The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1891-09-24
RANG OUT LIKE A FIRE BELL.
How Smiths Repeater Made a Sensati0s
at u Stercopticon Lecture.

How Smiths Repeater Made "A Sensati0s
at u Stercopticuu Lecture.
There is Il certain young man Of this
town whose newly welded wife pre-
sented him with a superb gold watch
that not only chimed off the time when
a spring was pressed but told the day of
the month and the phases of the moon.
1t also kept good time. He was natu-
rally proud Of his thermometer, and was
always ready to oblige his friends by
letting them look into its intricate
works, which you must admit showed
him to be a young man of marvellous
good temper. But this same beautiful
watch was the caEse Of his undoing a
few nights ago.
I forgot to mention that the outer case
of this timepiece bore the monogram &C.
w. s." in brilliantS, by which you may
infer that his married name was George
Washington Smith.
This evening in question he and Mrs.
Smith We're rejoicing at dinner over the
thought that they should soon see her
sister, who was coming on from the
west to visit them in their new home,
and incidentally send on a private daily
report to her mother Of how George was
treating Maude. They were to meet her
at the Grand Central station on the ar
rival of the train due at half past 9
o'clock, and decided to put in the hour
and a half they had to spare by looking
in at q much advertised ~stereopticon lee
ture.
They went and enjoyed themselves so
well that they well nigh forgot their en-
gagement, but a picture of the st. Pan
cras station in London made Maude gasp
convulsively: ooh, George, do look at
your watch, dear. I'm so afraid we've
overstaid our time!"
George made a strenuous effort to get
sight Of the dial in the Egyptian dark
ness of the hall, but could not, and his
wife noticing his difficulty said, "Touch
the repeater spring, you goose!"
The lecturer had just concluded a very
sad anecdote and made al impressive
pause, when the hour chime in Georges
watch began to fairly boom out nine
strokes. 1t had never sounded one tenth
so loud before, and a nervous old lady a
few seats back began to Whimper "Fire!'
1LSIG was 81 via CIdIlIS CI ll6ChS III ILS
audience, and Mrs. Smiths cheeks be-
came so red that-as her husband told
her afterWard-they glOwed like live
Goals.
George wrapped first his handkerchief
and then his coat about the watch, but
to no effect, for both the hour and the
minute bells said all they had to say in
tones that vibrated painfully through
the deadly stiffness Of the house.
When they finally ceased the lecturer,
with fine sarcasm, said, "VVill the little
boy please bring his gong up here and
ring it in full view Of the audience?"
A shout Of laughter broke the strain,
and under its V George and Maude
staggered Up the aisle and out into
Broadway. They saw i'll a jewelers.
window that it was twenty-five minutes
past 0 o'clock Ghey had entirely for
gotten to count the repeater strokes), and
just had time enough to get up to the
station in q cab and meet their guest.
Mr.. Smith has not worn the watch
since then, and Mrs. Smith said to me
the other day, "Wasn't George foolish
to press that repeater spring?"-New
York Herald.