Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1883-04-20
NO. 43.

sickening spasm Of fear. What II
there were only women in the housee
suppose one appeared2 where should
he hide himself? He was not thief
hy nature or training. He would
crouch down in a corner and wait for
Nhettles. He had been there ages,
When the clock gave warning; ages
longer and with an alarming prelim-
mary whir it struck twelve. He
started up with IN after-impulse 81
gratitude that he had not shrieked
When had the hour before struck? 1t
seemed incredible that he could have
slept, but 1t must have been so. or
what was more probable, he had been
too absorbed to he2r it. 1t was time
for Whcttles. lie crept back to the
kitchen window and waited in the con-
draught of air. Minutes passed, each
eemng ten. He began to grow
angry. Did the fellow mean to play
him false and not come at all? AS
anger rose his courage to do the deed
cbbed. l do not believe conscience
asserted itself very strongly. Life was
! harder than it had beep even one day
before, and there was no flour in the
house now. He was still bitterly
ut odds with life, but the after
effects Of the whisky Whettles
I had given him were nervousness and
lrrcsolution The clock gave warning
for another hour False, friendly old
clock, If he could have seen your face
he would have known it lacked ten
minutes of midnight then instead.
he believed it would strike one. Too
late for Whcttles Perhaps he was
now at the old elm he would hurry
there and bring him back to do his
share OF the work. lie closed the win,
dow behind him and hurried off TO the
rendezvous There was no one there.
At that moment the relief of having
been prey ented from sin ovcrbalanced
every other feeling. Something must
have happened to Whett!es; perhaps
he had been caught; perhaps he would
say that his accomplice was waiting
for him under the elm lie started
on a swift run for home, to find his
wife watching for him in the moons
light.
She was too thankful at finding him
sober to worry at the lateness of his
coming. Being a woman of tact she
did not question, but went to sleep,
while Pete lay i'll daybread in cold
bath Of fear, expecting rap and sum
, mons to jail at every tapping of bou0N
or snapping of frost-bitten nail,un
/ Whettles had linger6r there
: Turner's, great house would take
I in the nope that TIN house was
: was party ,tSr, wy 't'9 ~ narIor and
e Iignted Iitgd frorinstcad of going away
It sieignsed up and down tie orchard
70 " 4 himself go Feop warm. Later.
IS ! ~llateT, and the singing and dancing
IL IIThs',,gsQn ITe VS. the curtains did not cease
y and see s = : otggEry over to the Poysetts
v work there. q9tspaw had done his
/ mated windoV as 1le UP to the desig-
e one was thre. I1eSi aonS' nnS mS
/ whistled softly The clot3i,se1le" vi, ono ono
: He had no ideait was so IA u0N pnto p,IH,
h must be waiting for him at tn, ain,
t And so he, too, hurried away.
+ But there was only mammoth lace
+ work of shadow Under the elm. Where
\ was Pete? The master-villain, him
self puzzled, reflected moment. Per
q hapS the fellow had the money and
t was hiding it at home. Lucky thought
. lie would go to the house
/ and call him up in spite OF
disturbing wife and children. Their
see if he would refuse to share
He took the road, and, passing Top
, pan S saloon, noticed a dim light in the
, barroom, 1t was rather unusual that
it should be there 50 late. but he hat
known it to happen before. He had
Just about money enough for dram
lie tapped, and then tried the door; il
was unlastened, and he went in lightly
A man IN a great-coat rose from his
seat by the stove and swiftly, dexter,
ously pinioned him. Toppan himself
always on the winning side, was there
to help, and Whettles was arrested for
his last crime.
Mrs. Poysett and Linda were afoot
early the next morning, putting the
housein holiday trim.
q declare if faint an hour earlier
n thought, )" said Mrs. Poysett as she
came down into the sitting room.
where the little air-tight was already
doing ardent best. "Lindy, you didn't
strike that clock round yesterday, after
all.
No, mother; l forgot it, laughed
Lindy. q should forget my head,
nowadays. if 'twasn't fastened on"
I'n tell you what it is" said the
mother, beginning to spread the
breakfast table, I'm Just out O pa
tience with that clock, strikin' the
hours away afore they get here. 1t
seems real malicious, tryin' to hurry
You off. Now, perhaps it's only half
days job or 50; let's send for Tinker
Pete and have him come up and fix it,"
50 the chOre boy was dispatched for
Pete lie came like culprit, uncer-
tain whether the message was feigned
to cover suspicion of him or not. But
no one could look into Mrs. Poysett's
clear eyes for a moment or hear Lin
da's clear laugh, with even hnger-
ing fear that either had ANYTHING to
! conceal. When they described the
clocks malady, | am inclined to think
Pete was as near being faint with sur
prise as ever man was in his life, and
think he touched the worn old clock
case reyerently, thanking it for
keeping his deeds honest, however
he had sinned in thought. He
stayed to dinner, and Mrs. Poy-
sett put up a pail of goodies
for the children. On his way home
he heard the news: Whettles had been
arrested and taken away on an early
train Again he walked in fear and
trembling; his hair grew used to stand
ing on end in those days lie expected
an interview with Nemesis concerning
his intended crime, but, whether Justly
or unjustly, Nemesis stayed away.
The wedding? 1t was a very quiet
one, and the happy pair went away
next morning, followed by blessings
and old shoes. Frank had such an ex-