The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-12-09


it for night or two, that he might watch
for repetition of the strange occurrences;
but after rejecting that it would be unwise
to break into the regularity of his habits
he decided to take his nap. Accordingly,
he composed himself in his chair, saw that
Theophilus was sound asleep on the rug,
and in a moment (being very tired) he was
slumbering.
1t seemed to him that he had not been
asleep minute when the same distressful
cry from Theophilus reused him into
alarmed wakefulness. Again was Theoph-
illus gazing strangely at the clock. Quickly
turning his glance in that quarter, MIR,
Wheeler saw that the hands again pointed
to midnight, and that the little figure was
swaying as though it had but just fallen
through the trap This was more than
the swretched mans nerves could bear
quietly. He trembled, and perspiration
dampened his forehead. These things,
happening once, made situation strange
enough; repetition of exactly the same
kind-three extraordinary elements enter
ing into it-made a coincidence which was
terrible. Mr.. Wheeler found his pulse
bounding as before he examined the clock
and saw that it was in perfect order. He
felt that he had not slept two hours, but on
matter of that kind he knew that no mans
Judgment is reliable. He replaced the fig
ure and sat for long time in deep thought
and anxiety at the end of everything he
went to bed. His sleep again was uncer-
tain; but if he had slept two hours how
could he expect sound slumber? Still, 1t
seemed to him that if he had slept two
hours in cramped position in chair, he
would have felt the strain on his muscles,
and yet there was none whatever.
Mr.. Wheeler's two rooms were in a
large apartment-house of the better, though
not the more expensive, kind. 1t was an
uncommonly well-built house, the parti-
tions separating the suites being of brick,
those between the rooms of a suite lath and
plaster affixed to studding. The floors
were deadened with plaster. Hence when
the doors were closed, no sounds could
penetrate the walls separating the suites ol
the floors below and above Mr.. Wheel
er's suite being in corner of the house
he had neighbors only on one side and al
the rear of his rooms. He had never seer
, them, and knew nothing about them
Being something of a solitary, he had mad'
: the acquaintance of but one family in th'
, house, widow with TWO children. Tht
woman was French, and as she was poo
and he had once relieved her distress whel
informed by Jenny that she was i'll, and be
sides was dainty cook, he had arranged
with her to take his meals at her table
paying her so generously that she regarde'
MN Us Il Deueldctuft
t Should he eonfide in her? She wa
| bright and shrewd, and she might hel
| him-he could not bear to think of bring
7 inc detective into the case. While h
l refused to believe it possible that any O
| his neighbors could have hand in the OF
e currepces which disturbed him, he though
! it might at least be well to know who the
S were. Should be employ the French We
man to learn all that she could about them
0 1t looked silly and undigniied. Shoul
> he himself spy upon Them and thus kee
5 his troubles to himself? That was incoI
!. ceivable. He would wait awhile. As ft
e Jenny he could not bring himself to cor
n suit her, and by that means establish cont
S DENTAL relations with her He determine
y to fight it out alone
y On the third night he threw aside h
r custom of taking nap, and decided
d watch the cat and the clock. At te
+ o'clock, anxious though he was, the hab
II of falling asleep came upon him 50 strong
e that he had to resort to various articles
II keep awake. Ten minutes later he ha
n lost his drowsiness. The cat slumbere
y quietly on the rug, and the clock and ii
e figure gave no sign of irregular behavio
L Eleven o'clock arrived He took up h
o familiar position facing the clock. Slow
he came under the influence Of the o
: spell, his face paled and hardenedj he b
/ came rigid. La two seconds more Il
/ doors would fly open and the execute
= would occur A second passed. The
the clock stopped. At the same momel
10 the cat which had been asleep on the ru
e sprang to his feet, the hair rose along h
y spine, his tail swung to and fro, his eye
= glowing with a strange light, were fixed {
= the clock, and he gave cry of distre
: and alarm.
: = That any clock should stop is not {
= = extraordinary thing, but that this clo'
? should have stopped at that particul
= moment, and that simultaneously the c
should have manifested so great uneasinei
. constituted, with the strange occurren
!, of the two last preceding nights, coin'
= dence which could not be ignored al
: which brought terror with it. Mr.. Wheel
sat white and aghast He spoke softly
:. the cat, hoping thus to find some clue, b
. Theophilus paid no attention for fl
: minute or two, and though even after tn
he noticed his master, he would sudden
:, = turn every few seconds and fix his anxio
: : gaze Oh the clock, Very soon, howevt
!, he was quiet again
- Hx NNbaal