Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1889-11-01

| ness.
"When | said your watch is WORT
nothing, l spoke too strongly TIL
truth is that it has not fulfilled tn
condition. 1t has varied ten minutes
as you can see for yourself by com
pairing with the regulator by whicl
you set it eighteen months ago"
You arc right, sir" said the max
er; there is variation of ten min
utes, verify" he proceeded, as i
speaking to himself at does aston
ish me; however, let us look at it."
He opened the watch, whose cases
had not been touched. The resist
ance which they opposed his practic
ed nail left no doubt on this score
M. Unzahl examined the works in de
tail. Seeing nothing out of the way
he inspected the watch with a mag.
infer. Everything was in order. Then
he submitted it to the eye of his prin.
cipal assistant.
This was an old craftsman whose
hair had grown white in the trade.
He not only knew all the parts of q
watch by the card, but could indicate
Its peculiar temperament. This
one, said he sometimes to his en-
ployer, lis little nervous and will
have tendency to gain time; that
one, on the contrary, is Emphatic,
and we must not be surprised if it
should run slow; the other yonder
has capricious disposition; it will
gain or lose time, or stop, without
| apparent cause"
The temperament of this watch
seemed to belong to the last category,
tor the old workman did not succeed,
either with the naked eye or with his
glass, in detecting the slightest dam
age.
The employer, equally dumfouudcd,
forbore further scrunity and took q
package of bank notes from his cash.
box to reimburse Mr.. Barker when
an idea flashed on his mind.
Excuse me, sir; | do not know
whether my question will appear ad-
missible, but | would like to ask is it
at London or on the Continent that
you have carried this watch?"
"There is no improperly in your
inquiry, and though it may not in
terest you much, l can give exactly
the employment of my time since we
separated.
"Ohl | do not ask that much; only
the locality in general"
But | can give the whole story.
There is no secret about it. In Feb
ruary. 1886, after purchasing this
watch, | embarked for the Indies"
"Ah!' breathed the matchmaker.
THAT is not wonderful for an En-
glishman. With me it is an old Gus
tom. Every year l visit Lahore in
the Punjab to inspect silk manufac-
tories which own in the neighbor-
hood of the city"
"Ah!ah!" repeated the dealer. "You
could not have remained there long.
| presume. The heat is so fatal to
Europeans"
"NO, | remained there only five
and when the heat became
intolerable l retired to little cot
tage which l have in the Himalayas.
"ln the Himalayas," exclaimed the
asuonished matchmaker. "Why,
sir, our Mount Blanc is only 1910
meters high, and yet no one has ever
ventured to install himself there for
a summer residence"
81 do not say that / dwelt on the
Gaurisanker, which is $500 meters
high, and which no human foot has
trod, or ever will tread, not even the
foot of the highest climber among
the descendants OF your Joseph Bal
mat the first victor ofMount Blanc.
No! my house is situated merely on
one of the branches of the great
chain, not far from Lahore, where
the English colony have erected COM
Portable villages, well sheltered
against the sun and refreshed by con-
tinual mountain breeze. There, COM
parative GOODNESS is enjoyed, which
is delightful after the furnace of the
plain"
"Ah! ah! ahp' calculated the
matchmaker, who multiplied his ex-
CARNATIONS in proportion as the
words of the Englishman seemed to
correspond with preconceived idea.
"Ah! ah! all how much time did you
pass in that charming climate?"
"Ohl scarcely a month. A letter
from my Moscow correspondent
called mefrom my desired repose.
could not hesitate. 1t announced
the auction sale OF an important
stock of sables, which l had the sure
opportunity of placing in England
and France. / left the Punjab for
Russia"
"Ahl fine, charming" said tie
watch maker, with an exuberance of
which Mr.. Barker did
not comprehend. He merely sup
posed that II. Unzahl, like all seden-
tary persons. took pleasure in hear
ing of travels, and that he admired
the extent and variety of his own.
He continued with his habitual cool
ness:
81 passed only two weeks at Mos
COW. Thirty degrees below freezing |
point, you understand, for one re-
turning from India"
"Yes, yes" SAID the tradesman,
81 understand" Then, whispering
to himself, II quite understand, too,
why the Englishn,an's watch has
varied ten minutes.
Mr.. Barker, not having acquired |
the power to detect this internal |
converse, resumed
"As soon as my business was ended |
| left the Muscovite SHOWS and pro-