Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-12-17

through the window treasured me in "A
measure. l got up and into my clothes
and went out of that house like one ia n
dream.
How | managed TO attend TO my work
that day don't know. hardly remem-
Der one incident of the II hours.
was overwhelmed with dreadful antici-
pations of events 10 transpre during
the coming night. The third night.
The third night was the additionally
fated night!
was tempted 10 unbosom myself TO a
friend and get him TO go and sleep with
me, but was too much ashamed Of my
pusillanimousness Better suffer any
thing at the hands of "A spook than have
myself the laughing stock of all my
friends.
This time | was determined TO see ii
out. | would sit up all night TO watch
that clock and see with my own eyes
how it was managed and 10y what
means.
accordingly made arrangement for
big fire to be kept up all night, sew
cral extra lights, something 10 eat and
drink, my pipe and plenty of books.
Then | shut my windows, dragged
down the shades so that the light would
not be conspicuous from the outside,
and prepared myself for the ghostly on
slaught.
That ! should have lived to encounter
a real ghost, | must have been born
under the necessarily peculiar circum-
stances qualifying me for supernatural
encounters. | devoutly wished other
circumstances had been employed
BY this time l was ill-physically i'll.
could neither eat, drink nor smoke. |
could only think, and my mind was in
perfect whirligig of confusion.
How the hours dragged, as hours will
that are unemployed. l almost thought
time loitered with malice aforethought.
When ones head is on the block they
say it is a relief for the AK 10 fall. | be-
lieve l could have anticipated and suf
fered decapitation less disagreeably.
At ten o'clock | wound and set by my
watch my precious alarm, and placed il
in its customary place upon the mantel.
and lately had TO be laid upon its back
in order 10 keep proper time-in fact,
to run at all; so | turned il on its back
as usual, and sat down TO watch il. The
rain had cleared up, but the wind con-
tinued TO howl around in a hideously
manner. l don't think |
have ever heard wind blow as it did
ho+ ION la ,icrh / arrit, aI
it to be thick with inlSy devils that bel
lowed and groaned and laughed and |
shrieked all in a breath. The branches |
Of a sycamore tree scraping against the |
roof made my flesh creep, while the |
wind surging through the wild orange |
trees created queer whistling sound |
which l never heard before or since.
oh, the interminable time | sat there, |
sick at heart, worn out in mind and |
body watching and waiting for-l knew
not what-Buck Anderson's ghost TO |
,ome and take it out of me. a sweet
state had worked myself into, truly.
How would it end? What would he do
to me? Fall upon and belabor me?
A small matter. i was not afraid of |
what any human could do 20 me; |
'ould yield up my life with as much
grace as the next man; but ghost,
What means would he employ? Icould
lot anticipate il, would have to see
1, have to experience it.
l glanced up at the little clock, and
I a knife had been plunged into my
leart the emotion could not have been
otherwise than it was when l saw that
I had moved! The clock had moved.
\ certain ornamental point which had
loted matched with a certain figure in
he mantel lambrequin upon which
lad rested my eyes had Enthusiastically
moved. l broke into a cold sweat. My
hroat hurt me horribly, and l felt my
lair rise upon my head. l was power
ess TO change the position of a finger.
t had moved! There was no chance
or doubt, 1t was a fact.
gazed spellbound, all my senses abb
orbed into that of seeing. For hours
md hours | sat i'm a state Of half con-
ciousness watching the clock move.
lowly, slowly, TO the left, almost too
lowly TO be perceptible, until il had
urned entirely round Then slowly,
lowly, round again. Round and round.
gain and again. winding my poor brain
nto a very Gordian knot, while the slow
ours dragged by, and the fire burnt
over and lower and went out; and the
Wind subsidized, and the cold creptin and
umbed my corresponding body Then
II at once / saw the clock tip over the
dye of the mantel, and co1e crashing
D my feet. / had just strength enough
Eft 10 examine the position of the
lands. Twenty minutes after three
clock! l fell back into my chair in
eep swoon.
l had a spell Of serious sickness after
hat. l think / was in a condition for
anyway, and that nights vigil
rought it to a climax. l was i'll for
everal weeks. But was not GONZALES
ent many days before l solved the
lock mystery. l got the idea one day
'hile lying upon my bed, and later,
il IN tho +eet | foupJ I ,vos |