Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-02-06
TOLD IN THE
SMOKING CAR
The Strange Yarn of an Idolized
Town Clock.

= The Strange Yarn of an IdOlized =
8 ~ ~ Q
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
Jones, the commuter, always read his
morning paper during the time occu-
pied by the transit of his regular morn
ing train and ferryboat to this city.
On the way home at night he inyari-
ably played whist in the smoker with
three Of his fellow townsmen. He had
been commuter ten years From all
this t-may be inferred that Jones was
a creature Of habit. And SO one night
when seedy looking stranger with
long red nose, baggy cheeks and wild
glare in his eyes dropped into the seat
usually occupied by his playing part
ner, Jimson, Jones was visibly annoy
ed. while his two fellow commuters,
who had been waiting for the tardy
Jimson with their whist board on their
knees, shifted in disgust.
The stranger, nothing daunted, how
ever, gazed at the three commuters
with a PARKWAY look in his eyes and
gave vent to an occasional cavernous
sigh, which seemed to come from the
depths Of despair. Not word did he
utter, and the commuters were too
busy with plans for ousting the stran-
ger In event of Jimson's appearance to
think Of aught else. Meanwhile the
train began to move out of the station,
and, as Jimson had failed to appcar-it
sometimes happened SO with one of the
party - Jones decided to invite the
stranger to take hand in the prospec-
tive game. Before he could speak,
however. the man heaved another sigh,
gazed beseechingly at the commuters
and said:
"Gentlemen, far be 1t from me to In
trude upon the preparations which you
have made for indulgence in the noble
game Of whist, but can remain silent
no longer. feel that must speak ana
reveal the terrible secret which burns
In my bosom like white hot brand.
Yes. must tell all. The weakness
grows upon me now, but ere die lis
ten to the story Of the downfall of the
village Of my nativity, and When you
have heard it let your sympathy 20
out to me. and perchance my troubled
soul may find the respite and the balm
which it seeks. Listen" The com
muters listened.
my name" continued the stranger
.is Harkins-H. Ellington Harkins-
and | live, or, rather, lived. in Back
VILE, Conn. 1t is of this town that
intend to speak and the downfall OF
which makes me what Lama nissan
thrope, n wanderer upon the face OF
the earth.
"Backville was a very old town, anf
its inhabitants had lived there for gen
GRAFTON upon generation. a new fam
lily rarely moved into the town, ant
no one ever moved out Of 1t excep
when he or she died. Backville was
very peculiar town. 1t had little Of
nothing to do with the rest of the
world and considered itself sutiicien
unto itself.
snow, like all small towns, Backvill'
had a town clock, had had 1t for 81
years, and In all that time the clocl
had never been known to deviate
fraction Of a second from the eXac
time. Backville swore by that clock
1t was the acme Of all that was faith
full and reliable. Indeed may say tina
all the cardinal virtues clustered
around that clock. When a citizen o
Backville said that person was as &C
curate or as perfect as the town clock
be could say no more; be had touche'
the heights of praise. Children wer
directed to emulate the goodly exam
ple of the town clock. The office o
winder of the clock was the most In
portant and withal the most lucrativ
place in the gift of the town. Th
conditions of which speak had eA
listed for 40 years, and in every one Q
those years faith in the clock had Ii
creased until it finally became an OF
tect of worshipful alteration. You ma
readily understand how such might
the case.
Zone morning. three years ago, th
town awoke as usual and prepared fo
the days work. 1t soon began to b
rumored about. however, that som'
thing was the matter with the tow
This rumor became an established fat
when 1t was discovered that when e.
. cry clock and watch in town pointed
, 9 o'clock the town clock, the r.
liable and faithful town clock. gave II
dubitable evidence that it was but
, o'clock. OF course there was but OF
thing to do. The town clock couldn
be wrong, so all watches and clocl
were set back to o'clock or taken
, the jewelers. to be regulated. NJ
watch was not. was very proud
, my timepiece and let it alone 10 Il
interest Of science. purely In the Int
est of science. gentlemen. reasont
that my watch could not by the lea
+ possibility have gained an hour In
a single night and the possibilities of Il
town clock losing an hour in the san
space we're equally remote. The on
solution OF the case which present.