Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-11-21
NY GRANDFArHER's CLOCK.


And I'm your lives with sweetness
NY GRANDFATHER'S CLOCK.
Theaneient clock in Deacon Shermer's
sd fashioned kitchen was slowly Chin
ng the hour of 9.
It was no smart toy, 10 trifie of bronze
u alabaster, but tall, square, solid relic
Of the last century, looking not unlike
cofin-case set on one end, in the corner
"a clock that had lasted through four
generations, and judging from sppear-
4nces was quite likely to last through
several more. Deacon Shermer cherished
| the old heir loom with sort of pride
i which he himself would scarcely have
confessed to.
There was a great, ruddy fire of chest
uut logs in the red bricked fire place,
and the candles in the highly polished
brass sticks were Winking merrily from
the high, wooden mantel, where they
! shared the post of honor with curious
sea shell and couple of vases, each con-
tanning q fresh Usage orange, from the
hedge that skirted the clover field, be-
hind the barn.
At the window, a curtain of gaudy
chintz shut out the tens of thousands of
stars that were shining so brightly on
| that frosty autJmnal night, and on the
coy rug of parti-colored rags a contented
tortoise shell cat purred away the slowly
apsing minutes. But the tortoise shell
cat was not the only inhabitant of the
snug kitchen.
'sTimothy," said Mary Shermer, de-
cidedly, "if you don't behave yourself,
PIP
What she would do, Mary did not say;
the sentence was terminated by laugh
| that set the dimples round her mouth
| in motion, Just as beam of June sun
shine plays across cluster of red ripe
cherries.
Mary Shermer was Just nineteen,
plump. rosy girl, with Jet hair, brushed
back from low forehead, and perfectly
arched eyebrows, that gave a bewitching
expression of surprise to pair of melt
ing hazel eyes. She was rather dark,
but the severe critic would not have
found fault with the peach-like bloom
upon her cheeks, and the deWy red of
her full, daintily curved lips. Evidently,
Mr.. Timothy Marshall was quite well
satisfied with Mary's style of beauty.
"Come, Mary" said Tim, moving his
chair where he could best watch the
flash of the freight upon her face, and
picking up the thread, of the conversa-
ton where he had dropped it when it
became necessary for Mary to bid him
'rbehave himself;" "yOu might promise
It's 9 o'clock, and your father will soon
be home"
"What, Timq' said Mary, demurely
fitting a square of red in her patchwork,
and intently observing the effect.
'Nonsense, Mary You know what
very well. Promise to marry me before
Christmas. tell you what, Mary, it's
all very well for you to keep putting it
of, but can't stand it. What with your
fathers forbidding me the house, and
the romantic Stanley coming here every
Sunday night
Mary gave her pretty head toss.
GAS if Mr.. SANKEY'S coming here
made any difference in my feelings,
Timp
"No; but, Mary, it isn't pleasant, you
know. Pm asgoOd a man as Tom Stanley,
if dent own railroad shares and keep
an account at the Hamiltonville Bank
md love you, Mary, from the bottom
Of y heart Now, this matter lies be-
tween you and me only; no other per
5oT n the world has right to interfere
b, zen MS. Come, promise me-"
l4o held both her hands in this, and
looked earnestly into the liquid hazel
eyes.
"Do you love me, Mary2
SYou know love you, Tim"
Then we may just as well-hush
what's that noiseP
There was portentOus sound of
drawing bolts and rattling latches in the
porch room beyond "a scEaping Of heavy
boots along the floor. Mary rose to her
feet with sudden scarlet efusion upon
her brow and cheek.
30, Tim, it is father"
Suppose it is?"
Bat he mustn't find you here, Tim
Hide yourself somewhere, dop
what nonsense, Maryp said the
young man, resolutely standing MS
gre ind. I have not come to steal his
spoons. Why should I creep away like
detected burglar"
"For my sake, Timl Oh, Tim, if you
ever loved me, do as l say Not in the
closet, it is too close to his bed room;
not through that window, it's nailed
down tight; he's coming Here, into
my gandfather's clock, quick, quickP
In the drawing of breath, she pushed
dulum case of the clock, and turned the
key on him. It was not a pleasant place
of refuge, inasmuch as his shoulders
were squeezed on either side. and his
head hattened against springs and
wheels above, and the air was disagreea-
bic and close; but Tim made the best
of matters, and shook with suppressed
laughter in the solitary prison cell.
"Welll jolly scrape to be in," thought
Tim, mot knowing when Pl be out of
1t. Marys shrewd little puss, however,
and can't do better than to leave mat
ters in her hands,"
$50 you haven't gone to bed yet, MaryT
said Deacon Shermer, slowly unwinding
the two yards of woolen scarf with
which he generally encased his throat
during the evening.
mot yet, father" said Mary, picking
up her bits of patch work, with glow
ing cheek. "Did you have a pleasant
meetingP'
"Well, yes" quoth the deacon, refiec-
lively, sitting down before the fire, greatly
to Mary's consternation-she had hoped
he would have gone to bed at once,
according to his usual custom-"it was
tOPbly pleasant. Elder Hopkins-and
-and-well, all the church folks pretty
much. Why, how red your cheeks arc,
Mary! Tired, amt your Well, you
needn't set up for me, my dear; it must
be getting late"
The deacon glanced mechanically up
to the clock. Mary felt the blood grow
ing cold in her veins.
Twenty minutes past nine-why, it
must be later than thatl Why, land o
Canaan, the old clock has stopped ;" nor
was it at all wonderful under the circum-.
stances. Il wound it Up this morning,
] am sartin,H = said the deacon, very much
disturbed. "It never served me such
trick before, all the years it has stood
there. Your Aunt Jane used to say il
was sign of death or marriage in the
family before the year was out"
There was suppressed sound like
chuckle- behind the clock as Deacon
Shermer fumbled on the shelf for the
clock key.