop. mother, you are picturing i'm
probabilities to yourself"
Secondly" continued our mother,
you are too young to carry a latch
key. | don't wish you to be out late at
night; you are the only male protector
we have, and | want you to be at home
with us"
Under any other circumstances Fred
might have been proud to be called our
"only mae protector" but this dis
tinction made no impression upon him
now. When mother had taken the
latchkey from the Keyboard and con
signed 1t to her pocket, Fred wasn't in
the kindllest frame of mind.
Two months ago we had moved from
the little town where we were born to
a large city--mother, Fred and l. We
were still upset and confused by the
sudden radical change from country
quiet to the bust.e Of a metropolis.
Mother certainly came much against
her inclination, but Freddy exhibited
an unusual musical talent. and |, too,
was modestiy gifted with Il propensity
for drawing, and we fe,t the needs of
instructive advantages which we could
not obtain In our native town. Our
maternal parent was unwilling that we
should 20 forth into the world alone,
and 50 the little home was sacrificed,
and we set up an abode elsewhere.
Our mother, who had been the most
conliding soul in the world, was sus-
picious of everything and everybody in
ner new surroundings and insisted
that the house should be locked and
bolted ut 10 O'Clock every night. At
that time we bO,tPd the door TO our
apartments. At hat past 10 the front
door was locked by the ianltor, and
everybody was supposed to be safely
tucked away IN bed.
"~RidiculOus,' growled Fred, after
mother had left the room with the key
In her pocket, "to expect Il grown man
10 be at home every night Mt 10"
Fred was invited to Il little suppe
after the concert at which his music
teacher was to render the star num-
bers.
she viii let you stay out till II If |
ask her. ana will sit up for you"
You know mother goes to bed ut 10.
so If ! should he Il little behind time.
don't mind, Mi.ly, don't mind; that's Il
good girl"
VERY well, brother mine!"
cor half an hour, or an hour. She'll
be asleep, anyway, ana III just cough
gently under you window, and then
you'll come down and let me in"
See that YOU watch is not too far
behind time. Freddy" | laughed. "and
III see what can b. done"
III 30 down now and try it on! If
yon hear me cough, let me know"
Freddy went out, A moment after
ward ! heard him cough Immediately
under my window. | looked II and
nodded to him. "All right, old fellow.
I can hear the signal"
Mother finally was prevailed upon to
give her permission for Fred to stay out
until IL, and after supper made herself
comfortable in the big arm chair with
the evident intention to wait for the
male protector" of the family.
At 10 o'clock she looked pretty sleepy.
and the strike of the next half hour
awoke her from her first nap. She
gathered up her knitting.
"He will soon he here now. Milly;
It's really not worth while for both of
us TO sit up. I'm going TO bed but not
TO sleep until he is safely at home"
l babe mother goodnight. In less
than five minutes, | knew, she would
be sound asleep, An interesting book
would help me over the next hour, Be-
fore knew | was deeply involved In
the love affair or a young couple, and
when turned the last page of the book
II was twenty minutes past midnight.
A sudden thought struck terror to my
heart, Fred may have been here and,
absorbed as | vas in my story. l might
not have heard the signal. | rushed to
the window, but nobody was to be seen.
the minutes dragged with leaden slow.
ness. A quarter Of l! Where could
he be2 At l o'clock began 30 divest
myself of my dress and slipped into
my gown. Then arranged my hair
for the night and had just finished put
ting one side of my head into curl
papers, when the signal came.
went to the window, opened 1t Just
N htt mud SufI Snftlu.