The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-02-14
ESTABLISHED 1879.

he tells me, TO Keep a-straigEIt; fair rec
ord of how he flies
''Tick took, tick tock felt as If
should smother At 10 l struck the
number out Never before had known
how loud was my voice. We are all of
us what we are made. Each one in this
world has SO much to do, no more, no
less Tick tockl The very heaviness OF
my trouble was making me dim and
uncertain.
81 heard the master of the house and
his friend and guest-the man l liked,
the elder, quiet man-close their doors,
and everything was still except my
voice Would that could crush it out:
'"They say that things like myself
can neither feel nor suffer, but the bur
den of my thought was, Gould l save
my mistress2 The wish was so great
that it overpowered everything. 1t was
near the half hour, when suddenly
everything seemed to come to stand
still All power of movement was taken
from me. could go no longer
For the first time in my existence l
failed to tell the time.
"My little mistress was above, wait
ing, waiting, but did not dare to stir
until the appointed hour.
81 don't know how late it was when
found her standing in the hall, pale
as the ghosts that are said to haunt-the
woods at midnight.
I" You have failed me-failed mel
was all she said And her slender fin
gers worked at the big bolt that barred
the door. 1t was at length forced back
to its rest, and the maiden, all mufled
in heavy cloak, had drawn it and was
gone.
what 1 tell you now heard from
the whispering flowers, The guest was
learned man who thought a great
deal, then gathered the best of these
heaven sent gifts and, setting his hand
to paper, told them to the world On
that night he had opened the window
of his room and was watching the clouds
as they chased each other in the old
moon light, and somehow the noise of
the hall door closing aroused him. He
looked and saw a slender figure hurry
ing across the lawn.
I'm moment he was out. In the
sweet scented garden where the high
wall rises against the banks of the river,
and where little boat rocked upon the
tide, he found the maiden on the grass
with the young lovers head upon her
knee. The young man had waited for
her to come with the key to unlock the
door. which was half hidden by the
vines which covered all thewall I'M
patiently he had paced to and fro then
tried to climb in order to hasten to his
lady 8 window and give signal He
had slipped and fallen and in some way
turned his foot.
| SAT a glance the elder man took in
all the, scene, and touch of pain tight
ened the firm mouth as he said: You
heard a cry Of distress and came to find
the cause So did 1. Let me help you,
my child, for this is no place for you.
And the young man was as brave in
that moment as the elder and replied:
TT is my fault. !. was going home late
and tried to shorten my road across the
garden.
+" 'Trespassing, said his senior, lis
| AO6 bA6 WOISb VI b1AS. OH, i Will u61p
you, and being very strong he lifted
up the young man and made him lean
all his weight upon his shoulder, and,
half carrying him, drew him from the
garden.
1.-THE young man left the village in
few days alone. The boat drifted out
toward the ocean and was lost. The
story was never known.
''Folks wondered the next day to
find me silent had no power to tick
for many days, but when I was myself
again saw with joy my little mistress
had been awakened from an illusion,
and, though for a time she seemed shy
and afraid to look the good man in the
face, it passed, and the next year, with
the coming of the roses, he won her It
was the proudest day Of my life when
struck the hour of their wedding.
'fNo doubt you have guessed, little
one. the good man was the grandfather
you loved so well. =
1 sat silent in the window, the shad-
ows had deepened and dusk filled all the
hall Had l dreamed or really heard all
| my old friend said l can never tell.
Only as slipped up stairs smiled at
the old clock who had known and saved
my grandam 70 years ago, Ethel Bar
rington in Philadelphia Press