Litchfield enquirer., 1862-08-28

watch. the case battered, tho facs discolorei and that it ticked with strange, dull sound .
 though it were very old and feeble. a
 "The watch has been injured by the bullet.
 I suppose" said I besides, all watches stop . times." -r-...-- --..
 "Not this one, stranger" said the wounde
 man. "They've laughed at me about that watcl hundred times; now they'll find my story
 trus, reckon. That watch and will stop .
 the same minuts." ..,-. aa.ea .sa
 Tho woman as the bedside shock her Asa' again. "It's an old fancy O yourn, Nike Bs' low" she said; you'll live to ses the folly Q it." .-
 "So they talk" said the man. Now, listen doctor. You've come fur to see me and don all you could. I'll give you that watch. It money valley arnt much. butitll do you serv,ce It was giv' to me by an old Frenchman, ont Q Canady, when he was layin' just as an layih' It had been his fathers, and his grandiathsria and his greatgrandfather's before that; and thi is what he told about it, and this is what you'll find to be true: That watch will tick slow ant steady, reg1ar as the sun, as long as whoever il belongs to is well. and safe, and thriving. Wher there's danger coming, it begins to go fast, fast er and faster, and faster, until it is past and SC loud that you can hear it across the room a. plain as if you held it in your hand. Wher death is coming, the watch begins to stop. Il goes slower and slower. Its voice grows hol low; and when the breath leaves tho body there's DO sound to be heard, and all you can do won't make it go for a year. At the end of that time it will start all of sudden, and after that you can read your fate by it and know you' death-hour. It was so after old Pierre died. It will be 80 now. Keep the watch when I'm gone, doctor"
 could not help looking with some interest at the battered timespiece. A strange story had been woven about it, and the marvellous always had charm for me.
 l sat beside my patient until he sank to sleep. He seemed to be doing we'll still, and had no doubt but that the morning light would see him greatly better. But Western hospitality would not permit of my departure at that late hour, and was lodged in an upper chamber upon bed as clean and fragrant as it was sim pie. slept soundly. was awakened at mid- night, however. with the news that my patient was worse. He had awakened in mortal agony. Some inward injury impossible to discover, had done its work. said nothing of hope now, and the man looked at me with ghastly smile.
 "Take the watch" he said. "Watch it and ne. You will find me right"
 These were the last words he uttered. He muttered incoherently after this, and tossed his arms about, and struggled for his breath. At last. he seemed to sink into slumber. My hand was on his heart. felt it's beating grow faint, fainter, fainter still. At last there was no motion. He was dead. lifted the watch to my ear--thst had stopped also.
 There were tears in the eyes of tho rough men about me, and the woman wept as she might for one of her own kindred. Icould do no good now, and turned away, leaving the watch upon the coverlid but ono of the men came after me.
 "He giv' it to you," he said, "and it's yourn. He had nobody belonging to him, so you needt be afeered of takin' it. He must hev takin' a likin' to you, for he thought heap of it. Take it, doctor." and 50 the watch was mine.
 It wss dumb and motionless, and remained SO. I took it to the wstchmaksr, and he laughed at the idea of its eyer going again. This was after ] left the West and dwelt in large and popu lous city in the Eastern States, some eight or nine months after poor Mike Barlow's death. The watchmaker only confirmed my own suspi. sions. It was a strange coincidence that it should last exactly its masters lifetime but that was all. So hung it upon my chamber wall . memento of those days of toil and struggle in the far west.
 One morning swoks early. The bushes oi dawn were just breaking over the earth. It was the month of November. but still the day was lovely. There was an unwonted sound in my room. At first could not guess from whence it came. Had the sky been cloudy should have imagined it to be the rain upon the roof Thsn began to feel that this sound heard waa too delicate for the batter of rain. It might have been tho clang of fairy hammer. or tn. tapping of the bsak of some minute bird, s.vs that it was too regular. Bpt the mystery of the sound was that it seemed to appeal t, ms-tc reproach me with forgetting #.
 sat up and looked about me. In an instan, understood the sound. It was the tick of the old watch upon the wall. Silent for . twelve month, it had suddenly found voise, as thougl some spirit hand had touched its springs. looked at my memorandum book. Tvelv, o'clock of the past night was the anniversary Q Mike Barlows death. His words had cam, true at lest. He had said that when it once b. gan to move, it would be as my monitor of safs ty or danger. All else happened as hs hat forstold; why should not this come to pass I wore upon my guard chain dainty little Gs neva watch. I unfastsned it. and put tho bat tered silver monster in its place. The buddinl development of the mystery made it moro pre- cious to me than if it had been set with jewels It did not stop again. l heard the soft clsa " tick, t,ck, tick" all day and when wakeae in the night. Once or twice it best more FaF idly ,lsn. usual, ,and always before peri-thef frs lime when | fayer threatened me: the second