To her surprise he was not in his little rear room adjoining the kitchen, and the bed had not been slept in.
She awakened Pearl and asked her about her brother.
"Oh, mamma, don't scold him, for he is at work," said Pearl anxiously.
"Your brother at work, and at night?"
"Yes, mamma, for he has a place as night messenger in a telegraph office; he goes on at ten o'clock and gets off at six," explained Pearl.
"My poor boy! and this accounts for his being so hard to wake up every morning.
"Yes, mamma; but he sleeps in the daytime when he can, and you know he goes to bed early, but I always wake him up at half-past nine o'clock; and, oh, mamma! Will gets six dollars a week, only think of that."
"And he's killing himself, he don't get half the sleep he should have.
"He must give it up, Pearl, for I will not allow him to ruin his health and slave his young life away as he is doing."