The record-union., 1896-04-05

| And you know nothing of 'him?"
| Nothing; not by vote Of acquired
knowledge. But have a strange con-
viction of something I feel"
What do you feel?" she asked.
That it was 1 who made that clock
800 years ago."
| He made as if to replace the boss.
NO." she said, laying her hand on his
| arm, leave it so; wish 1t" In silence
| he refixed the hands, attached the pend
ulum and the weights.
How long has it been standing?" he
| asked.
1.-TWO days"
| "How many hours?"
"You can reckon from O'CLOCK IN the
morning two days ago..
''Then it shall not have lost minute
Of work for me-" Saying this ne wouno
up and exhausted the movement Twice.
and pulled the weights as much more
as he judged would represent the odo
hours, steadying the pendulum Whlle
he did so. 'sNow, Miss DundaS, It's you
shall start it on another long task.
Her hand trembled as she approached
| to touch the pendulum. STEADY, ne
said, grasping her wrist with his power
| full fingers, and guiding the little enort.
| The clock resumed its solemn ticking.
.It goes as before, Miss Dundas. he
| held the panel-door in his hand. Il am
| loath to close it up. See again how
beautiful is that shallow carving all
over the inside I dare wager you will
| find the back of this plaster, which you
cannot see without light, fully pat
termed She lit taper and held 1t,
while he peered inside. LAS l said,
he exclaimed. "See." She bent her head
| into the opening, quite close to him, as
he held the taped "Take care of your
hair with the fiame,'' he said, and
gently Strengthened a loose lock over
her forehead. She put up her hand
quickly and it touched his. do you
| see?" he asked.
Yes
1.-THE man who did all that cared for
nothing but truth and eternity"
| She stood back suddenly, looking at
! him with eyes of amazement. You
are no earthly clockmaker," she ex
claimed 'Yousare his spirit come back
to repair your former handiwork Say,
is it not SOP" She asked this with an
| effort at shade of jesting in her voice.
| ne SIOUX Ills Ledu hHOW HO .lHOI e
| of myself than what 1 am now. But
| saw you nothing else down there in the
dark corner. See; touch it. What is it?"
1T seems a leathern loop"
$50 And did I not see a second In
| the other corner?"
| Yes" she answered fearfully; what
Of that?"
"Only this, that believe this pedestal
is boxed, and these loops serve to raise
lid.'
Lift it," she said in a frightened tone.
| NAY; that is for you to do. Shall
go now?"
mo; stay. Do you not see how
tremble? Raise it, say. You made it,
| you or your ancestor"
But not what may be within. Shall
go?"
| Il bade you stay once already" she
answered with some fire and some bit
| terness; "but you may go if that is all
you care for me or my wishes"
bid me do anything now, Miss Dun
| das, and I will obey"
Then raise that lid, if it is lid
| He handed her the taper, which she
| held, watching him with intense expec-
tation. Taking hold Of the two tags of
leather he pulled the lid, which came
away with strange creak. 1T speaks
| like a spirit in pain" he said. By the
| thin light of the taper they could see an
other cover of dark wood, in the center
| of which was sunk a brass handle.
Raise that" she said, in the same tone
Of half command. He did SO. It came
away noiselessly, and discovered to
view tray dividing the compartments
| of differing shape and size, all lined
with silk now much faded. Only two
contained anything. Here is a ring"
! he said, holding it up, and looking into
| her face, which was close to his, as she
| stood peering earnestly into the mar
row space. She turned as pale as clay,
/ faltered and seemed about to swoon.
What is it," he asked, putting out his
arm to support her. With an effort she
came to herself, but sank on her knees,
and took the ring in her hand. "The
night before my mother died. she said,
| Il heard her moving in the dawn. When
rose and went to her she was coming,
deathly pale and faltering, from this
room. Next day missed the ring from
| the forefinger of her left hand, where
she always wore it. She would not an
swer to my questions as to where it
was / thought she did not understand,
as she was very weak and still, and I
searched everywhere in vain. This is
it."
! He took up the second object, which
was a little box with sliding cover and
a notch for the thumb to push it by.
He looked at her and she nodded. When
opened it revealed a plait of hair, two
| colors intertwisted, one dark brown,
hard and crisp, the other yellow and of
silken softness. The plait was fastened
at each end with a few turns of silk
thread.
| She regarded it for some seconds in
silence. 'Can you explain?" she said
at last. You are wise"
/ rs this your mothers hair?" he
asked, pointing to the light strand.
Yes; as it was in youth. / have some
in an old brooch. 1t is the same
And the other is your father's?"
No" she answered family; Ibis was
raven black" There was pause. "Ex-
plain" she said, half-fiercely. with a
slight taunt in her tone.
Love-" answered Thomas Cathro.
does strange things, they say
She leaped up angrily. "Will you
nralign my mother, you cold, ghostly
Scotsman"
Young love-" he answered, gently,
"bides long" And he stroked the twined
locks as they lay in his palm.
She broke into sob, saying Mother, .
and taking the hair from him, restored
it, wet with her tears. to its little box.
Put everything back into it's place."
she said.
But there is more beneath; another