The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1875-01-22

| w ell ! u ,JOlly SCTupC 10 NC III, lUOu1nl
Tim, land no knowing when I'll be out OF
it. Mary'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 yet, Mary p
said deacon Shermer, slowly unwinding
| the two yards of wooden scarf with which
he generally encased his throat of an even.
| ing.
Mot yet, father" said Mary, picking mp
her scattered bits Of patchwork with a
glowing cheek. "Did you have pleasant
meeting9"
swell, yes" quoth the deacon, reflect.
lively, sitting down before the fire greatly
to Mary's consternation-she had hoped
he would have gone to bed at once, accord
ing to- his usual custom-"it was tol'bly
pleasant. Elder Huskier was there, and
Elder Hopkins-an all the church
folks pretty much. Why, how red your
cheeks are, Mary. Tired, amt you Well
you neeGn't sit up for me, my dear, it must
be getting late"
The deacon glanced mechanically up at
the clock. Mary felt the blood growing
cold in her veins. "Twenty minutes past
nine--why, it must be later than that
Why, land o. Canaan, the old clock has
stopped" The old clock had stopped, nor
was it at all wonderful under the circum-
stances. 81 wound it up this mornin' I'm
sartin," said the deacon, very much dis
turbed. ut never sarvcd me such a trick
afore, all the years it's stood there. Your
aunt Jane used to say it was sign of
death or marriage in the family before the
year was out.
There was suppressed sound like q
chuckle behind the clock case as Deacon
Shermer fumbled on the shelf for the clock
key. "These springs must be ont Of order
somehow said the deacon, decisively.
"How scared you look, child There amt
no cause for being scared. | don't put
much faith in your aunt James old time
superstition. Where in the name of all
possessed is the key2 could ha' decar-
ed | left it in the case
'Isn't it on the SHELF father asked
Mary, conscious that it was snugly repos-
ing in the pocket of her checked gingham
dress.
''No, nor faint in my pocket neither"
And down went the deacon, stifly enough,
on his knees, to examine the floor, lest per-
chance the missing key might have fallen
there.
"Well, l never knowed anything so
strange in all my life," said the deacon.
ut is really strange" taltcrod Mary.
"Ill have eg'lar search tomorrow, said
deacon Shermer, SIT must be somewhere
around"
eyes, it must" said Mary tremuous-
ly.
comfy" the deacon went on, slowly, re-
Stunning his place before the fire, II kind
O. don't like to have the old clock stand
still single night. When l wake up, you
know, it seems like it was sort o. talking
to me in the Stiffness" The deacon look
ed thoughtfully at the fiery back log Mary
fidgeted uneasily about the room, straight
ening table covers, setting back chairs and
thinking--oh, if he would only so to
bed
AS he sat there his cyclids began to droop
and his head to nod somnolently. Mary's
eyes frightened up with a sparkle some
thing like hope.
Child ~ ne said suddenly Strengthening
up the stiff back chair, you'd better go to
bed. I'll sit up a while longer till the logs
burn out"
"But, father, I'm not sleepy"
$50 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.
"IfTim will only keep quiet little
while longer" she thought, sitting on the
stairs while the newly risen moon stream
cd in with chilly splendor. Father sleeps
so soundly-and he is sure to go to sleep in
his chair. l could just steal in and re-
lease him as quietly as possible" She sat
there, her plump fingers interlaced, and her
eyes fixed dreamily on the floor, while all
the time her ears were strained to the ut
most capacity to catch every sound in the
kitchen beyond. Hank was that the wall
of the wind, or was it something to her
literally "nearer and dcarer2' Yes; she
could not be mistaken now ii was actual
ly snore.
Mary rose softly to her feet with renew
ed lope. Surely now was the accepted
time. Noiselessly ms the floating shadow
she stolecrossed the hall, opened the kitchen
door and across the creaking boards Of the
floor. The candles were burned out, but
the shifting lustre of the freight revealed
her father nodding before the fire, with
closed eyes and hands hanging at his
sides.
"Ie's certainly asleep thought Mary.
With heart that beat quick and fast
she drew the key from her pocket and pro.
ceeded, in spite of the nervous trembling
of her fingers, to lift it into the lock; 81
absorbed was she that she never noticed
the cessation of the heavy breathing
never saw the deacon start suddenly into
wakefulness and look around him Love
is blind, and it is equally true that he is
deaf. The deacon rose quickly up with q
sbrewd twinkle in his eyes, and Mary gave
little frightened shrek rs a hand ftl
softly on her arm, possessing itself quietly
of the key.
"Lct me help YOU" said the deacon.
"Father, IL found the key" faltcret
| Mary, "and-"
Found the key, ch !" returned the dca
con. "Well, that's lucky; and now W.
can find out what's the matter with thc
clock.n
Mary's heart throbbing so wildly a mo
ment ago, seemed to stand still as her fit
ther turned the key and opened the doc
of the clock-casc.
Halo" exclaimed the deacon, a
Mr.. Timothy Marshall tumbled into tn
room. $50 yon was the matter with tn
clock ell ~
eyes, sir" said Tim, composedly 4"
hope haven't seriously intcrfered with til
works of the clock"
"You've seriously interfcred with me {?
said the deacon, waxing indignant. "Wha
do you mean, sir by hiding in my hous
like thief?n
Indeed Indeed father" cried Mary
bursting into tears, sit wasn't his fault
He didn't want to hide, but l put hin
there"
"You did, eh And may | ask wha
for2'