The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-03-20
The sPolLEp CLOCK.

THE SPOILED CLOCK.
How Ned .Fixedr 1t and Made It Go.
and the Way 1t Went.
The eight-day clock gave a great deal
of trouble. 1t had habit of stopping,
and no one knew why. 1t was duly
wosnd and everything done for it that
could be done for a clock. But still it
would stop. 1t was the clock frankie
went to school by, and the one that
marked off the happy play hours when
bis little friends came to see him, or
when he was allowed to visit them. So
he missed it, and wondered a good deal
about it, and wished it could be fixed.
But some alterations were to be made
in the house, and his mother said Ninny
should take the clock to the garnet
until its new nook was ready, and then
it should be sent down town for repairs.
The garrett was the place where all
the boys got together on stormy days.
There was room to play circus and
soldier, and no one came there to say
Hush, or g Pray, boys, do be quiet
In one corner was Frankie's play house.
There was lis big dappled- gray rocking
horse, his span of rocking-ponies, his
swing, his box of tools, and more play
things of every kind than you could
count. Ninny, when she carried the
clock up there. took care to get it as far
away as possible from this corner.
Thin boys will be sure to be afther
it," she said, so I'll put it on a high
beam in the dark, where they'll niver
find it.
But it had not been long in its dusty
solitude before there came rainy day,
and all the neighborhood boys fiocked
in. Ned was the biggest and most rest
less one, and it was not long before he
sp;es tlai clock
!. Hello, FiaS4o: Whose clock is
that?'' he cried.
It's ours; it's spoiled"
"SpoiledP Doesn't it go?'
mo, it doesn't go; it dosn't do any
thing but STOP
'sWell, don't see how it can stop if
it hasn't been going roared Ned with
a loud laugh.
Let's look at it, anyway he add
ed, climbing up on box and lifting
the clock from its shelf. He carried
it to window and set it down on the
floor. All the boys gathered around.
"Open it!' cried John.
8 Let's see the Wheels,o clamored
Willie.
Ned opened the door, but found in
side only the key to wind it with. for of
course the face hid the machinery. Ned
shook it and it began to tick.
II can fix it, he said. you let it
stand too still. See. it goes. And,
sure enough, it did, feebly, and for only
few minutes.
Ned had no wish to do mischief, but
he had a great desire to tinker. ''Say,
frankie, may / fix it?''
eff you can. replied frankie, glad
". Mamma said she wanted it
fixed"
Frankie's box of tools stood near, and
Ned took screw driver. and undid one
screw after another until the face was
loose. This he took off. The boys
crowded closer to exclaim and ask
questions.
AsOh, what lot of wheelsT" cried
one.
.'Are they goldp'' asked another.
They're BRASS" said Ned. ''And
this thing here is the spring"
1t was interesting indeed to see its
wheel within wheel, and that coil Of fiat
steel-blue wire. Ned examined every
part, took out one screw and then
another, until finally he had everything
out of the case. This took him an hour
or more. Then he tried winding up the
spring, and found he could turn the key
round and round, and the spring would
tighten by slow degrees. But as soon
as he took away the KEY it would un-
wind with a whirl.
at goes now, doesn't itPn said
frankie.
Yes said Ned, little doubtfully.
Truth is he was beginning to be dis
tressed at the sight of SO many scat
tered pieces, and SO many screws, and
to feel certain he could never put them
together as they were before.
Eyes, it goes, said frankie joyfully.
.sNow, Ned, let me wind it.
The winding it was the chief partsof
the fun. Each took turn at it. They
thought the whining of the spring very
lively music. Ned did not like to own
that he had spoiled the clock, but SO he.
feared.
Nov Wen put it up, he said.
''But how can we tell what time it is
when the hands are off ?'' asked
frankie, beginning to be suspicious.
ssI'll put them on some other time, -
said Ned, growing very red in the face.
This was far from being satisfactory,
but play was to be stared, and
frankie reluctantly allowed the frag-
ments to be piled together in heap
near the window and then joined the
other boys in ''gray wolf. = But he felt
that his mother ought to know. So that
night when he went to bed, he said:
mamma, the clock will go. y
what, the clock in the garnet? How
does it go?'
Ned made 1t go. You wind it with
the key as tight as you can and then let
it go and, oh, itruns down just as fast!v
Il hope Ned hasn't been meddling
with the clock, dear =
Yes. he took it allsapart. ] told him
you wanted it fixed I
II presume it is fixed, if he has
taken it in hand. Go TO sleep now
and we'll see about it tomorrow"
She smiled to herself, for she knew
very well what to expect from Ned's
skill. The clock went in still anoth-
er way the next day-it went to the jew
eler' 5 in basket -CIarG DOty Bates,
IN GH5cfT1o 41,.0zco