Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-02-26

sma II stand drawn close to the fire. AS K
the spple-tree table, having lately conclude
that il was rather too low for reading
table, thought best not TO use it as sue
that night But it stood not very distan
in the middle of the ROOM
Try as would, couln no: succeed muc
at reading. Somehow | seemed ali ear an
no eye; a condition of intense suricular sus
pense. But ere long 1t was broken.
Tick. tick! tick!
Though il was not the first time ha
heard that sound; nay, though | had mad
it my particular business OF this occasion
to wait for that soLnd, nevertheless, whel
it came, it seemed unexpected, as il q can
non had doomed through the window.
Tick. tick. tick!
sat stock still time, thoroughly Il
master, if possible, my first discomposure
Then rising, looked pretty steadily at th'
table; went up to it pretty steadily; tool
/, held OF it pretty steadily; but fet il preti.
quickly; then paced up and down, stepping
every moment or two, with ear pricked 4
listen. Meantime, within me, the contes
between panic and philosophy remained no
wholly decided.
Tick! tick! tick!
With appalling distinctness the ticking
now rose on the night.
My pulse futtered-my heart beat.
hardly know what might not have followe d
hsG not Democritus just then come to the
rescue. For shame, said to myself, what
Is the use of so fine an example of philoso-
ply, if it cannot be followed Strsightwsy
| resolved to initiate it, even to the old
sage's occupation and attitude.
Resuming my chair and paper, with back
presented to the table, remained thus for
a time, as if buried in study; when, the
ticking still continuing. drawled out, in
as Indifferent and dryly jecose a way as
could: "Come, come, Tick, nv boy, fun
enough for tonight"
| TickI tick tickI
There seemed sort Of jeering defiance
in the ticking now. 1t seemed to exu!t over
the poor affected part was playing. But
much as the taunt stung me, it only stung
me into persistence. | resolved not to abate
one whit in my mode of address. O.
"Come, come, you make more and more
noise, Tick, my boy; too much of joke
time to have done"
| No sooner said than the tic king ceased.
Never was responsive obedience more exact.
For the life of me, could not help turning
round upon the table, as one would upon
some reasonable being, when-could
believe my senses! saw something moving.
or wrigg ling, or squirming upon the slab OF
the table. 1t shone like q glow-worm.--
UnconscioesIy. / grasped the poker that
stood at hand But bethinking NE how ab-
surd, TO attack a glow-worm with poker.
put il down. How long sat sPell-bound
and staring there, with my body esened
one way aud my face another, cannot say;
but at length rose, and, buttoning my coat
up and down, made sudden intrepid forced
march full upon the table. And there, near
the centre of the slab, as live, | saw an
irregular little hole, or. rather, short nlbbed
sort of crack, from which (like a butterfly
escaping its chrysalis) the sparkling object,
whatever it might be, was struggling. Its
motion was the motion of life. | stood be-
charmed. Are there, indeed, spirits, thought
/; ard is this one! No; must be dreaming.
turned my glance off to the red fire on the
hearth. then back to the pale lussre on the
table. What saw was no optical illusion,
but real marvel. The tremor was in
creasing, when, once again, Democritus be-
friended me. Supernatural corruscation as
it appeared, | strove to look at the strange
object in q purely scientific way. Thus
viewed, it appeared some new sort of small
shin ing beetle or bug. and, l thought, not
without something of a hum to it, too.
| still watched it, and with still increas-
ing selfpessession. Sparkling and wrig-
Cling, it still continued It's threes. In an
other moment it was just n the point OF
escaping its prison. A thought struck me.
Running for tumbler, | clapped it over
the insect Just in time to secure it.
After watching it a while longer under
the tumbler, left all as it was, and, toler-
ably composed, retired.
Now, for the soul of me, could not, at
that time, comprehend the phenomenon. A
live bug come out of dead table! A fire.
fy bug come eut of piece of ancient lum-
ber, for one knows not how many years
stored away in an old garnet! Was ever
such thing heard of, or even dreamed of!
How got the bug there! Never mind. |
bethought me of Democritus, and resolved
to keep cool. At all events, the mystery of
the ticking was explained. 1t was simply
the sound of the gnawing and filing, and
tapping of the bug, in eating its way out
1t was satisfactory to think. that there was
an end forever to the ticking. | resolved
lot to let The occasion pass without reaping
some credit from it.
"Wife," said /, next morning. "you will
not be troubled with any more ticking in
our table. | have put stop to all that"
"Indeed, husband; said she, with some
incredulity.
"Yes, wife," returned l, perhaps little
vain gloriously. 81 have put quieius upon
that ticking. Depend upon it, the ticking
wi | trouble you no more"
In vain she besought me to explain my
self. would not crafty her; being willing
to balance any previous trepidation might
have BETRAYED, by leaving room now for the
imputation Of some heroic feat whereby |
had silenced the ticking. II was sort OF
innocent deceit by implication, quite harm
less, and thought, OF utility
But when went to breakfast, saw my
wife kneeling at the table again, and my
girls looking ten times more frightened than
ever.
"Why did you tell me that boastful tale, u
Sc id my wife Indignantly. "You might
have known how easily it would be found
out. See this crack, too; and here is the
ticking again, palmer than ever"
"Impossible!" exclaimed; but upon ap.
plying my ear, sure enough, tick! tick!
tick! The ticking was there.
Recovering myself the best way | might
demanded the bug.
"Bug!" screamed Julia. "Good heavens
papa!"
81 hope, sir, you have been bringing nc