Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-10-16
1Ae Old Clock.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
[original.l

| the clock, having long been ruin
when the clock was put in it. 1t was
supposed to have been built by the
| Romans. Some said that the clock was
the oldest tower clock in the world.
| 1t had not marked the time for nearly
a century. A few were living who
had seen it's great iron hands swing
around the circle of it's dial. but they
Were very aged people. Its works
were covered with rust, and there was
not a eogwheel that could be turned
without wrench.
One night suddenly every person in
the village started up in bed One,
two, three four! There was no bell to
give forth this cracked antiquated me-
tallic sound except the old clock in the
tower And If it had returned to it's
life 1t must be its dotage, for the
hour was II midnight and all counted
four strokes. Had not some one got
up in the tower and struck the bell
with a hammer? Impossible. The
stairway-the last put in-had fallen
years ago. Then, too, every one had
heard the whirring Of wheels-a whir-
ring harsh with rust Directly after
the last stroke Peter Steiger, who
lived just beneath the tower, had
opened his shutter and looked out and
up to the belfry. All was still up
there and about the tower. If foot
step had fallen on the stones beneath
he would have heard 1t.
Some Of the villagers got out of bed
and talked to each other from behind
their half opened doors; some lay
awake wondering; some went to sleep
again. Only little children slept on
without having heard a sound "Ah,
the children" said old Caspar Steiner,
1.-THE innocent children If they had
been awakened l should not think
there was evil in it, but they are in
sensible to evil" Caspar was the phi
losopher of the village, and his words
struck deep into the souls of those who
heard him. All looked for some ca
tastrophe.
There was one person and only one
not child who had not heard the
ghostly strokes. That was Gretchen,
the granddaughter of old Becker, the
miller. Gretchen was to be married in
a few days to Hans Huntsman,
young fellow about her own age. who
loved her, and she loved him dearly.
Gretchen laughed at the fears of the
villagers. When they told her what
old Steiner had said she replied that
she had not heard the strokes, and she
was not child, therefore the philoso
piers words were not true.
While the older people We're whisper
ing together, shaking their heads and
giving way to their dread, the younger
ones were preparing for the wedding.
No one had been married In the village
for a long while, for there were few
people there, and the boys as they grew
up went out into the world, leaving the
girls with no one to marry them But
Gretchen's lover would not go without
her. He loved her better than even
SUCCESS in life. This was not remark
able, for every one loved her. She was
geutie and amiable and kind. But not
tlll5later did those who knew her real
ize,that, much as they priced her. they
had not known her true value.
All the preparations were made, and
the wedding was to be tomorrow. One
man who had been sailor predicted
that the sun would shine BY common
consent the older ones ceased to talk
about the mysterious strokes Of the old
clock and, for the young couples sake,
assumed a cheerful air. Up to 10
o'clock the younger people were laugh
ing and singing, then were still.
There were people In the village who
lay awake till after midnight fancying,
dreading, that they would hear the old
clock strike again. Why they felt this
way at this time they did not know.
Scarcely any of the older ones but
wished the wedding over lest some
thing might happen to mar 1t. But they
were disappointed in hearing the clock.
1t did not strike again After midnight
one after another they fell asleep.
While they were dropping of light
appeared In the house of the miller.
Presently he emerged hurrIedly from
the door and called his next neighbor.
Then, one by one, the villagers began
to stir, passing from one house to an
other. and all looking anxiously at
Becker. Gretchen had been taken sud-
denly Ill.
The anxiety, the running of people
In and out of the house, increased rap
idly. At o'clock one came out and
said, IF she doesn't get relief very
soon she will die" At half past 3
another came and said, "She is sink.
ing" At o'clock old Becker wruna
his hands and said, "She is dead!"
The people stood in groups In the
street. saying to one another, The old
clock predicted this calamity, even to
the hour and minute It would occur"
Then came old Caspar Steiner, and one
Of the women said to him:
You said the strokes of the clock
predicted no misfortune because the
innocent children did not hear them.
You were wrong, you see."