The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-07-15

The Isewltolled. Clock.
About half past eleven o'clock on Sun
day night, human leg, envelopcd in blue
broadcloth, might have been seen entering
Ccphas Barberry's kitchen window. The
leg was followed finally by the entire per-
son Of lively Yankee, attircd in his Sun
day go-to-mcetin' clothes, 1t was, in
short, Joe Mayweed who thus burglariously
in the dead Of the night, won his way into
tho dcacon's kitchen.
"Wonder how much the old deacon
made by orderin' me not to darken his
door again 2" solloquizcd the young man.
'Promised him wouldn't but didn't say
nothin' about winders. Winders IL Just as
good as doors, If there amt no nails to tear
your trowsers onto. Wonder if Sal III
come DOWN. The critter promised me.
Pm afraid to move here, cause might
break my shins over somthin' or other, and
wake up the old folks Cold enough to
freeze polar bear here. Oh, here comes
Sally !"
The beautiful maiden descended with a
pleasant smile, tallow candle, and q box
of matches After receiving a rapturous
greeting, she made up roaring fire in the
cooking stove, and the happy couple sat
down to enjoy the sweet interchange of
views and hopes. But the course OF trao
love ran no smoother in old Barbcrry's
kitchen than it did elsewhere, and Joe,
who was making up his mind to treat him
self TO kiss, was startled by the voice of
the deacon, her father, shouting from her
chamber door:
''Sally, what arc you getting up in the
middle of the night FORE"
':Tell him it's most morning, "whispcrcd
Joe.
81 can't tell a fib," said Sally.
"l1l make it truth, then," said Joe,
and running to the huge old fashioned clock
that stood in the corner, he set it at five.
"Ilook at that clock and tell nc what
time 1T is," cried the old gentleman up
stars.
''lt's five by the clock" answered Sally,
and corroborating tho words the clock
struck five.
The lovers sat down again and resumed
the conversation. Suddenly the staircase
began to creak.
Good gracious! It's fathcr"
'Ihc deacon, by thundcr!" cried Joe.
"lIidc me, Sal !"
''Wherc can hide you ?" cried the dis
tractcd girl.
ooh, know" said he, ''I'll squeeze
into the cloch-case."
And without another word, hc concealed
himself in the case and drew the door be-
hind him.
The deacon was dressed, and sitting
himself down by the cooking stove, pulled
out his pipe, and lighted it, and commenced
smoking very deliberately and calmly.
"Five o'clock, ell 2" said he. ''Well, /
shall have time to smoke three or four
pipes, then I'll 80 and feed the critters. "
Hadn't you better 60 and feed the crit
ters first. sir, and smoke afterwards" suE-
gcstcd the dutiful Sally.
mo, smokin' clears my head and wakes
me up" answered the deacon, who seemed
not whit disposed to hurry his enjoyment.
Bur-r-r-r-whiz-z- ding g-dingl went the
clock.
'Tormcnting lightning!" cried tho dea-
con, starting up and dropping his pipe on
the stove. "What in crcation's that 2"
"lt's only the clock striking flve," said
Sally trcmulously.
Whiz ding ding ding went the old
clock furiously.
"Powers of mercyl" cried the old dca-
con. Striking fivcl It's struck hun
dred already"
"Dcacon Barberry |" cried the deacon's
better half, who had hastily robed herself,
and now came plunging down the staircase
In the widest state of alarm. "What is
the matter with the clock 2''
Goodness only knows" replied the old
man. "1ts been In the family these hun
dred years and never did know it to carry
on 30 before"
Whiz ! bang bang bangl went the
clock.
ut II burst itself IL cried the old lady,
shedding flood of tears, land there won't
be nothing left of it,"
otis bcwitchcd," said the deacon, who
retained lcaven of New England supcrsti-
ton in his nature. "Anyhow," he said,
after pause advancing rcsolutcly toward
the clock. "I'll see what's got into It'll"
"Oh, don't" cried the daughter affec-
tionatcly seizing one of his coat tails, while
his faithful wife chung TO the othor.
"Dont choruscd both the women to-
gcther.
"Lct 60 my raimcnt !" shouted the dea.
con, 81 amt afraid of the powers of dark
ness
But the women would not let co. 80 tho
deacon slipped off his coat and while, from
the sudden cessation of resistance, they fell
heavily to the floor, he dartcd forward and
laid his hand On the door of the clock case
But no human power could open 1t. Joe
was holding it inside with death grasp.
The deacon began to be drcadfully fright
cncd lie gave ono more tug. An un-
earthly yell as of flcnd in distress came
from the inside and then tho clock case
| pitched hcadforemost on the floor, smashed
its face and wrecked it's proportions.
The current of air extingvishcd the light
tho deacon, the old lady and Sally fed
upstairs, and Joe Maywced extricatlng
himself from the clock, effected his retreat
in the same way that he had entered. The
next day all Appletown was alive with
the story Of how Deacon Barbcrry's clock
had been bewi.ched; and though many
believed It's version, some, and especially
Joe Maywccd affected to dlscrcdit the whole
affair, limiting that the deacon had been
trying tho experiment Of tasting frozen
cider, and that the vagaries of the clooE,
case existed only in his dstcmpered imagi,
nation.
Ited Hot Itoms.
1