Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-11-24
CHAPTER II.

Salmon trout, roast chickens, peas
and potatoes. Now l wonder how
cherry tart would do, or would 1t be
too frivolous, Daddy?"
The voice seemed to come from the
floor, somewhere down by the white mus
lin window curtains.
Prof. Laybourne who was engrossed
in the minute examination of the me-
chanism of a grosshopper's thigh through
his famous microscope, raised his vener-
able head for one moment as the small
childish voice struck upon his ear.
What is my Kitten chattering about
down there?" he said, making a pencil
note upon the manuscript by his side.
81 was only wondering if old men liked
cherry tart, Daddy"
whenever they can get it, | should
say, Kitten. Apropos of what is that
wise remark, and what old man are you
proposing to regale in so succulent a
fashion,"
what old man? Oh. daddy! I do be-
lieve you have beetles on the brain to
such an extent that you are losing your
memory. Have you forgotten that this
Is the day that your friend, Mr.. Des'
mond, is coming to stay with your
And you call him an old man. Kit.
ten? Why, he is quite lad"
you said he was thirty-eight Dad,
dy," replied the small voice reproachful
ly. II call that quite old. Why, he Is
twenty-five years older than l am, old
enough to be my father-why, it's near
ly forty" in voice of horror.
| 1on.haI HVau n,
consider me sort of Methuselah, fos
sill of preAdamite date, then. Do yor
know that am over sixty, Kitten?"
"Ah, but you are my Daddy" she an
swered, with indescribable tenderness il
her voice.
pray, what have you got upon you
mind, Miss Laybourne 2" inquired he
father, with smile in answer to hi.
daughters last observation.
Your dinner, Mr.. Professor. I hav,
noticed, daddy, that although you ar,
a very great man, your intellect is Otter
more sluggish than mine. Now give IN,
a man about to arrive by the oclocl
train on a certain day, my mind Instant,
fixes itself upon one idea, and that idet
is naturally dinner; your brain seeml
to be brought far more slowly and will
inconceivable difficulty to this point
mot at all, Kitten" answered the pro
fessor, taking up letter which lay upoI
the table; ''since have heard this morn
ing from Brian Desmond that he will
not arrive till 10 o'clock tonight, m,
intellect naturally. bounded beyond th
dinner hour at once, and fixed itsel
upon"
Supper" interrupted Kitten, triumph
antly.
"And what are we to have for supper
then?"
"Why, the same thing as dinner. t,
+ be sure; salmon trout cold, chickens
cold, salad instead of peas, and cherr,
tart cold, too; that is to say, if yo,
think he will eat cherry tart" she added
with curiously childish anxiety.
But you will have to go to bed Kit
ten; little girls can't sit up to late SUP
pers. Besides, Desmond is coming t.
, see me upon business, so we shall d
just as well without you tonight"
Kitten laughed. She did not oftel
laugh. Her fun was more often ex
pressed in certain demure dryness ne
culiar to herself-laughter was not. Der
haps, indigenous to the soil of the pro
fessor's household; but when at rar
, intervals Kitten laughed, her laugh wa
very sweet to hear. 1t was never lou
or noisy, it could hardly even be calle
, hearty, and yet it was pleasant to listel
to, like the ripping note of cage,
bird that MARBLES response to som
inner gush Of feeling Of its own.
She futtered away out Of the room
her thoughts back again with the cherr
tart and the supper, and the professo
was left alone.
: But he did not go back to his micro
scope. He leaned his pale face, line
, and scored like an ancient parchmen
, with study and thought, upon his han
: and sighed.
, "What is to become Of herr' he sal