“Time to get up!” observed a man standing nearby. And at this sally several persons laughed. “You evidently are carrying an alarm clock,” said the widow to Josiah Crabtree. “I—er—I didn’t know it,” was the answer. “I—er—wish the thing would stop!” Br-r-r-r-r-i-ng! went the alarm clock as loudly as ever, and now all the people on the dock commenced to laugh. The widow grew red and the teacher bit his lip savagely. “Must be some joke of the boys,” he muttered. Presently the alarm gave out, and Josiah breathed a sigh of relief. “As you were saying about music——” he began, with a smile. “Why, yes, Professor Crabtree! I think music is grand. I love to sit in church and listen to the deep tones of the organ, and the singing of the——” Br-r-r-r-r-r-i-ng! went the second alarm clock, in a tone louder than the other. Josiah Crabtree gave a jump and the widow screamed. Br-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-i-ng! “Oh, dear me! Did you wind that thing up again!” gasped the widow. “No, madam, I didn’t touch the confounded thing!” snapped Josiah Crabtree. “This is—er—a trick!” The alarm continued to rattle and the crowd on the dock roared. The teacher caught up the suit-case and started to open it in a hurry. He was not careful and out dropped several dress-shirts and some socks and underwear. This made the crowd laugh again and Josiah Crabtree grew sour. “You may think this a laughing matter, but I don’t!” he cried. “It is a trick, and if I find out who is guilty——” Then he pulled out one of the offending clocks and hurled it into the waters of the lake. By this time the second clock had run down and quietness was restored. The teacher found this, but left it in the suit-case. The other clocks were in his other baggage. The boat was coming in and soon the passengers commenced to come ashore. Josiah Crabtree started to talk to the widow again and had just got her to smile when there came another rattle. He dropped the suit-case like a hot potato and this time the crowd fairly howled. And the cadets, who were watching from behind a pile of boxes, howled too. Br-r-r-r-r-r-i-ng! went one alarm clock, and a minute later still another joined in. The noise was great and the teacher did not know what to do. In his rage he jumped on the suit-case, smashing the middle flat. But the clocks rattled on more viciously, it would seem, than ever, and now the fifth and last added to the racket. Everybody stopped to enjoy the fun and a large crowd collected. “What’s the matter?” “Is it a fire-alarm?” “Does he want an ambulance?” “He must be a clock vendor. Anybody want to buy an alarm clock cheap?”