The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-09-28
TIME AND
 TIMEPIECES

NttttNA.N AANf VI AAtNAttt -N N@N AN s~~- eA its p'ac, on the desk. Somehow it iarecd U2on him this evening. It was ap big asl bright. SO assertiye in It's ticking. that he felt tempted to set 1t in the bedroom. cut of sight and hear. ing. That it vas a present from Marie only served c, Increase his dislike to- ! night He nc his pipe and sat down to write. but instead of words the inces- sant tick tocS surgcd through hlsbrain- Finally bp leaned back In his chair rnt -1t thv o,ending tlmepiece uo,, HA- Marie it was, he thought on glitter 7l gold md a loud voice, ;aC a I ...at'. be a trihe fast that got him out ot bed ten minutes sooner O. a hc wanted to waken and made the beiatcd homecoming more scandalous by quarter Of an hour.
 She bad proposed it. be remember cd. the night hc had given his chahng dish uTpcr tu some Of her associates at the Metropolitan theater. It was whtu be thought be loved her and be had joined In her laugh of scorn for the little china clock that he knew SO well. When she had announced her intention of providing a better one. he had pressed her hand and assured her that he would keep it always.
 And n0w-wcll. Marie had told him that she was going Co marry Jenks, who was forty. ho'd and wealthy. He had never liked Jcnks. but he began to feel sorry for him. He was good hearted. while Marie His eyes were opened now Co the shallow nature masked by Che pretty face.
 When his frs, book had brought sue cess. he had met Marie. She had pro fesscd Co love him. and the heroine of his second novel was her idealized DOT trait. Tho story had been an even greater success than the first, and the Metropolitan manager had declared that the advertising was worth thou- sands. That disgustcd him.
 Marie did not figure In his last story, which had just appeared, and in a plque she had announced her engage ment to Jcnks. On the morrow. he told himself. he would send it back 10 her. The old clock should have It's place again. But where was it? He had meant to give lt to the janitor. but something had stayed bis hand.
 An, there it was behind the tobacco jar, It was cheap china affair. but back home fifteen years before it bad been regarded as quite a marvel of eloquencc.
 He remembered how hls patient, ovcrworkcd mother had proudly brought it back from Heesport. His father had looked bis disapproyal. but she bad bought it with her egg and butter" money. and her right to waste this fund tn seeming extrayagance was never questioned
 That was when be was fifteen and first enjoyed the dignity of having bis own little room up under the hchen covered shingles. The clock gave the finishing touch. and with what an air of importance had be wound it up the first night, Why. he was quite a man!
 That was what his mother said when she came Co tuck him into bed. Poor. gentle mother, For ten years she had lain there in the cemetery overlooking Lake Ch1mp'aiu Could she see him now. hc wondered. with his luxurious apartments and comfortable bank ac- c0uutg
 Somehow the smoke from his pipe would persist In setting Into his eyes th's evening and making them water
 He knocked Che uShcs out. and as the condensation s.zzlcd In the heel of his pipe it seemed to him that he could hear the bacon crackling in the spider. Somehow tonight everything reminded him of Che old white farmhouse on the Port Kent road
 lmpaticntIy hc brushed his sleeve across his eyes. but bis face softened again as hc wound up the old time piece. It Vas not handsome. but it would seem good Co hear its quiet tick ing once more. So he set it where the other had stood for the past months. Then be carried Marie's gift back Into the dining rom.
 When he came back. the room had already taken on a more homeike as- pect. He could almost fancy that the clock was Ganked by the china dog which bad once been the dearest of bis possessions and the conch shell brought from the West Indies by Uncle Jim. There. too. had stood Nelly TrescOtts photograph. How long ago that was before be came Co the city Co win fame and fortune and helrtaches!
 Yet be stiIl remembered Nelfs ten der. wistful eyes. She was worth Q dozen like Marie. He had been a fool Co sacrifice an the home ties to the empty fame and friendship that were now his.
 So be sat and smoked and unused bit terly. Sever had he felt so utterly alone. Only the ticking Of the little clock comforted him. Finally he read its message. There was a new look upon bis face as he drew a sheet of paper toward him aud wrote rapidly.
 Dear Nell" he said. edo you remem. Der that when we were children you promised to marry me when grew up and was richT I am grown up and successful now, but am lonely man For the sake Of the old love. will you