Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-01-18
The Clocks Secret; or Guard
ed bY Ghosts.

way Southern town, but held oA
and hoped for the best Annie taught
in the public school there, and said
she was content TO wait If it for ten
years until she should beable TO mar
ry.
/ was just beginning to despair,
when / heard of my uncle's death in
the North. He had left me nothing,
however, but his old manor near the
town where lived. A mouidy old
structure, inhabited by an old dar-
key care-taker, and for years the up
per floors had never been lived in.
/ took Annie down on Saturday
to look over the place, for after all it
was something to own house and
be free from rent when we mar
ried.
EFF was you," said the old me-
gress when we explained the reason
of our visit, 81 wouldn't go up them
windin' stairs. The upper floors is
full o. ghosts and ghostesses. Why,
my brudder went up one day, and he
was found nigh dead the mex mawn."
only laughed at ersuperstitions,
and started up the fatalstairs. When
about half way up the most horrible
aounds greeted us. TWAS, as the old
woman had said. as though whole
host Of demons were grooming and
gnashing their teeth, and the sound
seemed to enyelop us. They were
horrible and we're enough to make
the stoutest heart quail, for they
seemed to increase after they had
once commenced. | turned to Annie
as quickly as / could. and. seeing by
her face that she was likely to faint,
put my arm about her to support her
as seated her on a lower step, for
the sound ceased as westepped back.
''Do You mind waiting for me down
stairs?'' / asked, while / examine in
to this, or would you prefer to have
me wait and come out another
timer"
mo, I am going upstairs with
you" she said bravely. 81 am
ashamed of my want of nerve just
now
AS she spoke she leaned back and
rested one elbow on the step above
her. Instantly the horrible sounds
were heard again, but as Annie moved
forward again they suddenly ceased.
You had better let me take you
down. l said quickly, as | saw her
face lose color again.
NO." she said in n halEsubdued
voice. Il felt something giveway just
then, Tom. See what it is.
1t did not take me many minutes
to remove the carpet, but in doing it
found that could, at will, render
the horrible sounds audible or i'm
audible. Annie became as much in
terested and excited as /. and when I
raised the loose plank that seemed to
cause it all she peered, with as muck
interest as /, into the cavity it re-
vealed.
.'Im not afraid OF anything now
she had said when | hesitated to re-
moveit. mustsee whatitis, Tom"
what we did see was a mass of
machinery There were wheels, so
put together that they grated fright
fully when touched.
"What do you suppose this was
for?" asked Annie
81 do not know. unless my uncle
used it as sort of Watchdog to
keep from being molested while up
stairs. He surrounded himself with
mystery to make himself and every
thing about him terror to both
black and white during the war"
We examined the machinery and
its connection and found shat each
step above it was connected with
some part of it, so that the sounds
kept increasing as one proceeded up
the stairs, but. Just as | was about
to restore the plank to its place, she
stopped me, and drawing out slip
of yellow paper, read:
"Behind the clock on the stairs.
Above us, still and silent, stood the
old clock on the landing. Slowly,
and with feeling of awe, we went to
it and moved it, wondering what new
mystery was about to be explained;
but apparently there was nothing
unusual, examined the clock itself
and then the wall, having some Wis
ionary ideas of secret panels, but all
of no avail and we were about to
give up the search when thesun came
out again, and, shining through a
broken shutter, showed a solitary
speck in the old-iashioned paper that
glittered like diamond. Eagerly
we worked ut it until we could under
stand the workings of it, and then
yes, there was our secret panel and
there was my dead and gone uncles'
money box. Taking it into an adj
joining room and examining it, we
found papers and money amounting
to $4,000, which had been hidden
during the war for safe keeping. As
the money was all in gold; it would
have been a godsend to some one
had not my uncle, by his eccentrici-
ties and mysteries kept every one at
bay. Unfortunately he did not live
to enjoy it himself, and twas left for
me to inherit and make the most of
Annie and l decided immediately
70 Ynol-a niir hpua there and IL is n