Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-09-19
copyrighted 1889 by s. s. Mcclure.

BRING their watches 10 be mended by
pawnbToker? Look here my friend,
where did you get that watch:''
MIR. Padger fixed the Jew s eyes with
his own as ne spoke. It was crude and
inaTtistic way of coming TO the point,
but he felt sure Of his ground If the man
had had the sense to leave the watch
alone it would have been different, but
that mysterious eYanishment convinced
MIR. Padger that he held the lever of the
screw, and had only TO turn it.
''No; you are right, - remarked the
Jew feebly, "no good; IT'S quite
shpoIed. -
81 am afraid our friend Moses is little
better than a thief, - said Mr. Padger in
an undertone to Mary. He kept the Jew
in sight with the tail OF his eye, and per-
ceived a faint scOwl shadow his face as
he spoke.
"Where did you get that watch?' he
said again, raising his voice in a short,
stern tone.
"'What is that to you?'' SAID the Jew,
abandoning his original line of defense,
and recovering his hearing.
cit is so much to me that l mean to
find out if / wait here all day
Not from me, grumbIed the man,
sulkiIy.
From you, - answered Mr.. Padger
calmly. ''Where did you get that
watch?''
81 bought it - said the man angrily.
''From wh0m?''
The jews face grew blacker and
blacker, but he stood glazing at Nj.
Padger. with his arms folded, in un-
broken silence.
''From whom? repeated Mr.. Padger
after a pause, with the manner of
schoolmaster, cane in hand, examining
a suilen and obstinate pupil.
The Jew maintained his former atti-
tude, but did not speak.
''Look here, my friend, - said Mr.
Padger, suddenly dropping into the most
confidential ana familiar tone. ''This
behavior is perfectly ridiculous. l have
nothing against you. How your business
is conducted is no concern of mine what
ever; that is the business Of the borough
police. but ! fancy, il was to give them
the tip, they would find the Overhauling
of.your affairs more interesting to them
than entertaining to you.
This was an unusually long speech for
MIR Padger, and its purport was not
without effect upon the Jew.
cit WASH t shtoIen, - he cried pIte-
OUsly. IS help me Abraham, it WASH t
shtolen. y
"Inever said it was. Where did you
get it?''
q daren t tell you. Pom my shout I
daren t, - stammeTed the wretched old
man.
''You daren't refuse, you mean.
Come, out with it.
The man fenced for a long time, but |
Mr.. Padger knew the influence of his |
threat to inform the police, and using it |
to the utmost conquered the others re-
luctance at last.
"Shwear you Won't sphlit if I tell |
you, he demanded.
81 won t split.
''You Won t tell 'em peached?''
''No, no. Hurry up.
al bought it Of Rag Barlow. -
"Who IS he?''
"a longshore IOafer that lives down by /
the harbOr. -
''Where did he get it?''
q don know; II take my oath 1
don {. I never asked him
81 dare say not. You find it convent
snt, sometimes, not to ask too many
questions.
The man grinned with a hideous ex-
preston of senile cunning.
Come, - said Mr.. Padger, ''hand it
over. -
81 gave a quid for it, - cried the Jew.
IS 'help me, did.
''You don t deserve it, but there 5 the
luid Now hand it over. Sharp!''
He looked at it for a moment and his
eyes sparkIed as he slipped It into his
pocket.
''Now look here, - he said impress
3ively, ''answer me this and tell the
ruth, or it will be the worse for you
Have you touched the works or altered
he hands in any way?''
81 haven T, l shwear, - answered the
lew earnestly. "It's just as 1 bought
t -
''what did you want to know that
oT?'' asked Mary, who had been follow
NJ Mr.. Padger's proceedings with
,peechIess admiration, as soon as they
we're outside the shop.
- Because, my dear, - he answered,
lit goes half way toward clearing Miss
Gertrude; and you know what that
means to me.
''Does it, does it, indeed?'' cried
iaTy rapturously.
Mr.. Padger left Mary at the back door
I Monplaisir with q kiss and a promise
O return before he left, bid her adieu,
nd bring her the latest news. But Rag
}arlow, though perfectly well known 20
verybody he accOsted, was not so easily
ound He was afraid to inquire too
for fear of alarming his man,
ut he discovered by dint of carefully
uarded questions that Barlow had not
cen seen for q week and nobody seemed
o know where a person anxious to make
is acquaintance would be likely to come
cross him.
This disappearance struck Mr.. Padger
S being not a little suspicious. He had
imself been very cautious III his investi-
atoms with regard to the hitherto miss
lg watch, but the borough police, who
ad taken up the case in a desultory and
reflective fashion, had been less dis
rect, and apparently Rag Barlow for
)me reason or another had taken the
.arm and retired into Obscurity. Mr..
adgeT had no doubts as to his own
capabilities of finding him, but that must 6
be delayed until his re-
i'm from London. 1t was annoying, but 3
1uld not be helped.
Meanwhile he betook himself to the =
lore, and stretching himself indolently
] the warm, dry sand, began to con-
der what was to be made of this latest
evelopment.
Not much was the result of his daliber :