Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-03-25
The BeWitched Clock.

The Bewitched Clock.
About half.past IL o'clock, on Saturday
night, human leg, enveloped in broad-
cloth, might have been seen entering
Cephas Bafbcrry's kitchen window. The
leg was followed, finally, by the eutite per.
son of lively Yankee, attired in his Sun
day go.to-meeting clothes. 1t was, in
short, Joe Maywecd, who thus burglarious.
ly, in the dead of night, won his way to
the deacon's kitchen.
Wonder how much the old dexepn
made by ordsrin,. me not to dsrksn Hi
door again 7" sofiloddixed the young man.
Promised him l wouldn't, but didn't say
nothing about winders. Winders is just
as good as doors, if there amt no nails to
tear your trowsers onto. Wonder If Sarll
come down? The critter promised me.
I'm afraid to move here, cause I might
break my shins over sumthin' or other,
and wake up the old folks. Cold enough
to freeze a polar bear here. Oh, here
comes Sally!"
The beautiful maiden descended with o
! pleasant smile, tallow candle, and box
of matches.
After receiving q rupturous greeting,
she made up roaring fire in the cooking
stove, and the happy couple sat down to
enjoy the sweet interchange of views and
hopes. But the course of true love ran
no smoother:in old Barberry's kitchen than
it did elsewhere, and Joe, who was making
up his mind to treat himself to kiss, was
startled by the voice of the deacon, her
father shouting from his chamber door:
sally, what are you getting up in the
middle Of the night for :"
"Tell him it's most morning." whisper
ed Joe.
"I can't tell Ab," said Sally.
"I'll make it truth them" said Joe,
and, running to the huge, old.fashioned
clock that stood in the corner, he set it at
FIVE.
"It's Eve by the clock" answered Sally
and corroborating the words, the clock,
struck FIVE.
The lovers sat down again and resumed
the conversation. Suddenly the staircase
began to creak.
"Good gracious? it's father"
"The deacon, BY thunder? I" cried Joe.
j." Hide me Sal ?"
"Were can I hide you y cried the dis
tracted girl.
"Oh, I know" said be, "I'll squeeze
into the clock.case."
And, without another word, he conceal
ed himself in 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.
GIVE o'clock, eh 2" said he. swell, I
shall have time to smoke three or four
pipes then I'll 60 and feed the critters"
Hadn't you better 90 and feed the
critters first, sir, and smoke afterwards 7"
suggested the dutiful Sally.
"No; smokin' clears my head and
wakes me up" answered the deacon, who
seemed not a whit disposed to hurry his
enjoyment.
Bur.rr-r-r-whiz-z-ding! went the
clock.
Tormented tightening {" cried the dea-
con, starting up and dropping his pipe on
the stove. "Wbat in creation is that!"
"It's only the clock striking 6ve," said
Sally tremulously.
Whis! ding! ding! ding! went the
old clock furiously.
"Powers of mercy ?" cried the deacon.
" Striking five It's struck hundred al
ready"
"Deacon Barberry " cried the deacou's
better.half, who had hastily robed herself,
and now came plunging down the staircase
10 the widest state Of alarm. "What is
the matter with the clock p
"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
20 before"
whis! bang bang! bang! went the
clock.
"It'll burst itselfr' cried the old lady
shedding food Of tears, card there won't
be nothing left Of it."
"It's bewitched," said the deacon, who
retained leaven Of New England super.
stition in his nature. "Auyhow," he
said, after pause, advancing resolutely TO-
ward the clock, "I'll see what's got into
it,"
"Ob, dontr' cried the daughter adec-
tionately, seisiug one Of his coat tails, while
his faithful wife hung to the other.
Don't" chorused both the women to.
gether."
"Let off my raimeutr' shouted the
deacon "I amt sfraid Of the powers Of
darkness"
But the women would not let 20, 90 the
deacon slipped off his coat, and while,
from the sudden cessation Of resistance,
they fell heavily on the floor, he darted
forward and laid bis hand on tho door Of
the clock.case. But no human power
could open it, Joe was holding II inside
With death grasp. The deacon began to
be dreadfully frightened. He gave one
more tug, aud an uuearthly yell, q Of .
fiend iu distress, came from the inside, and