Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-10-28

| somebody, that somebody being surely the
criminal.
Time passed-weeks, months, years.
The murder was forgotten by all save the
orphan and-other, who could not but re-
member it.
Quite recently Pierret had gone to Paris.
and remained there several days making
purchases, bringing back with him the
magnificent clock, which set verybody
who saw it longing to possess it.
"Come in, gentlemen" said Pierret to
the admiring groups who pressed closely
about his shop window.
"What is the price of it?"
"One hundred crowns"
"Does it striker"
Certainly. Listen"
The clockmaker caused the bell to sound
clear, sonorous, silvery.
But nobody will buy it," said Pierret.
81 am afraid have done a foolish thing in
bringing it from Paris"
"Oh, that depends, Pierret! We are not
rich enough, but there is somebody here"-
'Reallyl Whom?"
'Ehl Locard-good looking Locard-
who is going to marry, and doesn't mind
what he spends"
eff you would not mind putting in a
word for me''-
with pleasure; and-who knows?-by
touching him on the side of his vanity
'You would be doing me a great service"
Jacques Locard was not very much liked,
and that for several reasons. In the first
place, he had made his fortune too sud-
| denly 1t had come to him from the clouds,
| by the intermediary of a notary-oh! not
of this village, but of a long way off, over
| the mountains-an inheritance which had
at once put him at his ease and he had in
creased this by dabbling in business.
| For all that he was closefsted, spoke in
loud voice, staggered in the street, drank
heavily and had following. When any
| body wanted to unloosen his purse strings
| for bowl of punch or bottle of cham
payne they knew on which side to deal
with him. A man like him-the king of
the country He wagged his head and al
| lowed himself to be taken in.
| The thing, however, was not so easy as it
| had at first seemed to be- When the name
| Of Pierret was pronounced before Locard
it evidently produced an unpleasant effect
on that PERSONS nerves. He disliked Pier
ret, that was clear. Well, everybody is
| free to like or dislike according to his i'm
pressions, is he not? Pierret, pettifog-
ger, an idler! No, no; he was not that,
but even if he were, what had that to Go
with the greatest wonder that had ever
been seen in the place? Besides it cost
nothing to look at it.
While talking Locard had drunk good
deal. He begun to get warm, saying Eyes. !"
saying No." and finally consenting to
stroll as far as the clockmaker's shop, then
withdrawing his consent.
"Why, any ore would say you were
afraid to go to Perrets''-
Afraid! l? What do care for Pierreti
| Come on"
The little matchmaker was at his bench,
his magnifying glass in his right eye, bend
| ing over the works of watch, Certainly
he was not looking at anything that was
going on outside of his shop, yet he saw,
very plainly observed, the approaching
group, and something very much like a
| smile might have been seen to play about
| his lips as he did So He hoped for a Gus
| TONER and to Il poor tradesman that must
always be pleasant feeling, must it not?
Oh, doubtless But for all possible GUS
toners Pierret hoped for one, and that one
was now at the door.
Locard entered,
SIS that its'' he said contemptuously.
Pierret rose politely. Locard turned his
back upon him-from hauteur evidently.
In short, he Immediately agreed to give
| che twelve pounds, and threw down a five
pound note on account, on condition that
the clock should be that same evening in
stalled in his dining room at his house.
This evening, friends" cried Locard (of
course he did not include Pierret), well
drink to my new piece OF furniture"
:'At what hour?"
mine o'clock"
AS soon as Pierret found himself quite
alone he burned the bank note in the flame
Of candle. Then he went into the room
behind the shop and took up small box,
IN which there were English labels pasted
Returning, he opened the case of the clock,
no doubt to regulate the movement.
Within the promised time it was placed
prominently placed-amid the rich fur
liture of Locard's dining room.
Around the table from which, point up
ward, goodly array of bottles stand, Lo,
card and his old friends drink, laugh and
sing.
i Eleven o'clock-the silver bell records
the hour. What a yoice-a song, rather!
One could listen to it through the whole
night. Midnight-the voice puts forth all
its delightful power.
Attention! One-two! Light the punch!
The fame fits, goblinlike, over the surface
# the bowl, tapping it with upthrown
tongues of yellow and blue. The sugar
frizzles. Now put out the lamp. Ruzzap
Hushi The clock is going to strike.
| No, it. speaks.
Jacques Locard! Jacques Locardp'
"Eh Who spoke? Who said that?"
jacques Locard! Contest Confess"
"Locard! Locard! What jest is this
How very pale you arep"
The voice sounds as if it came from th'
cellar.
Jacques Locard, you are murderer!'
SIT is false. Who has dared to say that?'
i Jacques Locard, II is you who killed ole
Pierret! Assassin!'
There are cries, groans. Locard has
risen to his feet-lost, mad. He clutches
1t his cravat to tear it from his strangled
throat. The voice still pitilessly continues
yelled, distant, as if coming from tomb
1t repeats, repeats, repeats the word ''as
= sassin."
Locard falls upon his knees, rises. fall
again.
II confess, confessr' he cries. Eyes, i,
was who killed the old man and robbed
him, but let that horrible voice cease"
1t did not stop, but went on repeating it,
dreadful denunciations with the persist
ency Of machine in motion.
at is the clock that speaks!' aoreamet
Locard, Selling 1t, shaking it, dragging il
rom its place, casting it upon the floor
The works were scattered, and in theii
midst was seen a small cylinder covered
with metallic paper
Pierret, who had heard all, sprang int
!. The room through the open window and
seized Locard by the throat.
II "You are all witnesses that this man il
The murderer of my fatherp' he cried.
Murder will out; but men who take the
lives of their fellow men for gain always
think their cunning more than a match
for proverbial wisdom. So thought
locard, and had not seven years inn
punity justified his estimate of his own
cleverness No; it had only put him off
,he guard which the murderer must never
tor moment cease to keep, The police