Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-12-23

of his pocket cit is exactly five minutes to H."
locked at his watch; the hands pointed to five
minutes to le. There no disputing it,
"Your watch is wrong" l gasped; cit is two
hours fast"
81 cannot say anything to that" said Pretzel, ea.
gerly watching the second hands "you yourself
have regulated it for some months past"
twenty-five tines have regulated it," said,
"and yesterday it was in proper order"
zone minute gone" said Pretzel, -four minutes
to twelve | demand my money-my three thou
sand fiorins.'
''You are wrong your watch is two hours fast
You cannot demand your money till twelve o'clock
by the correct time"
"You are wrong. The bend says twelve o'clock
by my watch It does not stipula.e that my watch
shall keep correct time. Read the words for your
self Another minute gone. Three minutes to
twelve. l demand my money-my three thousand
forms"
l appealed to the lawyer, and he told ne that
Pretzel had the law his side and that must ad-
here TO the stipulation to which had signed my
name, or pay the penalty.
But, Pretzel." implored, "you surely will not
ruin me p
ooh, no." ne cried, "I would net ruin you for
the world. 1t is your affair, not mine. 1t is your
signature not mine 1t is your honesty that is at
stake not mine The yillainous old usurer the
devil that not as black as he is painted, only
wants his rights Another minute gone. Two min
utes to II. / demand my money-my three thou
sand iorins"
tapped him gently on his breast, within which
tl,, krfe edest
heart ON .he face OF the earth; / made him low
bow and saying "what must be, must be-"
took from drawer a bag with the three thousand
Aorihs in it, and put it into his hands. There is
your money" said, "the exact sum, which drew
FROM the bank yesterday. Give me my bond that
l may cancel it."
he turned white, then yellow, then green. He
trembled with rage. BE grasped for breath.
"You forced your money upon me-" said, as
you have forced it upon others. ou would have
ruined me, as you have ruined others. i have made
you pay for it. Out Ct spirit of revenge you laid
an artful snare for me, and thought to entang!e
in it. Instead Of biting, you are Bit l put your
money az interest, Pretzel, in TIE State Bank /
know il was quite safe there. l never touched it,
never used form Of it; but with the inter.
est 1 yesterday received I bought this hand
some chain and this handsome lever watch,
which shall wear as lopg as live, to remind me
always that honesty is the best policy. Never
never shall it be set two hours fast or two hours
slow to entrap the innocent and unsuspecting
Count toe money, Pretzel, count the money you
VIII find it right to form and you carry it
away in those two beautiful vans you have gone to
the expense of hiring for my bsneft."
Shaking he had an pra. zar tI,s
money, and flung the bond at my feet
You do not require me any longer" said the
lawyer to him, with an ill-concealed smile. saw
that ne had enjoyed the joke and that before very
long the whole town would be laughing at the cap.
ital trick Master Flax had served miser pretzs
Wait moment, please" said to the lawyer
" In your presence l wish to present Pretzel, the
moaey-ender, with a small account he owes me-
and to reques; immediate payment OF the same"
Account !" snarled PretzeI 81 owe you moth
ing"
Pardon me- Here Is the account, faithfully set
down in detail. Twenty-Five times have / regulated
your watch for you, at your request. charge
you form time-twenty-two forms in ALL"
" You are an extorticner," he said and ii he
could have burned me to cinder with a glance of
his evil eye it would have afforded him the greatest
satisfaction" ~ shall not pay you one forin of
this false account"
'l 1t is a faithful account PretzeI," said " and
if it is not paid by u o'clock to-morrow-by my
watch, net yours-I shall have you summoned be.
fore the public Court Good morning."
Master Fink," he said, with the look of snake,
"one day may be even with YOU
Til then. said, FAREWELL
From that hour had never exchanged one
word. He prospered, and feared and hated
and well enough did know that il the opportunity
ever offered Itself he would deal me deadly blow
And this the man with whom Nicolas Brand
was consorting Nothing but evil could come of
two rascas. should have been laughed to scorn
by the p ir OF them.
1t was different with Katarine Loebeg To her
could speak. l could speak TO her as a father TO
his child; could warn her; l could enlighten her
as to Nicolas Brands true character. All did not
think of the gamor which love sheds the eyes
OF the young not only over The eyes-over the rea
son, over the judgment. Had reflected little
had recalled the past, when myself WAS in love
might have taken different view
met Katrine the very next evening in the public
street. spoke to her cautiously and tenderly. She
a tin id, confding girl; Lug the moment ven.
SuiSu " ody Olio NUIu a8alflSb NiCO4a3 bFSEU SEe
turned upon me like little fury never supposed
her capable of such spirit. it vas like a mother
defending her young. All, woman, woman! So
weak, so strong, so fierce, so tenier 1t puts lie
out of patience TO Think of it. buadle Of st;cks
some infiexibe as iron bars, some supple as blades
of grass, that well represents her nature. What can
be said of man who, with some knowledge of the
world Uses, deliberately uses these astonishing,
these beautiful contrasts TO his own base ends?
have my own view of such matters. Perhaps / am
old-fashioned If so, thank God for old fashions?
"What do you mean2' cried Katrine, ''first
Anna, then you, by coming to me and speaking
against Nicolas p
" Hes Anna spoken TO you, then r l asked.
"Yes, she has" answered Katrine, and said such
things OF Nicolas she ought to be ashamed of.
She ought to be punished for it, and so told her.
l am not good enough for him not half good
enough. Is be not already sufficiently persecuted,
sufficiently unfortunate! But If all the world was
against him, would stand by his side if he would
let me- aad die for him !"
Fool that was not to be aware that if woman
does not know man and you want to interest her
in him, all you have to do is to speak against him
not to be aware that if loves man and
you want her to love him more, all you have TO do
is to tell her he is vile soon discovered my error,
and was compelled TO confess to my self that had done
Nicolas Brand good turn in his suit with Katrine
Loebeg. What thrilled me through and through
was to see Pretze the mser, who had been secretly
watching US, go to Katrina when left her and walk
side By side With her in confidential converse
Well, the best service could now render TO
katrine- tod my old Anna so--in the town was to
hold our own peace. Heaven knows things were
bal enough To have set the whole town talking
would have made them worse
VI.
NICOLAS BRAND PROPOSES TO ADOPT MASTER
FINK as HIS FATHER.
On Saturdays, uuless there were repairs to be ex.
ecuted which were particularly required no work