New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-22
MY UNCLE'S CLOCK.

time, except that it was always stopped. being in
this respect exactly the opposite of that we'll
ment of the old gentlemans death. My
uncles clock stood in his bedroom, on
the mantelpiece; and / always wondered that he.
who liked everything about him to be in order.
wound W. and working punctually, should allow
this solitary specimen OF incapacity TO stare MN
in the face night and morning with lying ac-
count of the hour, Once or twice when my uncle
has been i'll and / have gone TO see him. have
walked IN to that clock with the intention OF set
tine il going and putting it right. hut my uncle
always stopped me with the significant remark" l
Father think I'd let that clock alone. if were you,
James,
NV uncle was not the sort of man who would
stard catech'sm very well: indeed. there were
some points concerning his personal history and
the mannor in which he made his fortune about
which his most intimate friend. il at all prudent
man. would Judge il hest to make few INQUIRIES.
do nor mean that my uncle was not an honorable
member Of society. and a very useful one too :
m"nv owners Of valuable estates. manv county
Families remember him still with res cctfu graft
tnde: Int his occupatOn Of n peculiar
sort which would not hear much talking
about; he was in fact. remover of ghosts.
What he did with the Ghosts when he got them
nobody could guess Tie did not tr"vol with
much luggage. and conll not have carried thom
awav in his boxes They were not in his
home: lUiete'. nettcr-ordarad establishment
allowed IN make noise there. One thing only
was certain that when he undertook IN remove a
ghost that ghost never went hack again: II was
he"rd Of no more HIS KNOWLEDGE Of the world ~
plantoms w"s imme~se: 7 think 7 NAV saw
un'nue. lie bad stndiod al the existing ftHra-
anvwhnro in the three kin 0domS with whose hab
jtS weaknesses and prciudcos he was not fami'ior.
Not phantom Of them all could resist him. he
con'd twist ne whole snertre World lit is is
round his little finger There was
nothing he enjoyed than facing on
o. 81 nate ard scf-opirioratN' old ghost "A ghost
al. - 20
motoh HE aoc-hev'no II ont with that ghost, and
REDUCING him a. submission.
Nv urcIe never al ysr+iSed himself in any way.
and had 10 oe approached cautiously nv all who
deei-ed his services lie kent his ghost-laying
within tho strict limits o. profession. though one
not generally acllnOwled rod frequently fol-
lowed. ard r"fi Cd wages though he wo1ld take
fee His first effort believe. achieved solely
10 Ohl;~e q friend afterward whisner Of his cv
tracrflinary powers vent ronnd. and "v"rv man
who had q haunted honSe which he could not let.
eve-v family ~ renod hv ~ rnd nhantom which
stuck tN the ancestral residence after its natural
term over every person anllced ny an attenn-
ant spectre. applied 70 nv uncle for relief lie
rever refused IT, when it was properly asked for
Tn roocivpC q summons Ia practice his nrotesS'on'
he packed mp his ira and went of with his man
sorv nj Sometimes il would take him weeks m
rcmovn n Ghost sometimes he would do il in half
m hour The fees he received for his services
varied from hundred hounds fho never Womb
take ess-rathcr than that. he did his work FOR
nothn") 10 a thousand. There was one old gentle.
non who was very much bothered for MANY wears
bv an irr;tatino phantom. who was ALWAYS wash
iro his hands IN his presence end asking him Tor
tc,vol-an urdor-hrcd ghost that. md one without
nnv sense Of the fitness of thn"Sl When this o'd
gentleman was relieved ~ his trouble his gratitude
vas 81 ~roat that besides ravinC the customary
fee. ho left IN his viii five thousand hounds ard
rornetuol r'oht IN tho GHOST. 10 uncle and his
bo'rS for ever ] was my unc,c's hcir. hnt ia
ne, lyrov ~ tho whole extent of his possessions
WHOM Sterpoa into th"m.
VOL NV unc'o d'c1 and the secret of the
ghosts and what he had done with them died with
him. lie left everything to me; and Immediately
determined TO have that clock put to rights.
could nor do away with it, because there Was
special clause in his will that Il was 10 he left
where it was, in the same room, on the same
roo"terioco facing the bed in which INF nded 10
sleep. II sent away that clock | forfeited my
un"e's fortune: the estate and the clock went
toe Their and were by no means nor
ut any time TO be separated. How
ever. il could not get rid of this piece or furni
tyre. ] could make it co. and this resolved to
room reached home late after a long journey
and. being very tired, forgot my resolution.
never had a letter nights sleep in my lifo Rnt
the next i,rg when awo<c, the clock faced
me with Il. fingers impudcnty and lvingy point
irc u half rast >. when as n matter OF fact,
knew that il was Just 8. | srrang ont OF he'd and
attacked that faee witness. " wound easily
and tckel regularly. It's internal Organization
had evidently suffered nothing from n prolonged
holiday. Throughout the whole OF that day II
licked chcerfully and kept we'll up to time: and
as put nv head on the pillow that night. and
heard Il ticking industriOusly in tho darkness.
felt that had begun well my stewardship Of The
fortune left 10 me: the only thing which wanted
doing in nv uncle's house had rromDtlv done
Then followed the peace Of well-earned sleep.
Rats! could it no rats making that noise? We're
there ever such in. udent. ingenious. multifar
Gus. ahcminable and riotous rats as these? ]
don't know how long ] had been asleep Int the
noisa which awoke was something distracting.
sat mp in he'd and listened No, il could not be
rats Rats could not gTOan dismallv. rats could
Orrrlp foolish Y. could
allv They MIGHT run about the PASSAGE with
the sound Of hundred pattering feet. hut thcv
could not talk in confidential whispers nor could
they appeal pitc0uslv for help. nor could they de
nouncc one another in angry human tones
4 hannv thought occurred to me. The servants
were indulginC in private theatricals-s They bad
presumed on my Youthful mex" erience and relied
on the soundness Of my slumbrrS; they We're
doThtlcss giving hall or some similar entertain
hent 20 their friends in the small hours OF the
oght ] got out Of rcd and made for tho door
The passage beyond in utter darkness
Thought heard the sound of scutting feet then
oil WIS still. As I CROPPED nv way toward III"
me with stealthv steps. I felt for a match, which
had in pocket. and etruck IL: no one was near
me. but an icy breeze rushed past me as from an
open window. and nv matfh went out i gro'cd
my on IN the buffers door and banged at il
Timpkins' said, what is the meaning Of
oil this?'
There was a moments pause. and then a trcmn-
iohs and husky voice answered from inside: Is
that YOU. sir?7
The fellows teeth were absolutely chattcring
from fright: could hear them and the sound re-
joced me il well that he should feel n whole
some dread of my righteous wrath
or course it's me. Open the door instantlyl-
81 daren't sir. not if it cost me my placer and
the teeth chartered audibly.
{" Look here Tim Sins nd better not be such
fool as this. Why. man, shant Stay you for
ttl"
You. sir?7 in an undoubted accent OF aston
ishment I" It's not You that I'm afraid Of Oh,
sir ~ chartered
manage them better than this?'
I'd better begin by managing you answered
angrily; but he did not seem TO hear me-
q Not a servant will stay with you if you let il
bappen again. They all left before, every one
of them, and they'll do 1t again only stopped
because your uncle sworet" me that il should