The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1906-11-30


in there"
He struck the case again and dropped
his hand and was silent.
Toward noon Albert returned. The
clock cleaner went out to meet him as
the team drove into the yard.
Here" said he, II have been waiting
for you for hours l cannot find the
key to the clock"
The young man turned red and shook
the rens nervously.
Clean the other clock first" said he,
land we will regulate the old one after
the folks have gone to bed. There are
times when one needs Il friend. That
is my case now. Trust me now, and |
will tell you more tonight when the
house is still"
Il heard YOU"
The voice seemed to come out of the
air. The words were spoken by bent
little woman gathering sticks.
"There are times when that clock
turns human. I've seen tiny rheuma-
tism all left me them flew and land
ed on my bed in my chamber. There
are some things no mortal can stand
snakes and haunts and things. If you
are going to clean that clock tonight
after the people 20 to bed I'll 90 to bed
early and shut my eyes under the bed
clothes. for there are times when that
clock comes to life"
The woman's familiar name was Lid
dy-"Littlc L.ddy" she was called-a
docr of all work. She filled her apron
with chips and gave Il curious glance at
the clock cleaner, who was standing
where he had met Albert after the lat
ter had gone to the barn.
Saints and sinnersv' said she. IF
you don't see sights tonight to make
your hair come off before morning then
Little Liddy is no prophet. Mum is the
word. | have never told Mis- Overfield
what | have Seen-SightS that might
scare the dead Some folks think that
Liddy doesn't sense things right, and
guess they are not much mistaken"
They smiled at the way she had
used the words, when Albert turned
to the clock cleaner.
"She is superstitious, said he. He
lifted his finger and continued:
bul lIc CloCh 10 IOIloN. IuduC IL
so and keep it so. Don't ask me any
thing more about it now. l will tell
you when you come around next year"
The little old woman approached the
clock cleaner.
"See here" said she, what 1 have
got TO tell you. Don't l look peaked?
Well. | have good reason for it. Now
l am going to give you my candid
opinion. l saw soldier one night.
lie was dead. He was taking the in
sides out of that clock Why was he
dead? Because, as put things togeth-
er, he was one of those regulars that
were shot from the bullets made out
of the old lead weights. l can see
double
And now" she continued, they are
going to have all the folks come home
on Thanksgiving evening but An
nie-and it is my opinion that she has
as good a right to come as any, for
she was the best heart of all the fami-
dy She ran away and married sailor
boy. Well her mother married Farm
er Overfield against her folks. Annie
only did what she inherited But, my
eyes, | wouldn't set the table in the
room where the clock is. That's where
they generally do set the table on
Thanksgiving days. They haven't had
any Thanksgiving for the last two
years. And | do think that the old
clock would fall right over on its face
for shame and grief to see the people
all sit down to eat and Annie not
there What has anybody to be thank
full for whose heart is as hard as
stone? That's Mis- Overfeld's heart
now
The clock cleaner fixed the other
clock and regulated it, wondering. He
left the place in the afternoon, saying:
"The old clock is locked, and Il storm
is coming on. will clean that anoth-
er year"
"Why don't you do it now and not go
away in the Storm" asked Mis- Over
field.
81 will be able to tell you more about
the matter when l come again." said
the clock cleaner doubtfully.
He pounded the case again.
st does sound hollow" said Mis-
Overfield. annie used to wind that
clock, and l never meddled with any
thing that was any part of her belong
ings She Is dead to me, and my heart
Is not what it used to be. My conf
dence in everything is gone. l loved
her too much, more than is allowed.
But how she used to care for me when
I was sick! l sometimes wish l could
feel the touch of Annie's hand again
that is, when my heart turns soft-just
once more. 1t may be when | die. But
l Will never forgive her. If she were to
walk in now / would not SO much as
turn my head. l have two hearts"
The clock cleaner went out and has
tened toward the turnpike, over which
stagecoach between Boston and
Worcester still ran. As he reached the
corners he looked back to the chimneyS
and said:
There is some secret about that
house that lies deep In the heart Of AL
bert, and the clock is 4 part of the &C.
cret. The works of that timepiece are
gone-why cannot tell He may have
gold them for relics. The weights that
ran them were melted into bullets, and
it may be, if such things are, that some
one whose life they ended haunts the
old oak case. l could see that Albert
felt deeply about something"
He wondered what Albert would
have to tell him when year should
bring him around again.
Mis- 'Overfield liked to look out of the
pantry window. She would stand be-
fore the window for hours looking up
the hill.
When she was suddenly spoken to
she would say: 1T looks pleasant up
there if any place could appear so to
me- l sometimes wish that Annie
would come back again. But
wouldn't speak to her There are no
uncOvenanted mercies in my creed of
life. One must harden ones heart
against diSObedence and stand up
with the pillars of the universe as
Deacon Diggs used to say. But it is
sometimes hard to be hard. Heaven
forgive mer'
Thanksgiving day came. She watch
ed her folks rs the families came rid
ing down the hill. She seemed to be at
work in view of the pantry window,
but she was watching, watching.
She turned into the keeping room to
receive one by one the folks as they
came, but she went back again.
Near II o'clock she said to Little Lid
dy, Have they all come, Liddy?"