The Washburn leader., 1916-03-31
MEDIEVAL
JUSTICE
By ETHEL HOLMES

In the year of our Lord 1870 in the
town Of Strasburg man who had for
q long while been thinking Of the d.
vision Of time into hours constructed
one Of the first clocks that was ever
made. What led him to do this was
that while the people could keep the
flight of days by cutting notch on a
stick for every day, they could have
no record of the parts Of days except
by the sun.
This man who invented the clock
his name is lost, so we will call him
Gustav-set it up in the tower Of the
church, and the people could go to bed
and get up by its striking the hour.
Some Of them considered him an angel
who had been sent from heaven for
this very purpose. Straightway they
committed to his care the town calen-
dar, throwing away the notched sticks,
and after that it was only he who
could tell them when anything that
had been appointed for certain day
was due.
One day young man-Martin Stei-
ger-went to Gustav and said to him:
"Gustav, I love Katrina, the daugh-
ter of Frau Tinkb0rner, and Katarina
loves me. But her mother is forcing
her to marry old Carl Oberman, who
is rich or supposed to be. happen to
know man from whom Oberman
stole a valuable jewel. This mans
name is Kneift, and he has since been
looking all through Germany for the
man who robbed him. Kneift is now
in Munich. If go there I can tell
him where Oberman is; he will come
here; it will be known that Oberman
is thief and Katrina will be saved
from marrying him.
"Well, then. why do you not go at
once?'
Katrina in order to gain time has
promised her mother that she will
marry Oberman in seven days from to-
day. binding herself before the Judge
to do so. cannot go to Munich. find
Kneift and bring him back here before
the day set for the wedding. Can you
not so disarrange the calendar so that
few days shall be gained?"
"But the people trust me implicitly
in the matter of the flight of time.'
"What difference will a few days
make to them?"
Gustav, who was good fellow. was
persuaded and told Steiger that he
would do what he could for him. and
Steiger set out for Munich to find
Kneift and inform him concerning OBJ
erman's present residence. While
Martin was gone the clock became
very irregular. One morning it called
the people from their beds before the
sun was up and the next struck the
hour for their rising when it was high
in the heavens. Gustav said that he
feared the clock was bewitched.
Meanwhile Frau Tinkhorner was
keeping the passage Of the days on her
own account by cutting notch on a
stick for every day that passed. The
day before the one set for the wedding
she informed her daughter that she
must be married the next day. Katrina
declared that the time had not yet
passed within three days and refused
to comply, whereupon her mother sum-
moned her before the Judge, submit
ting to him the agreement between
them and bringing with her the notch
ed stick to show that the time would
be up on the morrow. The Judge look
ed at it and counted the notches, but
the evidence of one interested in the
case keeping the record did not coin
eide with his great judicial ideas, and
he sent for Gustav.
"Gustav," he said, "what day Of the
month will tomorrow be!'
1.-THE 10Th, your honor"
"But Frau TinkhOrner says she has
kept a record and tomorrow will be the
14th."
"My record by the clock tallies with
that" replied Gustav. "but the clock
has recently been bewitched and has
lost two days"
"Who has bewitched it,"
Gustav approached the Judge and
whispered something in his ear.
"W hat is your age, Frau Tinkhorn.
err" asked the judge.
81 am forty-eight.'
Tue Judge started. Are you ,sure?'
be asked.
"Yes, your honor; am just forty
eight
The Judge dismissed the matter be.
fore him and ordered Frau Tinkhorner
into custody on a charge Of having be
wltched the town clock. Gustav had
whispered to him that the clock hav'
ing gained exactly forty-eight hours
this indicated that the person who had
bewitched 1t was forty-eight years old
When Frau Tinkhorner admitted that
she was that age it was evident she
had bewitehed the clock in order ta
force her daughter to marry old Ober
man ahead ofstime.
SO Frau Tinkh0rner was thrown into
prison. Two days later Martin Steiger
returned from. Munich with Kneift
who went before the Judge and &C
cused Oberman Of having stolen jew
i el from him. Oberman was arrested
and the Jewel found in his effects.