The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-11-03
o~o~o@O~O0~e~O~0~e
!! THAT MYSTERIOUS CLOCK. /!
! BY q. T. Montague. \
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

-of q detected incendiary, ayoung ne
gro who had formerly been in my en-
ploy, but who in latter days had struck
into the smooth road leading to the gal
lows. He was wanted just now for the
burning of old Peter Gillam's gin house,
circumstantial evidence clearly prov
ing him to be the guilty person.
Upon riding into the village ! re-
ported my discovery to the authorities
and Joined posse of men who imme-
diately set out for his capture. He re-
sisted arrest and was shot down and his
body brought back to town. One way
OF another felt in a meausre RESPONSE
BILE for that mans death. While it was
evident from his latter day exploits that
he would eventually meet with such a
fate, if not a more ignominious one, for
this particular offense l felt that he real
ly did not deserve to die in such cold
blooded fashion. had surely done only
my duty, but / almost wished that it
had fallen to the lot of somebody else
the doing of it.
What added to my discontinue was
that towards nightfall a disugreeable
drizzle set in, one of those hideous rains,
which dampens the very soul and makes
one an easy prey to every gloomy fore
boding.
/ went to my solitary abode in the
thrall of black depression. l could
not shake it off. Ny beloved books Of
fered no acceptable temptation; even
my pipe was poor comfort. A fellow is
In a bad way when he loses faith in his
pipe. Manifestly bed was the place for
me; so into it got, after taking good
drink of the blessed "Three Stars;" aud
very soon tumbled off to sleep.
slept the sleep of the conscientious,
to be awakened at last by hearing the
crash of something which sounded like
q breakable thing flung from the cell
ing to the floor and smashed.
/ was considerably startled, got up
hurriedly and struck match to find
that my small alarm clock had fallen
off the mantelpiece; that the crystal
was broken, and that the hands pointed
to $500 a. m. lit the lamp, sat on the
side of the bed and wondered how that
clock got off the mantelpiece-surely O
very singular thing. Iexpended hall
hours thought upon the subject, finally
getting round to the conclusion that
probably, u mouse had run across the
shelf and thrown it down. AS | had tc
meet train at five q. M. Il am a rail
road man) l got into my clothes, and
after fooling about space went or
down to the office. Somehow could
not get rid of the idea that it really was
after all, a strange thing how that clock
got of that shelf. By this time hat
given over the mouse theory. All day
long the matter was in my mind, 81
that by night, when once more wen
10 my room, had worked myself int
quite state about it. tried the book
again - dead failure. Pipe almos
grown to be an enemy. Bed REGARDED
with distrust. Sleep not to be though
Of. This thing kept up until about tel
o'clock, when 1 came to the conclusion
that was q baby; and got up, woun,
my clock, set my alarm and went to be'
but not to sleep. was looking ou
for that clock. I had a rooted notiol
that the last nights performance woul
be repeated. l found myself saying
sand if it comes three times I'll take
for sign"
Good heavens! this was getting ridic
ulous. would be ashamed to see m
face in the glass tomorrow. Having al
raigned and convicted myself of won
nnishness, contemplate cowardice,
shut my eyes and swore I'd go to slee
or wake up my next door neighbor an
get him to kick me. No good. Twas dc
tcrmiIed to be in at the finish. !
was now, however, about II imagine
one o'clock / tumbled off to sleep, an
the next thing knew crash came tn
clock again off the mantelpiece. sho
out the bed as IL legion of demon
had routed me and lit the lamp. Ye!
there was my eace-disturbing cloc
on the floor, with the hands pointing t
$500 a. m.
II the angel Gabriel had that minut
told me Buck Anderson (the dead M
Ero) and that clock were not in leagu
together would have doubted him.
was consumed with deadly horror {
the supernatural. Iknew that Buck Al
derson was pulling the strings ths
Waltzed my clock off the mantelpiec
and knew he meant me some dead
harm for the hand I took In his dow
fall. Good heavens! Was to be 70
bowed about by negro ghost for an
great length of time? Cold perspir'
lion broke out over me.
But why did he select the clock. Wh'
had the clock to do with It? Did
mean to- liurl it at me and it fell short
Oh what did he mean, anyway? AN
Why 3:20 in the morning. I.wished o.
Gillian and his,whole family had bee
bErnt at The stake before I had dabblt
: IA their Clubhouse affair. twas rainin
insistently outside ana the March wir
'1as hulging under the doors and ra
. tsing the window in ghastly fashio
(. '1--sat shivering upon tho side of n
Z he'd, lost in horrible speculation: N
coax lay upon the 1oor4apd the; Ian
scnt out pale, uncanny light which d
not quiternach into'the corners, so tn
my erstwhiTe co2y little sitting-roo
Bore TO my disordered mind the aspe
" a,vanlt..s..... 49,. a:,
Twas plninly .A thought in a supee
natpral presence, and that presence