St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-05-11

IOI dll luC WOilu llhS a. DSbBdt We
fancied he'd have left you hundreds
and there was nothing!"
Don't forget the clock"
"The clock!" scornfuly. "Ah, by
the way, that reminds me; there
was peddler here this morning
not that it is much good for any
body with anything to sell to come
here-he saw the old clock and seemed
to fancy it somehow. He said he'd
give you a couple of dollars for it if
you liked, and l though you'd be
glad enough to let him have it,"
Zed looked rather taken back.
"The old clock !? Why, no, mother.
guess wouldn't"
You wouldn't ?" echoed his moth
er in surprise, mingled with re-
proach. "The children are badly off
for boots, and So are So. Besides,
it'll have to go next week with all
the other things, and maybe it
won't bring as much as that at the
sale" This with little sigh.
perhaps shall not sell it," said
Zedekiah slowly.
"No, I'm not" He had risen and
was wandering about the low-ceiled
room, his hands deep it his pockets.
"At least, | don't think am. But
somehow it goes against me to part
with Uncle Zed's legacy. Hasn't it
been in the family as long as there's
any record, and didn't my great
grandfather, generations back, bring
it with him when he came to Ameri-
ca ?"
$50 I've heard tell, Zed."
His wanderings became more ener-
getic.
"Well, then" he said, II don't be-
lieve we ought to let it go while we
can stick to it. 1t isn't just because
it is the only thing we shall have
left when we leave here to let the
children know that we came OF a
family that was well to do once. Il
they don't make people respect them
for themselves, it isn't much us'
having a tail of grandfathers behind
them, but when | think of the poo'
old great-grandfather bringing tina
, big clock across the sea to his hom
, in the new country, because he priz
ed it more than anything he had
: and when | think OF all the genera
, tons it has licked for, can't hn'
the heart to let it go into strangers
hands" He brought himself IL
G short before the tall old clock in tn
corner. mo, the clock shan't go,
n he said.
n "Zed, you're the queerestl' sal
n his mother, with an uuspeakab
r CONSERVATION. "Queerer even tina
j. your poor father. and | never coul
e make him out"
j. But Zedekiah was contemplatin
Y the old timepiece, with its ont
stately carving of black oak and i
+" dial of polished brass, where, b
lie meath the Giles Hen best me feel
Sc London, 1709,' ran half-obliter
lie ted legend and the name "JacC
lie Barnes, Exeter, 1921"
n 81 believe it's worth ever so mu
H. more than So he said, examinil
t. the quaint engraving with cal
d, Anyway it's not going for thu
nor for anything. don't mean
IN say wouldn't sell it to keep
from starving, but we're not the
Il yet, and hope we shan't be.
t "Heaven 'orbid !" said the wido
I" but mean to set that before I
h, to work for. A home to put y
10 and the little girls and the old clio
in. Why, I'm certain the Harris
n. would give it corner in their kit(
Id en- till could claim tiff it or
to went and kept good time, that i,
He bent nearer to the dial. "Wh
ok is it it says?" He spelled out t
quaint letters slowly. "Keepe
he true to tyne, and I'll be true
he thee" "Wly, mother" he turn
,ol round suddenly, wasn't it in I'm
Zed's will that we should keep it
ed order and going"
re- Mrs. Barnes thin face flushed
rs little.
vn "Why, yes she said, "it did S
he so, to be sure, but it wouldn't
as when it first came, although yc
He father tried to make it, and v
%. know there never was the money
to spend on watchmakers, even if
"! hadn't felt too badly over the w
III Uncle Zed had deceived us. VIII
IRE ever are you after, my boy? ?"
We only going to see what | can
m. to it," said Zedekiah, with ca
to resolution. 1T seems too b.
,g. somehow, not to have try. Pc
a old clock, how could it be true
us when we weren't true to it?
to fetch the tools and have it to pie
"! anyhow
nd "You only make bad worse "
to Mrs. Barnes rose in some meek
IN, ASPIRATION and went to the on
TO-: kitchen. There were plenty of SIN
"chores" to do for tomorrow, &
she felt uureasonably vexed w
". Zedekiah for his refusal to sell
nd clock. Dearly as she loved her o
GER son, she was growing di.nly aw
| that in strength Of mind and will
Tvs was leaving far behind the little +
III Lo;rad urchin who uSed tO lean