Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-02-06

would have given trifie for a peep be-
meath the white cambria handkerchief
which hung SO obtrusively from the
pocket Of his swallow tailed coat. But
what mainly occasioned a righteous In
dignation was that the scOundrelly pop
Inlay. while he cut a fandangO here
and whirligig there did not seem TO
have the remOtest idea I'm the world Of
such thing as keeping time I'm his
steps.
The good people OF the borough had
scarcely n chance. however. TO get
their eyes thoroughly open. when. Just
as II wanted half minute OF noon,
the rascal bounced. as / say. right INTO
the midst OF them: gave n chassez
here, and n balance there. and then.
after pirOuette and n pas-de- zephyr.
pigeon winged himself right up into
the belfry OF the house OF the town
council, where the wonder stricken
belfryman sat smoking In state OF
dignity and dismay. But the little chap
seized him at once by the nose, gave
IL a swing and n pull. clapped the big
chapcau -de-bras upon his head. knock
ed il down over his eyes and mouth.
and then. lifting mp the big fiddle.
beat him with il so long and so sound
ly that. what with the belfryman be
ing so fat and the fiddle being so hol-
low. YOU would have sworn that there
was regiment of double bass drum
mers all beating the DEVILS tattoo up
In the belfry II the Steeplc OF Wonder
vOtteimittiSs.
There Is no knowing 20 what deSper-
nte act OF vengeance his unprincipled
attack might have aroused the inha Bit
ants but for the important fact that
II now wanted only half a second Of
noon. The bell was about To strike.
and IL WAS 4 matter OF absolute and
pre-eminent necessity that everybody
should look well M his watch II
was evident, however. that just AT This
moment the fellow in the sterple was
doing something that ne had no bust
ness 20 do with the clock But rs Il
now began 10 strike. nobody had any
time TO attend 20 las maneuVcrS. for
they had all 10 count the strokes or the
bell rs II sounded.
One" said the clock.
"Vonr' echoed every little old gen
tleman i'm every leather hottompd arm
Nh'AlA III tllNN. on
said his watch also: "Nonr said the
watch OF his vrow. and "Vonr' said
the watches OF the boys and the little
repeaters ON the tails OF the cat and
pig.
''Two" continued the big bell. and
''DoO"' repeated all the rcpeaters.
Three. Four, Five, Six. Seven!
Eight! Nine! Tenv' said the bell.
"Dree! Your, Fibe, Sax, Sebcn!
Aight! Nein, Deng' answered the
others.
Eleven said the big one.
"Elebenr assented the little fellow.
"Tweiver' said the bell.
"Dvelf!' they replied. perfectly salts
fed and dropping their voices.
''Und dvelf II iss-' said all the little
old gentlemen. putting up their
watches. But the big bell had not
done with them yet.
"Thirteen," said he.
Der teufelr gasped the little gen
tlemen. turning pale. dropping their
pipes and putting down all their right
legs from over their left knees.
Der teufelr groaned they. Dir
teen! Dirteen! Mein GOtt, IL Is dir
teen o'clockr'
Why attempt to describe the terrible
scene which ensued? All Vondervot-
teimittiSS flew at once into lamenta-
BILE state of uproar.
"Vot is cum'd to mein pellyY' roar
ed all the boys. 1--WE been ongry for
dis hour!'
'Vot is cumd to mein krautT'
screamed all the vrows. IL has been
done 10 rags for dis hour
"Vot Is cum'd TO mein piper swore
all the little old gentlemen. "Donder
and bitten! 1t has been smoked out
for dis hour And they filed them up
again in a great rage and. sinking back
in their armchairs. pulled away so fast
and so fiercely that the whole valley
was Immediately filed with impene-
trable smoke.
Meantime the cabbages all turned
very red in the face. and IL seemed as
II old Nick himself had taken posses
sion OF everything in the shape OF q
| timepiece. The clocks carved upon the
furniture took 10 dancing. as if be-
witched. while those upon the mantel-
pieces could scarcely contain them
selves for fury and kept such con
tinual striking OF Is and such a frisk-
ing and wriggling Of their pendulums
as was really horrible to see. But,
worse than all. neither the cats nor the
pigs could put up any longer with the
behavior OF the little repeaters tied TO
their tails and resented IL by scam
pering all over the place. scratching
and poking and squeaking and screech-
ing and caterwauling and sQualling
and flying into the faces and running
under the petticoats OF the people. and
creating altogether the most abomina.
bic din and confusion which IL Is pos
sible for a reasonable person to CON
ceive. And TO make matters still more
distressing the rascally little scape-
grace In the steeple was evidently ex-
erting himself TO the utmost. Every
now and then one might catch a
glimpse of the scoundrel through the
smoke. There he sat In the belfry
upon the belfryman. who was lying nat
upon his back. In his teeth the villain
held the bellrope. which he kept jerk