The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-05-25

Staightway resolved to initiate it, ever
to the old snge's occupation aud attitude
Rcsuming my chair aud paper, will
back presented to the table, remained
thus for a time, as if buried in study
when, the ticking still continuing,
drawlcd out, in as Indifferent and dryly
jOcOse way as could: Come, come
Tick, my hoy, fun enough for tonight
Tick tick tick
There seemed sort Of jcering defiance
in the ticking now. 1t seemed to cxn,t
over the poor affected part was playing
But much as the taunt stunS me, it only
stung me into persistence. ] resolved
not to abatc one Wilt in my mode Of ad
dress.
,.Cnine, come. you make more anL norr
noise, Tick, my boy ; too much Of Il joke
time to have done"
No sooner said than the ticking ceased
Never was responsive obedience more true
For the life OF INC, | could not help turn.
ing round upon the table, as one would
upon some reasonable being, whrn--
could | believe my senses! saw some.
thing moving, or wriggling, or squirming
upon the slab Of the table. 1t shonc like
a glow.wOrm. CnconSciouSly, graspcl
the poker that stood at hand. But be-
thinking ME how absurd to attack Il glow.
worm with n poker, put it down. How
long | sat Spell-bound and staring there,
with my body presented one way aud my
face another, cannot say; but at length
! rose, and, buttoning my coats 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 nibbled sort Of crack, for which
like d butterfly escaping its chrySaliS
the sparkling object, whatever it might
be, was struggling. Its motion was the
motion of life. stood bccharmed. Are
there, indeed. spirits, thought i; and is
this one? No; | must be dreaming. !
turned my glance off to the red fire on
the hearth, then back to the pale luStrc
on the table. What /. saw was no opti-
cal illusion, but real marvel. The trcn-
or was increasing, when, once again,
Democritus bclricndcd me. Supernatural
coruscation as it appeared, strovc to lool;
at the strange objvcti in purely scientific
way. Thus viewed, it appeared some new
sort OF small shining beetle or bug, and,
thought, not without something Of hum
to it, too.
still watched it, and with still increas.
ing self possession. Sparkling and wrig.
Cling, it still continued it's throts. IN an.
other moment it was just on the point oI
escaping its prison. A thought struck
me. Running for tumbler, | clappcd il
over the insect just in time to secure it,
After watching it while longer under
the tumbcr, left all aS it was, and tol.
craby composed, retired.
Now, for thu soul Of me, could not,
at that time, comprehend the phenolhe-
non. A live bug come out Of dead
table? a fire fly bug come out of pcicc
of ancient lumber, for one knows not how
many years stored away in an old garrct
Was ever such thing heard Of or even
dreamed of? Never mind. hcthought
me Of I)cnocrituS, 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 ont
1t was satisfactory to think, that there
was an end forever to the ticking. re
v not to let the occasion pass without
reaping some credit from it.
Wife," said !, next morning, "you
will not be troubled with any more tick
ing in our table. have put stop TO all
that"
"Tndced, husband" said she, with
some increduity.
"Ycs, wife. returned I, perhaps little
vain glo'iously. 81 have put a qnietuS
upon that ticking. Depend upon it, the
ticking will trouble you 10 more"
In vain she besought me to explain my.
self. would not crafty her; being
willing to balance any previous trepila.
ton might have betrayed, by leaving
room now for the imputation of Ssmr
heroic feat whereby had silenccd the
ticking. 1t was sort of innocent deceit
by implication, quite harmless, 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 boastfn
tale" said my wife, Indignantly. "Yo,
might have known how easily il woulC
be found out See this crack, too; an,
here is the ticking again, palmer thar
ever"
impossible" exclaimed; but upol
applying my ear, sure enough, tick ! tick
tick The ticking was there.
Recovering myself the best way might
| demanded the bug.
Bug!" screamed Julia. "Gool
heavens, papa!"
81 hope, sir, you have been bringin!
no bugs into this house," said my wife
severely.
"The bug, the bng!" cried; tn
bug under the tumbler."
Bugs in tnmblcrs !" cried the girls
"not our tumblrrs, papa? You have no
been putting bugs into our tumblerS
Oh, what docs-what oOes it all mean 2"
DO you see this hole, this crack here !!
said !, putting my finger on the spot.
"That I do" said my wife, with ligl
displeasurc. "And how did it com
thcrcy What have you been doing t
the table?
"Do you see this crack ?" repeated
intensely.
"Yes, yes" said Julia; "that wa
what frightened ME SO; it looks so lik
witch.work."
"Spirits! spirits!" cried Anna.
"Silcnce! said my wife. "Go or
sir, and tell us what you know Of tn
crack"
"WiCe and daughters" said l, solemnly
"out Of that crack, or hole, while | wa
sitting all alone. here last night, wor
dcrful---"
Here, involuntarily, I paused, fascinate
by the expectont attitudes and burStin
eyes of Julia and Anna.
"What, what y" cried Julia.
"a bug, julia"
"a bug!" cried my wife. "a bu
come out Of this taLleY And what di
you do with itg"
"Clapped it under tumbler."
"Biddy Biddy!" cried my wife. goin
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