The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-03-10
A
Deathknell
BY F. A. mitchell

which there are the remains of tower
that dates back to the beginning of
the fifteenth century. At that time
clocks began to be used, and this old
tower was built to hold one of the then
| new devices for marking time. The
timepiece that was set up in the top
of this ancient fortress was cumber-
some, as all mechanical contrivances
are when they are first invented.
There was great deal of heavy iron
and oaken supports, but these con-
duced to its long life.
For 300 years 1t struck the hour, but
after the expiration of the third cen
fury of its being 1t got out of order
and was not repaired. For half a
| century longer 1t remained in its perch,
and those inhabiting the castle dared
not go under 1t, fearing that at any
time it might come down.
The last person to inhabit this An
dalusian antiquity was one OF the
dukes of yeragua, a descendant OF
| Columbus, the discoverer OF America.
| 1t had been given him by one Of the
| kings of Spain as a reward for the
services of his distinguished ancestor.
| The clock had struck for the last time
on the day the duke was born. 1t was
the next day-so runs the legend-that
it got out of order. A man was sent
up to fix 1t, but returned without
doing so, reporting that the damage
had been done by one of the supports
rotting away and letting down one side
ing up to it fell, and from that time
the clock remained out of reach.
The duke lived to enter upon his
eightieth year. During this long period
the clock remained upon the tower,
It's heavy iron parts rustng away.
Now and again a rotted landing or a
piece of staircase would fall, but the
iron parts of the clock remained entire.
The minute hand finally rnsted away
and fell to the ground. 1t was longer
than the tallest man. Persons gather
ed about 1t and wondered at its size
and weight
One night after the duke had enter
ed upon his eightieth birthday those In
habIting the castle and those surround
ing 1t were awakened by the deep toned
stroke of bell. To those within the
castle walls the sound seemed to come
from above; to those round about ii
seemed to come from different direc-
lions One said from the east, another
from the west, another from up on the
heights above, another from the valley
below. Every one listened for sec
ond stroke. 1t came, and another and
another, till there had been twelve
from the throat of some monster, such
as one reads of in ancient lore.
Then when there came no more
strokes every one In the castle turned
out into the court, and there was q
babel OF voices discussing from whence
the sounds could have come. An old
man, whose youth had been passed in
superstitious times, ventured to assert
that either angel or devil had resusci-
tated the old clock and some mo-
mentous event had been foretold. A
younger person maintained that the
sound had come from the sky and was
a voice from heaven calling sinners to
repentance. There were many the
cries, but it was generally believed |
that the sounds were from some ordi-
nary cause and their Importance had |
been magnified by the imagination.
The only person who did not come
out to discuss the phenomenon was
the duke. He was a bachelor, and. |
having no family to minister to him in
his old age, no one knew whether OF
not he had heard the strokes Of the |
bell or what Interpretation he put
upon them. The door of his chamber
remained closed and all was quiet /
within. A woman who attended him,
followed by some one who loved the
old man. listened near the door, but, /
hearing nothing, told the others to go
to bed. The duke had slept through
the changing, and it would be a shame
to awaken him.
Within an hour after the stroke of
mlunlSnL ali were III Ueu anu many
were asleep. But some there were
who could not dismiss from their
minds an occurrence so strange that It
surely must portend some calamity.
A few sat up till dawn debating
If it werc a warning it came
from angel or devil When it was
light enough 10 see clearly they went
10 the cid tower and looked up. A
support had given way during the
night, and the clock was tilted on fits
hide.
II told you so,' said one. 1T was
the clock that struck by being tilted"
"Foolr, replied another How could
such fitting have caused twelve dis
tinct strokesT'
''Have a carer' cried a third as a
gust Of wind swept through the ruin.
Scarcely had the last words been
spoken when the old clock came tum
bling down and lay a heap of rotted
wood and rusty iron at the bottom.
sVrba d,,Lo ic daad CANA n vofpa