Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-10-21

where we could see Rogers face plain
". The puzzled expression that passed
over it and fingered a moment was in
describable. Flora had not moved
from her place, and sat. with one hand
uplifted from the piano keys. listening
intently and wonderingly to the meas
ured striking, which now seemed
louder than ever. Then We saw
Rogers lips move, and Flora turned
blushing and said something which, of
course, we could not hear. Whatever
it was, they did not seem to under
stand each other any better than we
| did.
All of a sudden both faces turned
J toward the sitting-room door. Father
was coming! In s. moment he was in
the room, in his dressing-gown, and
holding lamp, as if he had been
searching the house over for the cause
of this unseemly disturbance. What
he said We did not hear. 1t must have
been something severe, for Flora
| blushed redder than ever. and des-
perate CLEAN came into Rogers eyes.
Fred and began to realize that we
were in something of Il scrape. But
we were bound to enjoy it while we
could, and we managed with a sharp
ened stick to pry up the window so
we could hear what was going on.
"What on earth does this mean,
| Flora?" shouted father.
Poor Flora had buried her bushes in
her hands. and gave no answer.
Father looked from Flora to Roger
and back to Flora again, and said,
| louder than before:
Il want an answer; what does all
this mean?"
"Oh, father" cried Flora, g dom t
really know, unless the sitting-room
clock is bewitched.''
Il have stopped every clock in the
house" replied her father in stentorian
| tones.
Rogers face turned white and red by
turns; but he did not attempt to say
any thing. Father turned to him:
MIR. Pettijohn, can you tell me what
this unearthly din in my house at near
ly midnight means?"
Roger had disiointed his flute, and
laid each bright silver section carefully
in its place in the ebony box which he
had himself made for it. As father
finished his question, Roger snapped
down the cover of the box and re-
torted, stiffiy:
IF you allude to the duet which
Miss Flora and have.been practicing,
l must at least thank you for as much
of your compliment as includes myself.
If you allude to the misfortune which
seems to have overtaken your clock,
excuse me if l tell you that you or
some of your household know more
about it than 1 do. l wish you very
good-evening, Mr.. Shaw. Good-even-
ing, Miss Shaw"
And the wrathful Mr. Pettijohn turned
on his heel, and a moment later the
front door shut behind him with no
uncertain sound.
".Miss Shawl" 1 whispered to
Fred. "That's murderous! He's fear
Skawr"
Roger did not whistle as he walked
briskiy down the gravel path. We
could just see his form as he passed in
the darkness.
When we looked again into the par
lor Aunt Elizabeth, prim and straight.
in her morning wrapper, candle in
hand and her eyes swapping and
cleaning like a cats back in the dark,
stood between father and Flora, look
ing inguiringly from one to the other.
Mother had also come into the room,
her face the picture of bewilderment
and despair.
We thought it was time to draw the
curtain on our joke. We carefully
lowered the window, and. taking
last look at the distressful tableau, hur-
ried into the kitchen. twitched off our
| boots, and fastened upstairs. In a
minute we were we'll abed. The clock
was still striking as We dropped off to
sleep.
Our experiences next morning do not
need to be described. We were found
out, of course. Flora wore an injured
! air for week. Father was stern, but
| we half suspected that he inwardly ap-
proved our course. Roger Pettijohn's
ring did not disturb our door-bell for
months.
| When it was certain that Flora had
vanquished all competitors for the head
of her class, Fred and managed to let
him know how misfortune came
upon our clock. We put the works
back in the case, and with proper cere-
mony made him a present of it. and it
was given an honored place in his
room. When at the academy COM
mencement Flora bore off the valedic-
tory, her largest bouquet had Rogers
card neatly attached with blue rib
bon.
The funniest part of the affair was
that when the clock began to strike on
that memorable evening Aunt Eliza
beth began counting the strokes, ac-
cording to her invariable habit, and
although she went down into the par
lor and returned to her room after half
an hour, she averred that she had
counted every stroke, and the clock
had struck exactly 996 times Nine
hundred and njnetv.Siy O'clock hecamp