Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-01-15

seemed both proud and fond of his
wife, while others, more observing, per-
haps, remarked that he watched her
exactly like cat watching q mouse it
has caught and has at clutching length
One dreary December day, when sad
winds blew up from the sea, and all
nature seemed to be bewailing it's lost
youth, Jacob Montgomery was thrown
from light buggy upon the bare fro
zen earth. When they were taking him
down the steps into his house, he said
with difficulty, " Lay me in my ham
mock After that, although perfectly
sensible, and alive to all surroundings,
except when under the influence of
some of his medicines, he was speech
| less. II Is r n Ii +,
His mind seem ed to dwell upon that
clock, and it appeared as if the poor
old man was vainly trying to make some
thing known about it to his attendants.
At the very last he opened his eyes
from a short, fitful doze, gave pitiful
groan, stretched his arms out toward
the malachite table and fell back quite
dead Just as the clock in the belfrv of
st. Marks rang out the hour of s. ID,
When young Mrs. Montgomery
turned away from the still swaying death
couch, her eyes fell upon the silver face
of the Florentine clock. Witt a sharp,
quick cry she grasped the doctors arm,
and with q tremulous intonation ofawe
in her voice, called his attention to the
fact that the clock had stopped just the
NONE nt the life had gone out of the
hand of its present owner who alone had
cared for it since it had been set up in
this queer, American home. Presently,
too, it dawned upon the fair widows
mind for the first time that day that it
was Christmas, and just a year since
husbands possession.
Immediately after the large funeral,
which was attended from st. Marks. the
beautiful young widow shut herself up
in the queer old house with the deaf
and almost dumb old housekeeper, de-
clined all calls, even those of condo
lence, and spent her time-no one knew
how.
At the time Of Jacob Montg omery's
/ death his lawyer was absent in Califor-
MIA, whittier he had been called on
business only the day before the acct
dent which had SO speedily caused his
eccentric clients decease. When he
arrived home, however, be Immediately
addressed note to the widow, saying
he would call upon her on the morrow.
This was a visit by no means TO be de-
clined, and, at the hour appointed, Mrs.
Montgomery descended to the great en-
trance hall to receive him.. Standing in
her somber trailing robes before the fire.
which was kept burning as usual, she
! heard the counselor through.
i "NE. Montgomery Willed his entire
estate to you Internationally, madam"
said he. "You are very wealthy
woman. But there is a clause in the
will, which [ myself drew, that refers to
a certain paper that will be found at
the manse giving Instructions as to
some details. Do you know where it
is?"
The widow could give no light upon
the subject whatever; and, although the
mansion was ransacked from top to
. bottom, and each individual block of
: the marble basement of the huge hall
!, raised, no such paper or document of
any sort could be found. H..
Counselor Hungerford, a plain, prac-
teal man, tried to reason Mrs. Mont
gomery out of the whimsical mode of
life she was following. One day he said
to her, Il am going to send a man to-
morrow to examine and set going that
: curious clock of yours. If there is any
: thing to make a person nervous, it is
; to stare into the face of a dead clock
day after day"
, "There is nothing that would induce
) me to have it touched" she exclaimed.
) THAT clock has history, Mr.. Hunger
, ford. Perhaps I had best relate it to
: you here and now; then you will IN
derstand why [ feel as I do-that nv
life is blighted one:
"On Christmas day, three years before
[ married Mr.. Montgomery, [ BEGAN e
) engaged to Herman Clay, young artist
who was previously a professor of paint
, ing in a young ladies' seminary where
: / taught French and Italian. Although
too poor to marry, we spent a happy
r year in each others society and plan
ned for a possible happier future. On
the first anniversary Of our engagement
: we had a petty difference which grew
? into a foolish quarrel, and we parted.
He at once went abroad, and I spent a
t wretched year without hearing from
| him. Then came a letter dated Flor
!, ence, Christmas. saying that he had
made a journey to that city, whose
! name I love, for my sake, thinking to
l spend the day in brooding over tender
memories and sad regrets. The entire
: letter was SO touching that it melted my
7 heart, and l replied at once. Just be-
fore my letter was mailed, one of the
, teachers came into my room with a
1 newspaper in which was a paragraph
stating that Herman Clay was drowned
l in the river Arno by the upsetting of a
S skiff which he was rowing, two days
: after Christmas. -='"
4 'Not long afterward Mr.. Montgomery
4 came to our seminary on business. It
S was whispered that he contemplated
e founding a number Of scholarships. |
2 was thrown into his sOciety and he took