loor.

The house was still. Elias was sleeping the sleep of the just, never
dreaming how he had terrified his small brother.

Out into the entry stole Romeo Augustus. The harvest-moon threw a broad
band of light on the stairs. Down crept the small bare feet along the
lower hall into the sitting-room. How weird everything looked in the
dimness! Gaunt and tall stood the clock in the corner.

The outside moon tossed a handful of beams into the clock-moon's face.
The clock-moon was so very jolly! Did he know that just beneath were
THINGS?--two dangling in air, headless, armless? one "writhing in agony
anon"?

Romeo Augustus almost turned and fled. His breath came in gasps. How
could he go forward? But he creeps on. His hand is on the clock's
brass-bound door. Will he open it now?

"Tick-tock--tick-tock.
Past ten--o'clock.
Turn key--and see
Things three--in me.
Past ten--o'clock.
Tick-tock--tick-tock."

Snap! went the brass key. Into the dark were thrust two little cold
hands.

Then, suddenly, "Ha! ha! ha!" a shrill laugh went dancing up stairs.
"Ha! ha! ha! Hurrah! Ha! ha! ha!"

What could the matter be?

"Ha! ha! ha! Oh, ha! ha! ha!"

Father and mother, Solomon and Isaac, Elias and John, with Philemon in
the rear--into the room they all rushed, winking and blinking, candles
in their hands.

There, in his red night-gown, hopping up and down in front of the clock,
was Master Romeo Augustus.

"Ha! ha! Hurrah! It's nothing but the _pen'lum_ and the two _weights_.
Ha! ha! ha!"

Nobody could guess what he meant. If Elias knew, he kept his own
counsel. But a gleam of intelligence broke over Solomon's face.

"It's a wise fellow who wrenches forth the serpent's fang," shouted he.
"Three cheers for Romeo Augustus!"

The cheers were given with a will.

But mother caught her little son in her arms. "He's been walking in his
sleep," she cried, "and it all comes from eating plum-cake for tea."

But the clock knew better. So did the clock-moon. It wagged its head at
Romeo Augustus. "Brave boy! brave boy!"

And Romeo Augustus nodded back. "Good-night, old fellow!"

He could say that now with the rest. He was not afraid of the clock any
longer.

[Illustration]

[Illustration: SCENES ON AND ABOUT THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL ASSEMBLY GROUNDS AT
CHATAUQUA LAKE, NEW YORK.--FROM SKETCHES BY FRANK BEARD.--[SEE PAGE
626.]]

YOUNG PEOPLE AT CHAUTAUQUA.

A BOY'S LETTER.

Dear Tom,--I last saw yo