Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-09-06
ity that l watched and listened on

lIOIH il6I DOSOUl SLldil DuChhhlu
pouch, and took therefrom q gold
watch. The case was heavy, and
richly carved, and / could see, from
my far corner, that it was a unique
affair, unlike the watches of the
present generation.
"Mr. Langford," she said, with a
great effort, 81 feel sure you will
deal fairly by me-"
He would have answered her, but
she gave him no time
81 have come to this at length.
1t is not mine, and yet l must leave
it with you as a pledge"
"Not yours?'
"Do not misunderstood me-" she
said, with quick emotion. "It was
1t was"
"My dear madam" interposed
the broker, assuringly, "don't you
misunderstood me. You have my
fullest confidence"
"And yet," pursued the woman,
with trembling lips and moisten-
ing eyes, 81 will tell you the truth,
and then you will know how sacred
il the charge | give. This was my
first husbands watch-presented to
him by ship owners whom he had
seryed-and when he died he left it
for-lor-"
"For jack" pronounced Lang
ford, reading those words upon
the buckskin pouch, where they
had been printed with a pen.
Mrs. Warland started, and the
broker pointed to the legend upon
the pouch.
eyes, yes" she said. "Jack
was our boy-our son. He went
away-many years ago-and-"
Here the woman broke down,
and having recovered herself, she
asked the broker to advance her
ten dollars upon the watch.
"Ten dollars" repeated Lang
ford, in surprise. He had opened
the watch and looked into it. "Do
you know its value?"
"Iknow it cost a large sum, sir"
Certainly. 1t is a Harrison
chronometer of the very best quail
ity, and seems to have been little
worm"
1T has not been wound up, sir,
since John Bishop died. | have
kept it hidden away all these years.
And now must leave it with you.
| have nothing else. But will
only take in return such a sum as
| know | can pay if | live. You
will keep it, sir-for a year, if ne
cessary-for more than "A year"
{" | will hold it sacredly to your
order for five years, if you wish"
The poor woman was thankful,
and having received the ten dollars
she turned toward the door but
before she reached it she stopped,
and came back. She took the
watch in her hands, and pressed it
to her lips; and then, with strug-
gle, as though tearing a fond me-
mento from the network of her
heart, she laid it down and went
away.
When she had gone l got up and
stepped behind the counter to look
at the pawned watch.
Its worth three hundred dol
lars" said Langford.
"And she has pawned it for
temp
81 don't consider it pawned," he
replied. "That woman has en-
listed my utmost sympathy, and ]
will hold this watch for her while
she lives"
| asked him if she had been to
him before for money.
" Yes" he said. "I think she
has, first and last, received two
hundred dollars from me. She has
evidently pawned everything she
could bring"
| was telling to the broker what
| knew of Mrs. Warland when a
customer entered. He was q sea.
farng man, and l recognized him
as one whom | had seen at the
theater that afternoon. He had sat
very near to me, and | had noticed
him particularly because he was q
man not to be seen without notice.
He was young, with a frank, hand.
some, bold face, his Gair of dark
brown, chnging about large, we'll
shaped head in close, glossy curls
and possessing a frame of maxwell
lous strength and symmetry. Ii
garments, though Of the sailor cut
were of the very finest quality, anC
it was plain to be seen, from hi
tone and manner, that he had beer
used to holding authority. He ha(
seen sextant exposed in the win
dow, and had come in to look at it
Laugford took the chronometel
from my hand, and had started tC
restore it to its pouch, when thu
stranger interrupted him.
{ "Pardon me, sir; but will yol
, allow me to look at that watch"
The broker handed it to him
He took it, and trembled per
f nnntihlv