Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-02-13
AN UNRELIABLE WATCH.
How 1t Caused the Separation Of
Two Young People.

Ever see anything funny in the
course of my business? Certainly l
do" said a j~eweler to a reporter for
the Harrisburg Patriot. "See lots of
fun sometimes, and, by the way, your
question reminds me of the fellow who
was in here half All hour ago. He has
a watch-there it hangs now-that is
more trouble to him than all his brains,
though l don't mean to say that he is
a fool. The most foolish thing that |
know Of him is that ho will persist in
carrying that watch. Well, as l was
about to say, that self-same ticker of
his comes to me not less than once a
month regularly.
II remember very we'll the first time
he brought it. 1t was one Tuesday
morning. ard as he had known me for
some time before that, he stopped to
tell of his troubles. The watch, he
said, hung on a nail in his roem on
Sunday evening, ticking away for dear
life. be was very much interested in
a book which he was reading, so much
absorbed, in fact, that though he
looked at the watch every two minutes
to see if it was time to go to see his
best girl yet, he did not notice that the
hands had stopped moving. At last
he heard the clock striking and, me-
chanically counting the strokes, found
that it vas 8 o'clock. The watch only
said half-past Z, and as it was a case
of s o'clock or not at all, he tried hard
to devote the remainder of the evening
to his book, which had suddenly grown
uninteresting.
The next day he shook tho time
piece up, got it to going in fine style,
called on his lady love in the morning,
explained the cause of his failure to
keep his appointment, and soothed her
sensibilities by arranging to take her
to the opera at night. When evening
came he made sure that the watch
hands were walking around the watch
face at the usual rate and again took
up his book. Half.past 6, z, and half
past 1T was time to go now. He
put his ticker in his pocket, his coat
on his back, and left the hotel. When
be reached - Walnut street he rang
the bell, walked in. and asked for
Miss - with the greatest assurance.
Gone Quit" 1t was impossible.
'But, he was told, she did go at $50
with Mr.. -. Half-past s! He was
thunderstruck again, but a glance at
the clock on the parlor mantle as
sured him that it was then nearly 8
o'clock, and he left in a maze of dis
appointment. The watch had stopped
some time during the day and started
again according TO its W sweet will,
and was an hour or so behind time.
'Since that time he has married an
other girl, and is not yet on speaking
terms with the one that his watch got
him left with. Nearly every time he
comes he tells of how he missed an ap
pOintment Or a train or something of
the kind the day before. l have fire.
%quently told him that the watch was a
cheap affair in the first place, and it is
not worth repairs now, as it can not
be made to keep time by the best jew
eler in the land, but he always says it
will have to do a little longer. just
for the curiosity of the thing | looked
over my books the last time he was
here to see how much he had paid me
for putting it in order, and it was just
$32. l sell a very fair watch for $50
nowadays"