Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1908-03-11
WHEN ALBERT
PROPOSED
be TrIed II at the WRONG TIme.

statement that Nellie Putlow's young
est brother-Albert Sidney Put!ow--
is boy who will one Of these days
come to bad end.
To know Albert Sidney--to know
him thoroughly-is an education in iu-
venile depravity lesson in tabloided
/ f2ndishness. 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 juve-
nifty generally is gone forever. 1t
was last Christmas eve when ! probed
the depths Of Master Putlow I'll tell
you in what circumstances,
For very good reasons | wished to
secure freedom from Albert Sidney's
attentions on the evening in question.
| felt, somehow that the task of ask
ing his sister Nellie certain little
question would not be made easier in
any way by having her young brother
buzzng around offering to regulate my
watch or exhibiting some homemade
marvel in the clockwork mouse line.
Master Putlow, ! may tell you, is a
prodigy in 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 nine-year-old boy as quiet
as an oyster till each of its 240 pages
had been dogs cared as black as coal.
In the evening l called round. Mel
lies father and mother were, as
expected, out on Santa Claus excur-
sion to their married daughters. cal
bert's at his book, l suppose?" l re-
marked, when | was asked into the
front parlor.
NO" said Nellie; hes doing some
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.
1t hasn't been going for ten years
and he's cleaned it, put it in order,
and fixed it up as a surprise for dad.
It's going splendidly."
OF course | didn't mind a little bit
about the book not claiming the boys
attention So long as he was occupied
elsewhere | 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 1t 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
cl>ck. 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 l, for anybody would
have needed a megaphone to make
himself heard above that din long
felt that life
"Bong!" "Isn'trit splendid?" Nellie
smiled.
| decided to wait till the awful thing
had finished, Bong! bong! bong!
bong! bong!" At the eighth stroke
gave sigh of relief and started again.
Il have long"
"Bong!" That's too manv" said
Nellie. What are you saying?"
Bong"
Bong"
was losing patience with that lum.
ber-room find. 1t occasioned me no
surprise that the clock was somewhat
erratic after master Putlow's atten-
tions, but that it should seize Just that
particular time to exhibit it's vagaries
annoyed me. Never mind" thought,
lit can't strike more than 49,"
| had altogether underestimated its
CdpdDllIleS. Wnen l had counted q
whirrs and bongs, Nellie started laugh
ing | walked to the door and called to
Albert Sidney.
He came, bringing an odor of clock
oil into the room.
Something's the matter with that
clocks striking gear" | said, with
forced calmness.
Been strikin' long?" he asked.
That's the 10th time" answered
as another. "Bong" set all the man
tel-shelf ornaments dancing.
Albert Sidney whistled. Thought II
might go like that" he grinned. Good
clocks often do. 1t hasn't struck for
ten years, you see, and now it won't
stop till it's done all its back striking"
Great Jupiter! A lightning calculation
told me that, roughly speaking, $50 900
bongs were overdue At four to the
it would be some time In April
before that awful clock was up-to-date.
"I-I think I'll be going" gasped,
deciding on a postponement, and on
the 18th stroke, | shook hands with
Nellie, glared murder at her brother.