The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-08-18

ana = Oe VINO was making up his mino
TO treat himself to . kiss, was startled
by the voice Of the deacon, her father
shouting from her chamber door:
sally what are you getting up IN
the middle of the night forY
! Tell him it's most morning, whIs-
pered Joe.
''I'll make it truth, said Joe, and
running TO the huge old-fashiOn clock
that stood in the corner, he set 1t at
I've
what time it IS, cried the old gentle
man up stairs.
It's FIVE by the clock" answered
Sally, ard coTrOborating the words,
the clock struck five.
The lovers sat down again and re-
sumed the conversation. Suddenly
the staircase began to ereak. Good
graciousl it's father"
1.-The deacon, by thunder" cried
Joe; hide me Sal
Where can | hide you?" cried the
distracted girl.
"Oh. | know, " said he, I'll squeeze
into the clock case.
And without another word he con-
cealed himself Ia the case and drew
the door behind him.
The deacon was dressed, and sitting
himself down by the cooking stove,
pulled out his pipe, lighted it. and
commenced smoking very deliberately
and calmly.
Five O'Clock. eh?' said he. well,
Ishall have time to smoke three or
four pipes, then III 60 and feed the
critters"
Hadn't you better so and feed the
critters first, sir, and smoke after
ward?" suggested the dutiful Sally.
No, smokiu' clears my head and
wakes me up, answered the deacon,
who seemed not a whit disposed to
hurry his enjoyment.
Bur-r-Fr-Whiz-ding-ding went
the clock.
'aTormented lightningp cried tie
deacon, starting up, and dropping his
pipe on the stove.
"What in creations that?"
Its only the clock striking five"
said Sally TREMENDOUSLY.
Whizl ding ding ding! went the
old clock furiously.
Powers of mercy" cried the dea.
con. Striking fvel" it's struck a
hundred already"
Deacon Barberryl" cried the dea-
cons better half, who had hastily
Tobed herself and now came plunging
down the staircase in the widest state
Of alarm, What is the matter of the
cloek2"
''Goodness only knows, replied the
old man. It's been in the family
these hundred years and never did I
know it to carry on so before.
Whizi bang bang bang, went the
clock. aa
"Itn burst itselfP cried the old
lady, shedding flood of tears. "and
there won't be nothin left of it..
ITS bewitehed, said the deacon,
who retained a heaven of New En-
gland. superstition in his nature.
Anyhow, he said. after a pause,
advancing resolutely toward the clock,
fI'll see what's got into itl'
"Oh don't," cried the daughter,
additionally Selling one Of his coat
tails, while his faithful wife hung to
the other.
'Don't," chorused both the women
together
HLet go my raimeut" shouted the
deacon, L amt afraid Of the powers
of darkness.
. But the women would not let go,
so the deacon slipped off his coat, and
while, from the sudden cessation of
they fell heavily on the
floor, he darted forward and laid bis
hand on the door Of the clock case.
But no human power could open iC.
Joe was holding it inside with death |
grasp. The deacon began to be
ttr6fg t8lly frightened. Hyee ~ qqaYYss ora
fiend in distress, came from the in
side, aud the clockease pitched head |
foremost on the hoor, smashed its face
and wrecked It's proportions. The
current Of air eXtinguished the light |
THE deacon, the old lady and Sally
fed up stairs, and j oe Mayweed ex-
tricatiug himself from the clock effect
cd his retreat in the same way he had
entered, The next day oil Appletown
was alive with the story of how the
deacon Bafberry's clock had been be
witched: and though many believed
its version, some, and especially Joe
Mayweed, effected to discredit the
whole affair, knitting, that the deacon
had been trying the experiment of
tasting frozen cider, and that the vag-
aries ofthe clock case existed only in
a distempered imagination.
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