The Press., 1891-03-12

$ But had Eft the shop good half hour before thatJ insisted. when I heard this. T remember that fellow coming in, and am sure that it couldn't have been more than ten minutes to at the very latest,
 s.But even as spoke remembered with a shudder that would find it difficult to prove my assertion, for on account of my search by the way for the locket had taken, as I have said, twice the usual length of time to get back to our camp, so that the testimony of my mates there as to the time of my arrival would avail me nothing. Jack Dingman, my chum, did all that mortal man could do, and the rest of the fellows in our claim secured Blue bell in search of witnesses who might be able to prove that 1 was not in Bilsing's shop at a quarter past 6. But it was no use. The only thing gained by it was the discovery of a trampish sort of fellow who said he had stepped in at the tailor's estab- lishment about o'clock to get light for his pipe, and found Bilsing alone. and ap- parently all right.
 Now if you could only prove that that Olgreich fellow is wrong, and that you are right about the time of your being with BiIsing, we could get you clear in jify,' Jack assured me.
 'But that was the worst of it. I couldn't prove it, and of course, under the clrcum- stances, Olgreich's word would be believed before mine. The case against me looked blacker and blacker Money was found to be missing from Rilsing's place. and so to the mind of nearly all in town it was evi dent that I had choked the German to death in an ungovernable fit of passion, and disdained to flee after the deed had been committed, trusting to my good name to save me from even the suspicion of be- ing implicated in the affair. The finding of my locket among the shreds of cloth on the floor had betrayed me.
 "There was no jail in the place, of course, so was detained in a we'll guarded room at the hotel. My friends were allowed to come in and see me at intervals, but, as you can imagine, these interviews were anything but cheerful ones. At last the day of the so called formal trial came. and all my worst fears were realized as the case progressed. All the little flaws had picked in the array of evidence against me, and charged the boys to bring up when the time came, were showed under by the preponderating evidence on the other side. Suddenly Jack Dingman sprang to his feet, and imagined he had thought of a new line of evidence. But he said nothing; only hurried out of the room, carrying my last shred of hope with him.
 "'He can't bear to stay and hear me con victed,' told myself.
 "But was wrong. In five minutes Jack was back again, out of breath, but with a look in his eyes that set my heart to throb- ping quickly.
 "'Will you please call Herman Olgreich back to the witness stand? he said to the man who was acting the part of judge.
 sAmid good deal of wonderment about what might be coming, Jack turned to the German youth and asked:
 "'How did you know that it was quarter past when you saw the prisoner in Bill sings shop? You have no watch, believe ,
 "I looked at the clock was the reply.
 "sWhat is Jack driving at?' I asked my self. Surely this has all been gone over > before
 "'Where were you standing when you looked at the clock? went on Dingman.
 "In the doorway. It was just as was going in.' replied Olgreich.
 "Jack brought his hands together with smack. That settles it, I guess he ex- claimed But there is just one more question should like to ask, How could you tell the time if you got no farther than the doorway, because the clock at Bilsing's is over it?'
 "'Why. sure enough answered the un- suspecting witness promptly There is a lOOk1ng glass D6Hlnu bllSlug UaUle, anu saw the clock reflected there
 "'Which turned the hands round and made it seem, to you quarter past 6, when it was really quarter before 6p and Jack rushed toward nae with hand outstretched. 2 "It was as if a bombshell had been burst in that improvised court room. There was complete revulsion of public sentiment in my favor, and it scarcely needed the testimony of the ttrampish individual who wanted light for his pipe to clear me.
 Suspicion now being turned back upon itself, so to speak, a doctor was procured, and an autopsy held on the dead man, which established the fact that he had died of an apoplectic stroke.
 "And now do you wonder, Grant, that l am little sensitive to the ticking of a clock, even though, as said, one did save my lifeP"
 1t wasn't the clock, Frank, but the mirror, which did that" and Young shiV- cred slightly as he sat up on the lounge and looked at his watch, to find that it was just midnight.-Vignettes, Real and Ideal