Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 October 1874 — A Slight Mistake. [ARTICLE]

A Slight Mistake.

Chubb’s clock got out of order one day about Christmas time, and began to strike wrong. That was the cause of the fearful excitement at his house one night. They were all in bed, sound asleep at midnight, when the clock suddenly struck five. The new hired girl, happening to wake just as it began, heard it and bounced out of bed, under the impression that morningliad come; and as it is dark at five a. m. just at that season as at midnight she did not perceive her mistake, but went down into the kitchen and began to get breakfast. While she was bustling about in a very lively manner Chubb happened to wake and he heard the noise. He opened his room door cautiously and crept softly to the head of the stairs to listen. He could distinctly hear some one moving about the kitchen and dining-room, and apparently packing up the china. Accordingly he went back to his room and woke Mrs. Chubb and gave her orders to spring the rattle out of the front window the moment she heard his gun go off. Then Chubb seized his fowling-piece, and, going down to the dining-room door, where he could hear the burglars at work, he cocked the gun, aimed it, pushed the door open with the muzzle and fired. Instantly Mrs. Chubb sprang the rattle and before Chubb could pick up the lacerated hired girl the door was burst open by two policemen, who came into the dining-room. Seeing Chubb with a gun and a bleeding woman on the floor they imagined that murder had been committed, and one of them trotted Chubb ofl to the station-house while the other remained to investigate things. Just then the dock struck six. An explanation ensued from the girl, who had only a few bird-shot in her leg, and the policeman left to bring Chubb home. He arrived at about three in the morning just as the clock was striking eight. When the situation was unfolded to him his first action was to jam the butt of his gun through the dock, whereupon it immediately struck two hundred and fortythree and Chubb pitched it over .the fence. He has a new clock now and things are working better.