The Press., 1891-03-12
A QUARTER PAST SIX.

No, I can't get to sleep with one in the room. And yet clock once saved my life after it had come near making me lose it."
 As he spoke, Lieut.. Halford lifted dainty little timepiece from it's position in the center of the mantel, and carried it off to the closet, where he deposited it on one of the shelves.
 Nonsense, .Frankp' rejoined his room fellow for the night, an old time school mate, Grant Young. "You're the last man would ever accuse of being fussy."
 Not having heard my clock story, you are, of course, ignorant of the fact that was once tried for murder"
 "See here, Frank, don't trlf1e with fel- lows nerves on a night like this"
 Then, seeing that his friends face was deeply serious. Young added, "Go on, Frank"
 "It was shortly before joined the army, and when was out in Arizona prospect ing with party from Denver. We had struck good thing near the little town with the most inappropriate name of Blue bell. It was newly settled place, and set tied with some pretty poor material, too A vein of silver had been struck in the hill close by, and the town sprang up like
  Grant. and try to recall the place; the vein proved a very short one, and Bluebell's soaring soon came down like stick, and now doubt if there are a dozen families left there.
 At the time Of which 1 speak, however, Bluebell was city of considerable preten- sions-for it's kind, It boasted hotel with two rooms, shaving saloon with regular barbers chair, and small tailor ing establishment, as the sign had it, which we fellows of the Baby Mine found a great improvement on amateur darns and button fastenings.
 This tailor shop was kept by German, named Bilsing, one of the most repulsive looking men I have ever seen. He was short, almost dwarf in size, with fingers like talons and a nose that was almost perfect beak. He was surly and disagree able, but being Il good workman, and hay ing monopoly of the trade, he did thriv ing business. But he was avaricious to a degree. and resorted to all sorts of devices to extort pay that was not due him.
 "One afternoon had gone to his place to have rent in my coat lining sewed up. While he was at work on it, not wishing to be detained in the shop longer than l could help, asked him how much it would be, and on his answering 25 cents took quarter from my pocket and laid it on the table in front of him. When the job was finished put on my coat and was about to hurry off when Bilsing called after me: Say, you go off mitout leaving me some dings. It cost twenty-five cent
 "'I paid you once,' I retorted.
 No, you did not, he insisted, and then, rather than have fuss with the man, paid him over again. and took occasion at the same time to tell him plainly that l knew he was cheating me.
 Jack Darling and Nate Gray, two min CTS from Bluebell, happened in while Bill sing and 1 were in the thick of it, for the impudent fellow answered back, and con- sidered myself lucky to get out of the place without having to resort to my muscles to defend myself. As walked back to our claim Ivowed never to go to the shop again; you can imagine, then, how annoyed I was when discovered that had lost locket from my watch chain.
 'It contained a picture of my mother which prized most highly. I had noticed that the ring by which it was attached to my chain was wearing perilously thin, and had determined to file it through, take the locket of, and put it away safely till had an opportunity of having it fastened on by a jeweler. But I had delayed to do this, and now the thing was gone.
 Gould have lost it at Bilsing's shop? 1 asked myself. I remembered that had been leaning against the work table, the edge of which would come just about where the locket had been. I resolved to return at once and make 8 search, deeply as disliked the idea of interviewing the man again.
 II turned and retraced my steps, walk ing slowly, with my eyes on the ground But I saw no sign of my locket on the way Just before l reached Bilsing's place l looked at my watch to see how much time had before supper, and saw that it was twenty minutes to 6.
 ''The irascible German was seated cross legged on his table, busily at work, when l entered.
 "'Vell, vat you want nowP he grunted out when he saw me.
 :" I think dropped a lockek on the floor here,' l answered, and began to~search among the litter under the table. You didn't see it, did youP' added, when a three minutes hunt proved barren of re- sults
 "'Yur dink steal him, eh2' he snarled, dropping his work and beginning to glare at me; might have added that thought so, but he scarcely gave me any time to do any thinking, for all at once he burst out with torrent of brutal invective.
 "He sprang down from the table, and thought he was going to strike me. squared off and made ready to defend my self, and in that instant the door opened and a man entered the shop. He was quite a young fellow and had pair of trousers over his arm, which he flung down on the counter, raging something in German, and then got out as quickly as possible. Bill sings attention was momentarily diverted from me by this episode. and seized the