The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-02-06
The Three
O'Clock Nan
4 Ghost That Was Banished by



Carl Westerly left the office at a
quarter to 3 o'clock. There seemed
not to be the remotest danger of an
extra that night and the telegraph
man had long since sent in his 49,"
For some reason or other Westerly
was more than ordinarily tired. Per-
haps it was his spirit that was weary.
He was tired of the endless and relent
less grind of newspaper work, tired
of the newspaper point of view, tired
Of the whole round of life. He won
dered If men who had home knew
how blessed they were and thought,
with distaste, of his dismal room,
where his thoughts alone kept him
company. 1t was an uninviting room,
as any one who saw it must have con-
fessed, for Westerly did not have the
trick of demonstrating himself as some
bachelors do.
He was a bachelor indeed. He had
way. Sometimes it came across him
that he was missing the best part of
his life In knowing nothing of them,
but he was shy and reverent, and it
appeared to be his lot to dwell alone
and envy other men. So, what with
loneliness and overwork and ennui, he
was not at his best on this particular
night. No car was in sight, and he con-
cluded that he had just missed the
hourly horse car which took belated
workers homeward after the cable had
ceased it's buzzing for the day; so he
started out to walk. He loitered for a
time, half hoping some vehicle might
come in sight, but the streets seemed
deserted. So, after pausing moment
to admire the sinister picturesqueness
of the Chicago river, with the lights
cleaning upon its murky waters from
masthead and high window, he started
to cross the bridge.
A distant clock struck 8, and Wester
~, aroused by it from his reverie, look
ed up to see man just before him-a
man who seemed to have come up out
of the solid planks of the bridge. He
wore a hat well back on his head and
showed a long, horselike face, with a
hooked nose and one blind eye. About
him was cape such as men wear over
their evening clothes. All his garments
were of a fine cut and quality, but
worn with a noticeable negligence.
1t was exceedingly curious, but as
Westerly approached this man he felt
a fear of him-not such a fear as one
may be excused for feeling at meeting
a stranger in an unlikely place at a
late hour, but fear of the nerves. 1t
seemed to him that If, by any chance,
that man were to touch him he would
faint. He moved as far away from
him as the limits of the footpath would
permit, and passed him hastily, cold
ness stealing along his veins as he did
SO. The man merely smiled in sar-
donic fashion, lifting the eyebrow Of
the blind eye and dropping one corner |
of his mouth. 1t was an indescribable |
smirk and filed Westerly with aver
sion.
To the newspaper mans unspeakable
annoyance the man followed him along |
the streets to his home, and after he |
was in his room he peered out Of the |
window and saw him standing on the |
sidewalk looking up. Actually it |
seemed to him that he must shrek |
aloud for protection from this silent |
man. But he controlled himself and |
went to bed and slept-after time.
The next night he confessed to some |
apprehension as he approached the
bridge, and he looked out anxiously for
his dread companion of the night be- |
fore. He was not to be seen any
where. But at about the center Of the
bridge there he was, looking at West
erly with that one haunting eye. Again
he grinned. Again he followed Wester-
erly to his house and again he stood
without and stared up at the window.
This went on for nearly three
months. If by any chance the young
editor went home later or earlier than
8, he had the privilege of going his way
alone, but If the hour was 8 the man
was there, watchful and sardonic and
silent as the tomb. At times Westerly
thought of addressing him, but when
ever he strove to do so his tongue Glove
to the roof of his mouth. He evaded
him at times by changing the hour of
his homegoing or by riding on the
street car. but somehow he was insist
emily drawn back to the bridge and
the Three O'Clock Man, as he demon
mated him. He sometimes wondered
If he would see the man upon the
bridge If he were to pass in car. but
as no car went at that hour he was
not to know.
|
1t CHANGED that better times came to
Westerly and that they came quite
suddenly. He was given a more salts
factory position. which would involve
a pleasing change of hours, and he also
discovered that Elsa Sessions the girl
who did the book reviews and who had
eyes several degrees bluer than the
italian heavens, was not averse to his
society. But there Is no need to go
Into that. The point is, he found out
these two gratifying matters in one
day and, walking home in state of
exultation, noticed the
Three O'clock Man with less impa-
Eience than usual
"Our acquaintance is ended, my I'M
,anny friend" he thought. "Tomor-
low you may keep tryst, but will not.
will walk abroad at Christian hours
md leave You to your unhols habits,y :