The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-12-09
Select Sturp.
THE UNFAITHFUL CLOCK,
W. c. Morrow in the San Francisco Argonaut.

Mr.. Austin Wheeler was startled out of
his ten-o' clock nap by peculiar cry OF dis
tress from Theophilus, his cat. Wise in
the ways of cats, and experienced in all
the vocal expressions of Theophilus, Mr.
Wheeler had cause to feel alarm when,
upon opening his eyes, he saw the cat star
ing straight past him, every nerve in the
large brindled animals body on strain,
the hair along his spine upright, his tail
slowly swing too and fro, his ears rigidly
fixed in listening, his eyes glowing with an
unwonted light, and that low note of alarm,
caution, or distress-perhaps all three In
one-filling the chamber with its uncanny
effect. 1t was such a sound as you may
have heard cats give when worried by dogs.
Mr.. Wheeler was wide awake in mo-
ment At first he supposed that the cat
was looking at him but when, in straight
enipg himself from reclining position, he
had brought his face some two feet out OF
the cats line of vision, apd observed that
Theophilus kept his gaze steadily as before
and, moreover, gave no heed to call, Mr.
Wheeler sent his glance in the direction OF
his cats, and, as nearly as he could judge,
found it to rest upon the clock. Instantly
he made the startling discovery that instead
Of sleeping ten minutes, as had been his
unbroken custom for years, he had really
slept two hours, for the hands of the clock
indicated midnight. More than that, he
noticed that the little artificial figure of a
man which hung by the neck just below
the clock was still 1uivering, as though 1t
had but that moment dropped to the end
of JUS string, whereas it should have been
perfectly still,
That the nature of the shock which these
discoveries gave Mr.. Wheeler may be I'M
derstood. it is necessary to explain some
things.
To begin, Mr.. Wheeler was an elderly
Ridower. rather small and than, highly
nervous. someyhat feeble, and possessed OF
means sufficient for him to live in modest
comfort without work. He was conspien-
ously-indeed painfully-methodical, as
Jenny, the girl who took care Of his two
rooms, had reason to know. Everything
had to be in the place he had set apart fol
it he went to bed, arose, had his strolls
and maps, and ordered everything else
precisely to the minute, one days routine
being Just like that of all other days. He
had explained all this on the score of his
health.
Jenny declared to her friends that ht
was the worst kind of "crank' but she
would add that so long as she did exactly
as he directed, he was very kind to her
paid her well, and made her numerous
presents. unfortunately she had neve
mentioned to her acquaintance the onl.
serious misunderstanding that had eve
arisen between her and her employer, bu
there will be no better place than this t.
insert it in the narrative. 1t was thus
The small figure of man, to which
reference already has been made, was
perfect representation of criminal beint
hanged. The clock, large, old-fashione'
affair. had been let into the wall above th
mantel, bricks having been removed il
number sufficient to make the face of tn
clock flush with the wall, The ragget
edges of the mural incision had beel
smoothed with plaster, which made nea
iuncture with the wooden frame OF tn,
clock The excavation had been extende'
below the clock, forming a narrow mich
for the reception Of the figure. In thi
niche, attached to the bottom of the clock
was miniature gallows with beam, trap
door, cord, trigger, and the other essentia
mechanical devices employed in executions
everything being concealed by doors. A
half-past eleven o'clock every night, tn
mechanism of the clock would open tn
doors and spring the trigger, whereupol
the trapdoor would fly open and the littl
figure would fall through and hang sus
2 pended by the neck The figure was neat
Q ly dressed in black, with white shirt; il
arms were strapped to its sides, its hand
to its thighs, and its knees and also its fec
together. To complete the picture, a hang
5 mans black cap was drawn over the heac
concealing the face.
Having accidentally opened the door
= and seen the figure one day, Jenny chez
/. ished an uncomfortable curiosity to see tn
face. 1t SO happened that she had neve
a seen the figure hanging, for that was
! ways at halfpast eleven at night. Fc
o that matter, she did not know that tn
!. trap ever opened. All that she had eve
seen was the figure standing rigidly on th
gallows waiting to be hanged But th
grewsome picture of the little man stant
' ing there had always fascinated her, eve
after her original sentiment Of horror an
l. repulsion had passed Accordingly on