The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-07-30
THE WATCH'S STORY.
Why He Was Valued by Queen
Eetsey and Her King.

In the pawnbroker's window where
chs old, reedy. many-keyed clarionei
was lying in its green frayed case and
where the gold watch was hanging with
its placard which told the inquisitive
passer by that it had been presented BY
a queen. there was silence after the
watch had told its story. as our readers
were informed one short fortnight ago
The queen, SO the watch facetiously OBJ
served, was one of pack of cards, not
the spouse of . reigning monarch, as
the clarionet at first supposed.
So when the annOuD cement was
made the clarionet felt most Justly ag-
grieved.
Il noticed your impatient curiosity. ~
exclaimed the watch after a pause,
land told You .hs wrong story. The
queen that gave me to my owner wore
no crown of gold Her head was con-
tent TO be crowned with golden hair,
but it was in her true blue eyes that one
could see her royal nature. Her life
will be crowned, however. by such a
monarch. She was the wife of SIM
ple-minted engineer employed on the
Straightline road, named George Mar
tin. He used to own me, and if ever
there was :: queen she was one. Do
you want TO hear my real story?"
OF course they did. from the inquisi-
tive clarionet up to the diamond king
in its velvet-lined case. They wanted
to hear it very much, so after clearing
its throat the watch began
'.All the employees of the Straightline
road" explained the Gmepiece, EEK
iceptinG the tiremen and engineers were
on a strike, and perhaps this was what
made George Martin-the husband of
my queen-the engineer of the night
express No. 10. button up his great coat
more closely and pull down his cap
more tightly as the train slowly pulled
and rumbled out of Salemvilie and
started on its long journey to Border
town. Anyway, whatever it was, his
face was paler than usual and he kept a
tighter held upon the lever as he pcered
into the mist and the darkness which
almost hid the track before him.
- just such nj ght As No. went
over the bank at Long Point water
tank, he remarked to Jim, the FIRE
man.
- .Pshawr returned the latter.
- That's all right. answered the en-
eeineer. but wish | was At home with
Queen Betsey and the girls all the
same
Then he relapsed into silence. and
the train sped on. whizzing past small
stations, shooting around curves and
rumbling over culverts, while the engi-
neer never for an instant lost sight of
the almost invisible track which stretch
cd out in two thread-like lines before
the flying engine.
.1On the side Of hill there wan
dered a valley, which narrowed at
places so that the roadway was
crowded for room. Then again it
widened out into small valleys divided
into meadows, wheat fields, groves and
pastures while the picturesque houses of
the farmers dotted the hillsides. Just
at the entrance to this valley, on the
first hill which guarded the way like q
sentinel. was where the queen lived.
Their lawn sloped gently to the mar
row bit of woods; through the leaves in
summer she could catch q glimpse of
the lights of the flying train. hooking
like company of will-o' the-wisps on a
race for life, so rapidly did they flash
past the trees. Through the same leaves
he could see the lighted lamp that
the queen always left in the front
window TO cheer him on his lonely
way. Even in that passing glimpse
the lamp talked to him as only
lamp in the window can talk 1t told
him to hurry on: to keep a brave heart:
to keep his head clear. his eyes sharp.
his ears keen, and TO remember always
that some one was watching for him,
waiting for him and praying too. The
lamp did not confine itself merely to
conveying messages to and fro in the
gloom, Ike commonplace electricity,
even though these messages did not
come through the ears. not through the
eyes, and never reached the brain be-
lore going straight to the heart. which
the most expert electrician has never
vet accomplished with his subtle fluid.
1t had other and still more wonderful
gifts, possessed by lamps in general ever
since Aladdins time; but q wise lamp,
and all lamps are wise, never displays
this marvellous achievement to mankind
except at night time, and only then
when that specimen of mankind to
whom if shows this gift can see its gen.
tie rays through the window panes of
home. 1t must be his home, too. Its
charm is broken in any other place.
Besides the power of talking it
could paint as never q mortal artist
painted. since the painters art was
known. Quick as a fash, the rays
which had pierced the darkness and
entered the engines cab set about with
invisible paints and brushes to perform
their work of magic. Their work was
no sooner commenced than ended. The
walls of the cab, with their dirty win