The Cairo bulletin., 1905-12-20

After our marriage Lucy ana ! Wen
Ia NE iii d little house that had come
n, nue. as hcir-atIaw from an uncle
Aly uncle mad been In poor circum
stances, and at his death every one was
surprised 10 find that he bad owned the
house Iii which he lived. ! was very
clad To come into possession or even
10 poor dwelling, for had no perina-
neut Judgment for my family,
There was nh old wheezy clock Ia the
lower hall whose strike was enough 70
wake the dead. During the first even
lng of our occupancy or the house !
wound this clock, and the tick that had
been enliyening the place for 4 nun.
dred years prior TO my uncle's death
went at 1t again. We We're In ped by
half past 10 o'clock and We're just get
ting To sleep when the striking ham
rner reused US. We counted eleven
strokes, and at midnight counted
twelve. Then the number fell off, but
when they were beginning to grow
again got up, went downstairs, I'M
hooked the striking weight and drop
ped It iii the bottom Of the clock case.
Then we both went to sleep.
The house was an old one, and many
things III Its construction We're worn
out. among them the cords 70 which
the sash weights were hung. One day
Lucy told me that cord at a sitting
room window wee broken and the sash
would not stay up when raised. !
found that the weight had fallen down
where / could not reach IT. Remcm-
bering the clock weight, | used It for
sash weight.
One night felt Lucy gripping my
arm convulsiyely I started up. and
she whispered to me to listen. !
heard the sound OF saving and knew
that burglars were cutting out a por
tion of the front door in order TO put
Iii an arm and draw the bolts. ! got
M and went out on to the landing Not
having weapon III the house, could
do nothing but wait or give an alarm.
There was no other house near, So
waited. The saving finished. the door
was opened, and heard step below
There was grating, which | recog-
nized as the opening OF the clock door.
Then heard muttered oath, and the
burglar went out by the front door. !
vent downstairs struck light aud
examined both the door and the clock.
The clock weight was gone. | stop
ped the hole SO that it would not be
noticed, locked the door and went back
to bed and To report to Lucy what had
occurred.
There was no more sleep for us that
night, both from the fright and WON
dfring what Id the world a burglar
wanted with d clock weight. We con
tinued to wonder the next day and the
next, keeping up our suggestions rs 70
the cause 0f "a singular q robbery, hut |
without assigning a cause that had in
1t any probability,
The clock stood still for want of Il
weight. Had | not been so poor that
| could not afford a watch | would |
rather have had no record Of time In
the house than have endured the tick
ing. AS 1t was, remembering the I
weight had used In the window.ul /
took II out and. having bought a weight
10 put IN frs place, hooked the striking
weight on 10 the cord that moved the
bands.
Our rohlery of the clock weight was
well nigh forgotten when one night our
house was again entered by burglars
After having once been robbed had
myself with revolver. and.
hearing window pried open In the
lower hall. ! got up, went TO the land
Ing. looked down the staircase and
saw the dim outline of man at the
clock | fired. the man gave howl I
and made for an open window, by
which he had doubtless. come In. He
Jumped ont, aud. going down, ! light
"a a, candle by which ! traced blood
10 the window. | looked In the clock
and nothing had been disturbed
Curious TO know why burglars were
70 interested Ia the clock. the next day
hired a clocEmaker TO come hnd take
Il TO pieces. We took the clock out OF
The case, unscrewed every part. but
nothing could we find except an old
timepieee.
There was evidently mystery about
the old wheeler. and Lucy. who is full.
Of fancy. declared that Ii it could speak
II would tell horrible tale The noise
II made was quite enough. but its sup
posed connection with crime was toe
much - be borne. got dealer in old
furniture to come and make me an
offer for II. He did 50 and surprised Us
by an offer Of a hundred dollars. He
pronounced the clock Of genuine old
fashioned make which could no longer
be procured. This information render.
Ell II evident TO nae that the burglars
had tried TO steal the only valuable
thing In the house. We declined the
offer
In the garrett was an old box Of un.
cic's papers. one day came home
and Lucy told me that she had been
through them all She had discovered
an old check book | examined II and
found that 1t showed balance Of SlI
against which there was no check stnb.
I went TO the bank and was surprised
10 find that the balance was still TO ms
uneie's credit. Since had paid his
funeral expenses ! was surprised.
One day when | went home Lucy |
came flying toward me in a delirium