Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1900-05-18

itself to my mind wal that time had
slipped back a peg aud that the old
clock had adjusted Itself TO the change.
But the other Inhabitants gave the
case barely d thought. The old clock
said Z O'Clock. therefore It vas z
o'clock. aud life IN Backville went on
as usual.
From my diary. IA which | recorded
the results OF my researches with my
watch. which / allowed to pursue Its
hcadlong course down the grooves OF
time. | found that when II recorded
moon that day the town clock recorded
10 o'clock. The following morning,
Dec. =. ! found that the town arose as
usual at I o'clock. town clock time. 8
o'clock my time. Men went to their
work In the stores and mills at 8
o'clock. town olock time. and guilt work
at o O'clock. town clock time. Z o'clock,
my time. The next morning another
hour waa lost somewhere. When my
witch recorded ! o'clock. the morning
Of Dec. J.. the town clock recorded 10
o'clock. the night OF Dec. 3. 1t was
plainly apparent that n day was being
lost somewhere. and the next after
noon. when the towu clocE struck .. II
was & o'clock BY my watch.
"W'hrn the townspeopie saw that 1t
was dark AZ > O'Clock. a great fear
came over the town. and n public meet
ing was called. Explanations as to
what might be the matter were solicit
ed. and many theories were PROFOUND
cd. Il was finally decided. however.
that u great change In the solar system
had occurred. This theory seemed
plausible. aud II was adopted as being
the only solution Of the phenomena.
You see. Backville impeHched the I'M.
but the town clock-that could not be
AT fault. Thus time went on. or rather
back. and things went from bad to
worse. Sometimes two hours were
lost in M hour. Backville celebrated
Christmas when. according to my
watch. she should have been celebrat.
ing W~Rshington's birthday. Next year
Fourth Of July was celebrated with
snow on the ground. while the Thanks
giving turkeys were eaten With the
thermometer at 80 degrees in the shade.
Il began to see what the matter was
the town clock was at fault-but |
feared to reveal my thoughts to my
fellow townsmen. Meanwhile Dack-
vile, In It's bpnlghtcd faith In the town
clock. was being dragged back through
time. and | knew not where the end
would be. 1t got so that no one could
tell Just when night was coming or
when II would be daylight. Sometimes
twilight was taken tor early morning.
and vice versa. And the money spent
In adjusting clocks and watches
amounted to n fortune In itself. Final
~ | resolved TO tell all and die as n
martyr. II necessary, for the salvation
of my townsmpn.
"'Gentlcmen,' said l one day in pub
lie meeting. you are all wrong. You
are Joined to your old Idol, and in your
blindness you fall to see that the solar
system Is not at fault; your watches
are rot at fault. The town clock is at
fault. Pluck II oat of the steeple or
repair It.; otherwise We viii die IN the
darkness OF the seventeeth century
while the rest of the world Is living In
the twentieth century
IAN hour later | left town. | did not
depart as | would Ike TO have depart
ed, for | rode astride a rail borne by
sundry fellow townslueD. and over my
body was distributed a beautiful coat
Of tar and feathers. Since then. gen
tlemen. | have wandered about the
earth n pariah, q ruined man. My con.
stltution Is weakened ard NY intellect
shattered. I am now going back to
Backville, which by this tine Is prob
ably cnyeloped in the chaos Of the ter
tiary period. II any pre-Adamites are
living there. | will he killed for return
Ing from Punishment, but with my dy-
ing breath | shall whisper. The clock,
the town clock. was slow"
"Yes. the town clock was slow" said
the commuters. and the stranger fell
calmly and peacefully asleep. New
York Evening Sun.