Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-02-15
The Three
O'Clock Man
A Ghost That Was Banished by
Resolution.
az NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

not to be the feInOteSl danger OF an
extra that night, and the telegraph
man had long since sent in his go
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 a home knew
how blessed they We're and thought,
with distaste of his dismal room,
where his thoughts alone kept him
company. 1t was an uninyiting 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 bachelor indeed. He had
always lived in n womanless sort of
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 1t
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
nigh, No car was in sight, and he con
cluded that he had Just missed the
hourly horse ear 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 n 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 3, and Wester-
~, aroused by it from his reverie look
ed up to see Il man Just before him-a
man who seemed to have come up out
of the solid planks of the bridge. He
wore hat well back on his head and
showed a long, horselike face, with
hooked nose and one blind eye. About
him was a 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
fear Of him-not such Il fear as one
may be excused for feeling at meeting
stranger in an unlikely place at a
late hour, but fear of the nerves. 1t
seemed 10 him that If, by any chance.
thai man were TO touch him he would
faint He moved as far away from
hlm as the limits of the footpath would
permit and passed him hastily, a cold
ness stealing along his veins as he did
50. The man merely smiled in a sar-
donic fashion. lifting the eyebrow of
the blind eye and dropping one corner
Of his mouth. 1t was an INDISPENSABLE
smirb and filed Westerly with aver
sion.
10 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 1t
seemed to him that he must shrek
aloud for protection from this silent
man. But be controlled himself and
went TO- bed and slept after a time,
HE next night he confessed to some
apprehension as be approached the
bridge and he looked out anxiously for
1.s dread companion of the night be-
lore He was not to be seen any
N4e'" But at about the center Of the
0rd-. there he was looking at West
er.y with that one haunting eye Again
Joe -r.Hnpd. Again he followed Wester-
''I. .g his house and again he stood
without and stared up at the window.
Ia.@ Went on for nearly three
months n hy any chance the young
o4.'0r went home later or earlier Than
D.. had The privilege Of goiu@ his way
a."HH Nut II the hour was 2 he nan
was there watchful and sar 1ic and
'...H' as thr tomb At times 81 rig
'""as' 81 addressing him, l wi en-
ever Ne Stroye 70 10 so his ton q we
Y I#a Roof Of bis mouth. III va led
-. times by changing III M Of
@ng0ine or hy ridin tic
h.. nar. bur somehow he assist
4EawU lEck TO the u and
O'Clock Man, as D nom
gm. Ere sometimes cred
would see the man the
IF i BE- were 10 pass Ia but
nar went at that hour was
l now.
aHaHead thar better times ne 10
y aud that tbev car quite
alE lie vas given a m salts
: position which would lvoive
ne change Of hours, and lie also
s.ered That Elsa Sessions, the girl
38l the book reviews and who had
several degrees bluer than the
ad heavens. was rot ayerse 10 his