The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-02-26
AN UNRELIABLE WATCH.


How II Caused the Separation Of . Loving
Young Couple.
ever see anything funny in the
course of my business? Certainly Dc"
said jeweler to a reporter. "See lots
of fun sometimes, and, by the way,
your question reminds me of the fellow
who was in here half an hour ago. He
has awatch-there it hangs now-that
is more trouble to him than all his
brains, though don't mean to say that
he is q fool. The most foolish thing
that I know of him is that he will per-
sist in carrying that watch. Well, as I
was about to say. that self-same ticker
of his comes to me not less than once q
month regularly.
II remember very well the first time
he brought it. 1t was one Tuesday
morning. and as he had known me for
some time before that, he stopped to
tell Of his troubles. The watch, he
said. hung on q nail in his room on
Sunday evening, ticking away for dear
life. He was very much interested in q
book which he was reading. SO much alb
sOrbed, 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 vet.
he did not notice that the hands had
stopped moving. At last he heard the
clock striking and. mechanically count
ing the strokes, found that it was nine
O'Clock. The watch only said half
past seven, and as it was case of eight
O'Clock or not at all, he tried hard to
devote the remainder of the evening to
his book, which had suddenly grown
embarrassing.
1.-The next day he shook the time piece
up. got it to going in fine style. called
on his lady love in the morning. ex-
planned the cause of his failure to keep
his appointment, and soothed her sensi-
bilities 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 six, seven and half-past seven
it was time to go now. He put the
ticker in his pocket. his coat on his back.
and left the hotel. When he reached
. Walnut street he rang the bell,
walked in. asked for Miss - with tho
greatest assurance.
''Gone out! 1t was impossible.
"But. he was told. she did go at eight
thirty with MIR. -. Half-past eight!
He was thunder-struck again, but a
glance at the clock on the parlor mantel
assured him that it was then nearly nine
o'clock, and he left in a maze of disap-
pOintment. The watch had stopped
some time during the day and started
again according to its own sweet will,
and was an hour or so behind time.
''Since that time he has married
another 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 APP
pOintment or train or something Of
the kind the day before. have fire.
guently told him that the watch was u
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 jeweler in
the land. but he always says it will have
to do a little longer. just for the curl
Osity 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 thirty-two dol
lars. sell very fair watch for thirty
dollars nowadays. "-Harrisburg (Rd.)