The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1874-10-23

And down went the deacon. stifiv
enough, on his knees, to examine the
aoor, lest, perchance, the missing kew
might have fallen there.
"Well, I never knowed ANYTHING 90
strange in all my life, said the deacon. |
"It is strange" fa1tered hypocritical |
"I'l have q regular search to-mor-
row, said Shermer. It must be |
somewhere around. -
lously.
"Only," the deacon went on. SLOWLY.
resuming his place before the fire, sc
kind O. don't like to have the clock
stand still a single night. When 1 wake
up, you know, it seems like a sort O.
talking to me in the Stiffness The
deacon looked thoughtfully at the fiery
backlog. Mary idgeted uneasily about
the room, STRENGTHENING table-covers,
setting back chairs, and thinking, go,
If he would only go to bed p
As he sat there his eyeids began to
grow heavy, and his head to nod sol
emnly: Mary's eyes ightened up with
a sparkle of hope.
"Child," he said, suddenly, straight
chair, YOU'D better go to bed. I'll
sit up while longer, till the logs burn
out"
''But, father, am not sleepy
Go to bed, my child" reiterated the
deacon, with good-humored authority
that brooked no opposition and Mary
crept out of the room, ready to cry
with anxiety and modification.
elf Tim will only keep quiet little
while longer" she thought, sitting on
the stairs where the newly-risen moon
- FoA
sleeps SO soundly, and he is sure to
sleep in his chair. I could steal in and
release him as quietly as possible .
She sat there, her plump fingers in
terlaced, and her eyes fixed dreamily on
the floor, while all the time her ears
were strained to their utmest capacity
to catch every sound in the kitchen be-
yond. Hark was it the wall of the
wind? or was it something to her liter
ally nearer and dearer? Yes she could
not be mistaken it was actually a
snore.
Mary rose softly to her feet with re-
newed hope. Surely ROW was the ac-
cepted time. Noiselessly as the feet
ing shadow she crossed the hall, opened
the kitchen door, and stole across the
creaking boards of the floor. The can
dies were burning out, but the shifting
| Iuster of the fre-light revealed her
father nodding before the fire, with
| closed eyes and hands hanging by his
sides.
With heart that beat quick and fast
| like the strokes of a miniature hammer.
she drew the key from her pocket, and
proceeded, in spite of the nervous
! trembling of her fingers, to fit it into
| the lock. So absorbed was she in her
| task that she never noticed the sud
| den cessation of heavy breathing-never
| saw the deacon start suddenly into
wakefulness around him. Love is blind,
and, equally true, it is deaf. The dea-
con rose up quietly with a shrewd
twinkle in his eyes, and Mary gave a
| little frightened shrek as hand fell
softly on her arm, possessing itself
quietly of the key.
"Let me help" said Deacon Sher-
mer.
e ''Father, II found the key" fall
tered Mary.
"Found the key, eh ?'' returned the
deacon. t'Well, that's lucky and now
we can find out what's the matter with
the clock.
Mary's heart throbbing SO wildly a
moment or two ago, seemed to absolute
| ly stand still, as Deacon Shermer
turned the key and opened the tall door
of the clock case.
Halo - CALCULATED Deacon Sher-
mer, as Mr.. Timothy Marshall tumbled
| laughingly into the room. So you
was the matter with the clock. Ell?
Yes, SIR said Tim, composedly
{" hope have not seriously interfered
with the working of it"
you have seriously interfered with
me y said the deacon, waxing indignant.
So What do you mean, sir, by hiding in
my house like thief ?"
Indeed! indeed fatherr' cried
Mary, bursting into tears, it was moi
his fault. He did not want to hide, but
1 put him there"
You did, Ell? And may I ask what
for ?''
1y, Sc love him and he loves me-
els that any reason why he should
hide in the clock case, miss %
'No-but-father ! I can never marry
Mr.. Stanley. He is SO soft. and Il
Mary's tears finished the sentence fol
her. The deacon looked down (not un
kindly on her bowed head and the ten
der arm that supported it. APPARENT,
the course of true love, roughly though
it ran, was overwhelming all his world
wise arrangements in its tide.
And SO you two young folks reall..
think you love each other ?" said tn
deacon, meditatively.
!, 'FI love her with all, my heart an
SOUL" said Tim Marshall, earnestly
81 am not rich, 7 know, but I can wor
: for her."
"And I can work for myself, toe
, father, y interposed Mary, with tears i
? her eyes that shone like softened stars
! 'sAnd you said yourself, sir," wen
| on Tim, that the stopping of th
clock meant either marriage or deatl
3 OF course we do not want any deaths
l SO don't you think the most sensibl
. thing we can do is to help on marriae
as soon as possible p
: The deacon laughed, in spite of hin
, self.
3 sits 1ate," he said, "come aroun
/ tomorrow morning, and We II talk abol
it. No, Mary, I am not angry with 20
child. I suppose young folks will /
1 young folks, and there's no use tryln
!. stop them p
!. 's And the deacon re-hung the pei
t dulum and set the iron tongue of the o.
: clock ticking again.
'tTim Marshall paused on the frol
y step to whisper to Mary:
e What shall it be, Mary Pa death I
? a marriage p
q And she in return whispered, I"
Il marriage, hope"