Morris tribune., 1901-03-23

long, weary night watches, twice he
oversight because his alarm had failed
him, so to insure his 'calF' he had run
q wine from the station clock to bell
In his room at the hotel. By an ingen-
ious connection when the hands mark
ed 11:45 the ringing of the bell brought
him violently out of the land Of
the shorter watch and went to live at
Mrs. Jordan's, Bill Townsend, who sue
ceeded him, fell heir to his room and
| '''the devils own" as Tom called the
bell. The clock was an imitation of the
old fashioned, big faced, case1ess time
pieces, with weights and chains and a
| long, heavy pendulum.
Twenty minutes late," he muttered.
The hour hand was less than two
inches from the connection, but how
slowly it crept! If he could only move
that hand! His knees were free. He
drew them up toward his chin, shot out
his legs and came to sitting position.
Then, by series of short jumps and
bumps, he reached the wall, braced his
back against it and, with great diff
Guilty, worked himself to his feet. The
pendulum swung close to his ear, but
how could he reach the hand? Was
he to fail now?
His eyes quickly searched the room.
A few feet to the right was the win
dow, heavily barred, the torn shade
partly down. His glance rested on the
stick that weighted the latter, just
what he needed. New hope gave him
new strength. Inch by inch he edged
himself along the wall to the shade,
caught the stick between his teeth and
sank quickly to the floor. He had sue
ceeded. The stick was torn loose from
its fiimsy fastenings. Back again, up
and along the wall he worked until he |
stood nearly under the clock. He turn
ed sidewise, raised his head until the |
stick pointed at the hand, made ter
rife effort to reach it, failed, lost his |
balance and fell heavily to the floor.
The bodily pain was nothing to him,
but he groaned in anguish at the loss
Of time. He looked up. The clock
had stopped!
The hands marked IL. He could |
reach the pendulum. 1t must be start
ed. There was still chance Of more
delay. Again the struggle to regain
his feet. harder now because of his
growing weakness. Nearer and nearer
he crept to the motionless rod A nod
Of his head would start it.
MY Godw he suddenly cried. "Why
didn't / think Of it before? Is there
still time" And seizing the heavy
BRASS disk at the end of the pendulum
ID his teeth he raised his head and de-
Eached it.
The rod, freed OF its heavy weight,
swung rapidly back and forward, i'm
Delling the hands onward at greatly
increased rate OF speed. His eyes were
following the minute hand. He could
zee it move, and the hour hand? Yes,
t was creeping along. Toms strength
vas going fast. He sank to his knees
ind rolled over on the floor, but his
Eyes were hxed on that hand. How
Ong would 1t take to reach Has?
Closer and closer it crept. Now it
Ouched the iron connection and moved
Ilowly past it. The alarm had been
sounded, but there were 10 minutes
more before Bin would arrive. He
trained hts ears to catch the slightest
ound. The noise Of the storm was all
hat he could hear.
Click, click, click came from the in 7
trument-a message from Maysville.
had just passed. Maysville
vas II minutes up the road-it must 2
low be 11:18. Tom tried to calculate
he time since the hands started on B
heir wild race, but his mind was :
haos of mad thoughts. What if Bill 2
i'd not arrive in season? He rolled q
yer on his face and waited for the
7orst
The door burst open.
"Hello. where are your 1t was Bill's
oice.sa {. skax5 1!ss EdS srAtSeA -
If .llss. ea.ssea 4 a1eIi 1Sj