The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-04-16
WHEN abb RT
PROPOSED


EST DFDtler-AlD8FL Sl4uey FWAUM~t
is a boy who win one Of these days /
come to a bad end.
To know Albert Sidney-to know |
him thoroughly-ls an education In ju- /
venile depravty. lesson in tabloided !
hendishness. He's right enough super /
fcially. mind you, but when you get at |
the soul Of the boy your faith in the
innocence and harmlessness Of iuye- |
nility generally is gone forever Il
was last Christmas eve when I probed /
the depths Of Master Putlow. IN tell I
you In what circumstances.
For very good reasons I wished 10
secure freedom from Albert Sidney's |
attentions on the evening in question
I felt somehow, that the task Of ask
ing bis sister Nellie certain little
question would not be made easier in |
any way BY having her young brother
buzzing around offering to regulate my
watch Or exhibiting some homemade
marvel In the clockwork mouse line.
Master Putlow. I may tell you, is a
prodigy in a mechanical direction
When other small boys are learning
to play football he is fiddling about
with spur wheels; when they are
dreaming Of getting their international
caps Albert sidney's sleep Is punctu-
ated with visions Of cogs, ratchets and
perpetual motion.
"I'll have none OF him." thought
and during the afternoon / sent around
with my best wishes for a happy
Christmas. a book calculated to keep
any other nineyear-old boy as quiet
as an oyster till each Of its 24O pages
had been dogs cared as black as coal.
In the evening called round. Mel
lies father and mother were, as
expected out on a Santa Claus excur.
sion to their married daughters. "Al-
bert's at his book, I suppose?" / re-
marked, when l was asked into the
front parlor.
NO" said Nellie; he's doing some
thing to a Waterbury watch in the
back. Been busy all day. Look here"
pointing to an old-fashioned clock
fixed to the wall. "He unearthed that
from the lumber room three days ago.
It hasn't been going for ten years
and he's cleaned 1t, put 1t In order,
and fixed 1t up as a surprise for dad.
It's going splendidly."
OF course I didn't mind little bit
about the book not claiming the boys
attention. So long as he was occupied
elsewhere l was perfectly satisfied
We talked about nothing in particu.
lar for five minutes, then braced my
self up for the ordeal. Nellie was in
the rocker and | was on the saddlebag
lounge by her side. It was then or
never.
Nellie" I whispered, glancing at
my cuff, on which had penciled my
headings. Nellie, have long"
"Whirr!"
She looked up, not at me, but at the
clock. Its going to strike" she said.
"Bong!" The thing had note like
Big Ben.
Il have long"
"Bong!" Better Jump In at the in.
tervals." thought I, for anybody would
have needed a megaphone to make
himself heard above that din long
felt that life"
"Bongl" isn't It splendldg Nellie
smiled.
decided to wait till the awful thing
had finished "Bongl bong! bong!
bongl bong!" At the eighth stroke i
gave sigh of relief and started again.
Il have long
''Bong!" That's too many" said
Nellie What are you saying?"
"Bongl"
"Bong!"
| was losing patience with that lum
ber-room find. 1t occasioned me nc
surprise that the clock was somewhat
erfatic after master Putlows stten
tions. but that 1t should seize Just that
particular time to exhibit its yagarie.
annoyed me. Never mind, thought
''it can't strike more than 12."
had altogether underestimated itl
capabilities. When | had counted .,
whirrs and bongs, Nellie started laugh
! Ing. walked to the door and called t,
Albert Sidney.
He came, bringing an odor Of clocl
oil into the room.
Something's the matter with tha
clocks striking gear" l said, will
+ forced calmness.
I Been strikin' long?" he asked.
r That's the 39th time" answere,
e as another "Bong!" set all the man
S tel-shelf ornaments dancing.
Albert Sidney whistled. Thought I
4 might 80 Ike that, he grinned. Goo,
clocks often do It hasn't struck 70
ten years, you see, and now It won
stop till it's done all its back striking
Great Jupiter! A lightning calculation
. told me that, roughly speaking, 560.00
0 bongs were overdue At four to tn
2 minute it would be some time in Apri
j. before that awful clock was up-to-date
e IL think I'll be going" gasped
T. deciding on postponement, and Of
the 18th stroke, l shook hands wit
Nellie, glared murder at her brother