, 1878-02-22
The Twelve O'Clock Man.

Every day, tor many years, Just before
noon, a man used To come into the space
before the Brooklyn City Hall, and stand
looking up at the clock, with the air OF
one who bad made an appointment to
meet me one there at that hour, but nc
one ever came.
When the hands OF the clock had
passed their moment of meeting and the
minute hand hurried on, leaving the other
behind the watcher would give sigh
and pass on. Then, having reached the
gate,he would suddenly fix his eyes upon
some female figure and start in pursuit
seem to discover a mistake and look at
the clock again. Then he would seat
himself upon the steps again and cover
his face with his hands, and rising sud-
denly ask some one near if the clock was
fast. His motions were as much the same
each day as are those of an actor, who re-
peats the same pert, and even strangers
were struck 10y their popularity. To the
habitues of the place, he was known as
the "twelve O'clock man" and to some
his coming was source of amusement; ;
others shook their heads and whispered
that the poor man bad lost his mind; but
whatever they thought, however much
they stared, at noon the man was always
there, staring at the clock The worst
storm never kept him away, and Sabbath
OF holiday made no difference. He never
met the one he came to meet, but he was
always in time to see the hands cross
themselves at the mark of noon.
When that clock of the City Hall, which
has looked down upon the streets of
Brooklyn so many years, was new, there
lived in that city a man young, ardent,
and full OF hope, who, as most young men
do, sooner or later, had fallen in love
with pretty woman and asked her to be
his wife. The girl had consented and
they were engaged. He desired to be
married at once, but she refused to set
the day. She had put him off for one
reason or another for two years; and,
meanwhile, he had hslf-a-dozen quarrels
with her, for she had been great CO.
quette, and even now one of her old low
ers dangled about her.
Sometimes the man declared there
must be an end to such work, but the
girl could twist him about her finger as
she chose, and 1t always ended in recon-
ciliation, until, one day, he met the two
walking together arm in arm in lover.
like way, and at last declared that he
would bear no more. She must choose
between them and choose speedily.
The girl was frightened; from that mo-
ment she at least pretended TO comport
herself properly, She told her betrothed
lover that she had no real tenderness for
any one but himself, and that she had
forbidden the other man to see her again
And he was happy,and all other meetings
were pleasant. They were neither rich nor
fashionable people, and his work occu-
pied him all day, but in the evening thew
were together, and sometimes at the hour
of noon, their mutual dinner-hour they
stole few moments for meeting. She
lett the store where she was employed, he
left his workshop, and they took a little
walk together; and she was all he could
have wished, kind, gentle, modest, appar
emily with no eyes save for him. And
she had set the wedding. day; and he
thought only of the hour that should
make her his.
1t was close at hand, when one evening
she told him with smile that she would
meet him in the City Hall Park next
day.
Il have a holiday" she said, "and I
shall be there atnoon. Why do you not
take one, too9 We might 90 to some
pleasant place and spend the afternoon, :"
and he had agreed at once. "If | am
not there at noon wait for me-" she said.
And at noon the man was there
watching the clock. The hands met and
passed each other, and he looked eager
ly toward the gates, but she did not come.
She was late, but he was patient; he
walked slowly about, he sat upon the
steps, he lounged on the benches. One
O'Clock came. A policeman passed and
he asked him if he thought the clock
Kept good time; but still he was not un-
easy.
Wait for me" she had said; and he
waited. All through the long ar.
ternoon ne kept his post; but as the even.
Ing shadows grew long, he felt sadly
troubled. To leave might be to miss her
yet ne longed to go in search of her. She
might be ill, some accident might have
happened.
AT last, as it grew dark, he resolved to
watch the employees leave the store where
she was engaged, for it might be that the
holiday had not been given after all. He
sought the spot. She was not one of thu
little crowd of girls who left the store, bu
he knew oneof them, and saluting her