Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1871-03-04
SUNBURY, Pa. SATURDAY MORNING. MARCH 4, 1871

through that window---it is nailed dowi
tight. He's coming he's coming Her
John, quick y
And, in the drawing of a breath, sh
had pushed John Alymer ia the sQuar
pendulum case of the tall old clock, ant
had turned the key upon him.
1t was not a very pleasant place ofrcfug,
inasmuch as his shoulders were cquee2eC
ON either side, and his head tlattenet
against springs and wheels above, and til,
air was unplcasantly close but homes
John made the best of matters, and shool
with suppressed laughter in his solitary
prison-cell.
'Iew Il jolly scrape to be in thought
John, and no knowing when I'll be out {
it 1letty's a shrewd little puss, however
and ! can't do better than TO leave matters
in her hands,
$50 you haven't gone to bed, Hetty ?
said Deacon Merritt, slowly unwinding til;
two yards of wooden comforter in which hC
generally encascd his throat of an evening
Not yet, father said 1Ietty, picking W
her scattered bits patchwork with glow.
| ing check. Did you have n pleasant
meeting p
We'll yes quoth the Deacon refectivcly,
! sitting down before the fire, greatly tC
I1etty's CONSERVATION, tshe had noped he
would have gone peaceably to bed accord
| ing to his usual custom,) it was tol'bly
/ pleasant. Elder Jones was there, and
Elder Bockstrctcher, and-well all the
church folks pretty much. Why, how red
your cheeks are, Iletty Tired, ain't you
| Well, you needn't sit up for me, my dear
it must he getting late
The Deacon glanced mechanically round
at the clock. 1Ietty felt the blood grow
cold in her veins.
Twenty minutes past nine-why. it
must be later than that Why, land e.
Goshen ! the old clocks stopped y
The old clock had stopped A.; nor was it
| wonderful, considering all the circum-
stances.
4 wound it up this mornin', I'm sartain, :
said the Deacon pcrturbedly. 1T never
saryed me such trick before, all the years
it's stood there. Your aunt Keziah used
to say that whenever that clock stopped It
was a sign of death or II marriage in the
family before the year was OUT
There was Suppressed sound like a
chuckle behind the clock-Case as Deacon
Merritt fumOled on the shelf for the clock
key.
These springs must be out of order some
how said the Deacon dcciaivCly. How
scared you look, child There amt no
cause for bein' scared. ! don't put no faith
in your aunt KeZiah's old-time supersti-
ton. Where, in the name Of all possessed,
is hat key? l could ha' declared l left it
in the case
Isn't it on the shelf, father p asked
lletty, gul!dly conscious that it was snugly
rcposing in the pocket Of her checked ging-
ham dress.
NO, nor 'taint on the set-ofr neither
And down went the Deacon stiffiy enough
n, IA In TO l,.
chance tbe missing key might have slipped
of and fallen there.
We'll. neverknew anything go strange, >
said the Deacon.
1T Is strange faltered hypocritical Het-
t..
IN have a regular search tomorrow, ;
said Deacon Merritt. 1t must be some
where round.'
Yes, it must said Hetty TREMENDOUSLY.
Only went on the Deacon, slowly re-
suming his place before the CHEEKY blaze.
l kind O. don't like 70 have the old clock
stand still single night. When l wake
up, you know. it seems like it was O. talllin'
to me in the Stiffness
The Deacon looked thouehtfully at the
fiery backlog. IIetty fdgeted uncasily
about the room, Strengthening tablc-covers
and setting back chairs oh, if he would
only go to bed
AS he sat there, his eyelids began 70
drop, and his head to nod somnoler.ly.
lletty's eyes lit up with 4 sparkle Of some
thing like hope.
Child he suddenly said, Strengthening
himself up i'll the sth-backed chair, you'd
better 60 to bed. I'll sit up a while longer,
till the logs burn out.
But, father, I'm not sleepy
TO to bed. my child rnitnrotoI Tho
Deacon. with good humored authority that
brooked no opposition, and lletty crept
out OF the room, ready to cry with anxiety
and modification.
II John will only keep quiet little
while longer she thought, sitting on the
stairs where the autumn moonlight steamed
in chilly splcndor. Father sleeps so
soundly-and he is sure to 90 to sleep in
his chair. l could Just steal in and release
him, as easy as possible y
She sat there, her plump fingers inter-
laced and her eyes fixed dreamy on the
Aoor, while all the time her cars were stain
cd to their utmost capacity to catch every
sound in the kitchen beyond.
Ilark, was that the wall of the wind, or
was IT something, 10, her, literally nearer
and dearerp les-she could not be mis-
taken now--it ,Cds actually a snog
lletty rose softly to her feet with renew
ed hope. Surely now was the accepted
time,
Aoiselessly as floating shadow she
crossed the hall, opened the kitchen door,
aud stole across the creaking boards of the
door. The shifting lustre of the freight
revealed 10 her Deacon Merritt nodding
before the fire with closed eyes, aud hands
hanging nj his sides.
lie Is certainly asleep thought lIetty.
With heart that beat quick aud fast,
like the strokes Of miniature hamme-,
she drew the key from her dress pocket
aud proceeded, spite Of the nervous trem-
bling OF her fingers, TO III il into the lock
NJ absorbed was she In her task, that she
never noted the sudden cessation of the
heavy breathing never saw the Deacon
start suddenly into wakeiulness aud look
around towards her. All, llctty--loye is
blind, they SAY, aud IL Is equally true that
love Is sometimes deaf
let me help YOU, said Deacon Merritt
'fathcr, II found the key E,ltored
llclty, and
Pound the hoy, eh y returned the D,a,
CO.,. Wen, that's lucky aud now you
clu nnd oul what's the matter with the Old