Litchfield enquirer., 1881-03-31
THE CLOCKS ROMANCE.

l should like to make one introductory re. mark-that consider it very serious thing to be clock. It seems to me to be respon sble form of being, when come to think what destiny may hang upon single action ot mine. l am the house clock at Martyr Hall.
 hope you will not laugh when say that I do not know my own age. It is true, howev- CT. What with marking the ages of people about me, when they enter the world and when they leave it, and with keeping time generally, I have had my hands fully employ ed; thus my own years have slipped out of my reckoning. That does not matter, YOU will think; and had better go on with my story, first of all striking the hour which is at hand
 One-r-r-r, two-r-r-r, three-r-r-r, four! do not know any hour better than four o'clock for the telling of story. At thls hour the kitchen is quiet, the work of the msrning being over, the work of the evening not vet begun the family are probably out of the house, the servants dispersed for gOssip. If you are in the hall indeed as have been, and not in the kitchen-but must get on, for the tale must be told before I strike five.
 For many years now 1 have stood in the large, best kitchen of fine old mansion a mansion that had belonged for generations to good old family; their name Martyr. It consists now of only mother and son, and just now they are both abroad.
 The mistress, always called ''my lady," is older in looks than in years; for she has ill health and an ill temper. A thorough woman of society in her day, she had gone through all the rounds of fashion and folly. Fretful, imperious, and restless, she could no longer stay content in any place: it was thought that something queer must ail her, either that she had secret troubles on her mind, or latent malady of body not yet developed. Sudden ly, without any sort of cause, without an in stant's warning, she would give orders to pack up, and off she would go on journey toward some place near the end of the earth, as if it were only across the hills. She might return by the next weeks steamer, her project cut short, or she might remain for year, just as the Whim seized her. Be this as it might, she never returned one whit improved in health or disposition; though she would come laden With curious things of ornament or use, and use, and with her old head filled with new tangled and outlandsh foreign notions. Peace and harmony reigned in the house when my lady was absent; but when she came back to it she brought terror
 Sir Austin, the master, was my lady's only child, the son of her second marriage, for she had welded twice. Everybody liked him. There was not trace of his mother in him, either in looks or disposition he was his father over again; the grand, kindly Sir An thony, who had died too soon. Sir Austin was thirty years of age now, just the hand some, grand looking gentleman that Sir An- thony had been, gracious in manner, easy to be approached as 8 boy, hls blue eyes genial, his fair waving hair taking a tinge of gold in the sunlight.
 My lady was intensely fond and proud of her son, but in selfish way: and he was not bit happier in her society, and could not be than anyone else was. The servants said and if you want to hear how servants gossip and whisper and get to know everything, you should take up your abode in kitchen clock case-that things could never be quite straight between my lady and him, so long as he set his face against the wife she had imperiously carved cut for him. This was one Miss Threthasis, who was a niece of her first hus band. She declared he should marry none other than Alice Threthasis; he, so the ser wants thought, would rather go wifeless for ever than take her. Mrs. Tbrethasis was an invalid, nearly as peevish and exacting as my lady, and would hardly ever be left alone; otherwise her daughter would have been at the Hall forever. Sir Austin was very patient and attentive to his mother, never quarrelling with her, taking all her complanings quietly, and attending her hither and thither as her capricious fancy dictated.
 There were several ersants in the house :: that you will readily understand. The head and chief of them was Betsy, housekeeper SOW, my lady's own attendant in earlier days To tradesmen and the younger servants she was Mrs. Betsey' just as Jam.s Storm was MT. James Betsy was oluer than her lady, She was woman of good intelligence, mild disposition, and shrewd sense. A slim. neat ngure was hers, and she had fair face and pleasant but faded .blue eyes. She wore a stiffiv ruff1ed cap with a broad ribbon about it surmounted by large bow; stuff dress, usually of dark green, made spare in the skirt and huge in the sleeve, a white frilled cape. white apron, and high heeled shoes On Sun days her gown was of silk, black, and her cap of rich lace. A thick silver chain, on which were suspended the keys of the house, hung by her side always
 The head of the men-servants was James storm; Mir Storm out of doors; James, or Mir James, within. It was peculiarity of the house that the servants were all called by their Christian name. He was the steward ana his duties seemed to lie in seeing people Wno came on business and in keeping the ac- counts. For years and years he had been in the family, even before Sir Anthony's time and to him and Betsy there belonged a sort of romance He had the sweetest temper l ever knew, was gentle and innocent as lambe In the evening, when duties were over, he would be Betsey's shadow. He had been in love With her in their youthful days All the house Knew it. It was g sort of everlasting courtship; and why they had never married, was not to be guessed at; unless it was that my lady's imperious whims had stepped in to