Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1898-06-03
O~oNe~ONooNo W 1880
/. THAT MYSTERIOUS CLOCK. 3
1 BY q. 7. Montague. 4
-~O>O~N>OO
T HAD encountered an ugly expert.

/ ploy, but who in latter days had strucl
into the smooth road leading 10 the gal
lows. He was wanted just now for tn,
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
or 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 more ignominious one, for
this particular offense felt that he real
~ did not deserve TO die in such a cold
blooded fashion. ! had surely done only
my duty, but | almost wished that il
had fallen 10 the lot Of somebody else
the doing Of il.
What ADDED 10 my discontinue was
that towards nightfall a disagreeable
drizzle set in, one of those hideous rains.
enc an easy prey TO every gloomy fore
boding.
/ went TO my solitary abode in the
thrall of a black depression. / could
not shake il off. My beloved books Of
fered no acceptable temptations; even
my pipe was poor comfort. 4 fellow is
u bad way when he loses faith m his
pipe. Manifestly bed was the place for
me; so into ii got, after taking good
drink of the blessed Three Stars" and
very soon tumbled off to sleep.
slept the sleep of the conscientious,
20 be awakened at last by hearing tho
crash of something which sounded like
n breakable thing flung from the cell.
ing TO the floor and smashed.
! was considerably startled, got up
hurr.edly and struck a match to find
shat my small alarm clock had fall-n
off the mantelpiece; that the crystal
was broken, and that the hands pointed
10 1890 a. IN. lit the lamp, sat on the
aide Of the bed and wondered how that
>lock got OF the mantelpiece-surely
very singular thing. expended half
nour's thought upon the subject, finally
getting round TO the conclusion thai.
probably, IA mouse had run across the
shelf and thrown il down. As had TO
meet a train at five a. IN. Il am rail-
road mani | got into my clothes, and
after fooling about a space went On
down to the Office. Somehow | couN
not get rid of the idea that il really was,
after all. strange thing how that clock
got off that shelf. By this time | had
given over the mouse theory. All day
long the matter was i'm my mind, so
that by night, when once more went
TO my room, had worked myself into
quite a state about il. tried the books
again - dead failure. Pipe almost
grown to be an enemy. Bed regarded
with distrust. Sleep not to he thought
IF. This thing kept up until about ten
o'clock. when | came 10 the conclusion
hat | was a baby; and got up, wound
my clock, set my alarm and went 10 bed !
but not to sleep. was looking out |
or that clock. I had a rooted notion |
hat the last nights e.'formance would |
'e repeated. | found myself saying:
And If il comes three times III take il |
or a sign"
Good heavens! this was getting ridic. |
llous. I would be ashamed TO see m,
ace in the glass Tomorrow Having ar |
aligned and convicted myself OF WON.
lnishness, contemplate cowardice, !
Aut my eyes and swore I'd go to sleep |
e wake up my next door neighbor and
- him TO kick NE No good Twas de.
Grained 10 be in nj Me finish. IL
Gas now, however, about G imagine) |
ne o'clock I tumbled off TO sleep. and
he next thing | knew crash came the
lock again off the mantelpiece. | shot
ut the bed as IL a legion of demons
ad routed me and lit the lamp Yes,
here was my peace-disturbing clock
N the floor, with the hands pointing 10
30 a. IN.
II the angel Gabriel mad that minute
old me Buck Anderson (the dead ne
ro) and that clock were not in league
ogether I would have doubted him. I
7as consumed with deadly horror of
he supernatural. knew that Buck An
erson was pulling the strings that
ialtzed my clock off the mantelpiecc.
nd I'knew he meant me some deadly
arm for the hand | took in his down.
all. Good heavens! Was I TO be fol.
owed about by a negro ghost for any
reat length Of time? Cold perspira-
lon broke out over me.
But why did he select the clock. What
ad the clock TO do with it? Did he
iean to hurl IL at me and il fell short?
II what did he mean, anyway? And
by 1920 In the morning. | wished old
illam and his whole family had been
Urnt at the stake before had dabbled
! their Clubhouse affair. twas raining
lsistently outside and the March wind
as bullying under the doors and rat.
ing the window in a ghastly fashion.
| sat shivering upon the side of rny
ed, lost in a horrible speculation. My '
oak lay upon the floor and the lamp
INT out pale, uncanny light which did ,
OF quite reach into the corners, so that
~ erstwhile coy little sitting-room ,
ore 10 my disordered mind the aspect
a vault.