Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-04-15

l
"Why. yes" she said, 'it did say
80, to be sure, but it wouldn't 60
when it first came, although your
father tried TO make it, and you
know there never was the money 70
spend on watchmakers, even if we
hadn't felt too badly over the way
Uncle Zed had deceived US. What
ever are you after, my boyf
"Only going to see what ! can do
to it," said Zedekiah, with calm reso
luton. 1T seems too bad, somehow,
not to have a try. Poor old clock
how could it be true to rs when we
weren't true to itl I'll fetch the
tools and have it to pieces anyhow.
you'll only make bad worscl
Mrs. Barnes rose in some meek eX
ASPIRATION and went to the outer
kitchen. There were plenty Of small
chores" to do for tomorrow, and
she felt unreasonably veXed with
Zedekiah for his refusal to seIl the
clock. Dearly as she loved her only
son she was growing dinly aware
that in strength of mind and will he
was leaving far behind the little red
haired urchin who used to lean on
Mower" for everything, and then
he was becoming as queer" and fan
ciful as his father had been before
him.
The sound of gentle hammering
came from the kitchen without, fol-
lowed by the rattle of the ponder
GUS weights on their numbering old
chains Then Zeds voice sounded
eager and pleasant.
Guess what's the matter, mother2
No wonder the old gentleman
wouldn't tick The works are all
stuffed up with paper. l can't make
them move shall have to take off
the dial before l can pull it out
What on earth could have been the
object of feeding the old thing with
crumpled papers"
Mrs. Barnes made no response
She had paused in her work of gath
ering chips and fragments of pine
branches to lay ready for lighting
the fire in the morning and stood
there, half leaning against the wide
and vacant chimney piece, her arms
folded in her calico apron and her
eyes fixed dreamily an space.
1t had "come over her, as she her
self would have said, with the ever
recurring shock it never failed to
bring with it. She thought of how
seldom again should she do these
dear and familiar household tasks
under the old brown roof that had
been SO long her happy home. Soon
strange hands would be busy in the
low rooms she had known and loved
so well, and unfamiliar steps would
sound upon the wooden floors where
the footballs had echoed that were
like the sweetest of music to her
listening ears. Next week it would
be all gone--the threshold she had
crossed radiant bride, the old era
die where she had rocked her babies
to sleep, the very graveyard on the
little hill, where rested those she had
loved most on earth. The slow tears
splashed upon her purple calico apron,
and her chest heaved with stifed
sobs.
Suddenly there was a cry from the
outer room:
"Motherl Oh, mother! What is
this9"
1t was Zed's voice, but so altered
that she hardly recognized it for his
own. Startled, STUN bling, half blind
ed still with the half shed tears, she
reached his side and stood bewil-
dered, half terrified, half expecting
she knew not what, as he held out to
her with trembling fingers a roll of
strange, stained, fiuttering paper.
There were more upon the table
piles and plles-more within the
works of the old timepiece, closely
rolled and packed. She raised her
wondering eyes to Zedekiah's trans
formed face and stared wonderstruck
at the light in his sparkling eyes.
Mother, oh, motherl Don't YOU
seer he cried; don't you under
standi They're bills--notes-
backs. There must be thousands of
them packed close and hard. It's
Uncle Zedeklah's fortune! Nv leg
acy, hidden away here all these wears
till some one should set the poor old
clock true to time again and find
their reward There therer He
caught her thin form in his arms as
she reeled forward and knelt bv her
side as he laid her gently in her chair
Mother, DEAR look up. Joy doesn't
kill. Think of it think what il will
do. The dear old farm is all our own
still, and that beast of a mortgage
can so, and we can do all the land
needs and make the place the best in
the old county. And school for the
little girls, and clothes and helm for
you, and books for us all. Oh moth.
er, motherl"
He broke down in his wild excite
mentand choked as he began 10 langh
almost hysterically.
The grocery store can sween il.
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