The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-11
A QUARTER PAST SIX.

NO, i can Z get 10 sleep WIN one IN Une
room And yet clock once saved my life
after it had come near making me lose
it."
AS he spoke, Lieut.. Halford lifted a
dainty little timepiece from its position in
the center of the mantel, and carried it off
to the closet, where ne deposited it on one
of the shelves.
Nonsense, Frankr' 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."
mot having heard my clock story, you
are, of course, ignorant of the fact that l
was once tried for murder"
''See here, Frank, don't trifle with fell
lows nerves on night like this"
Then, seeing that his friends face was
deeply serious, Young added, go on,
Frank"
cit was shortly before joined the army,
and when l was out in Arizona prospect
ing with a party from Denver. We had
struck good thing near the little town
with the most inappropriate name of Blue
bell. 1t was a 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
sky rocket You needn't knit your brows,
Grant, ard try to recall the place; the vein
proved a very short one, and BluebelPs
soaring soon came down like a stick, and
now doubt if there are a dozen families
left there.
"At the time of which l speak however,
Bluebell was a city of considerable preten
sions-for its kind, 1t boosted a hotel
with two rooms, a shaving saloon with
regular BARRIERS 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 / have ever seen. He was
short, almost a dwarf in size, with fingers
like talons and a nose that was almost a
perfect beak. He was surly and disagree
able, but being n good workman, and hav-
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.
Zone afternoon | had gone to his place
to have a rent in my coat lining sewed up.
! While he was at work on it, not wishing
/ TO be detained in the shop longer than
could help, / asked him how much it would
| be, and on his answering 25 cents took a
/ 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. 1t cost twenty-five cent
"I paid you once 1 retorted.
"'No, you did not he insisted, and then,
rather than have fuss with the man, L
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
ers from Bluebell, happened in while Bill
sing and / 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 Vowed never to 60 to the shop again;
you can imagine, then, how annoyed was
when discovered that had lost a locket
from my watch chain.
1T contained picture of my mother
which priced most highly had noticed
that the ring by which it was attached to
my chain was wearing perilously thin, and
locket off, and put it away safely till had
an opportunity of having it fastened on by
jeweler. But l had delayed TO do this,
and now the thing was gone.
Gould have lost it at Bilsing's shop,
asked myself. remembered that had
been leaning against the work table. the
edge of which would come just about
where the locket had been. / resolved 10
a L. l.
as disliked the idea of interviewing the
man again.
II turned and retrsced my steps, walk
ing slowly, with my eyes on the ground.
But / saw no sign of my locket on the way.
Just before reached Bilsing's place ]
looked at my watch 20 see how much time
had before supper, and saw that it was
twenty minutes to 6.
1.-The irsscible German was seated cross
legged on his table, busily at work, when
entered.
We'll, vat you want nowy he grunted
out when he saw me.
az think dropped locket on the floor
here l answered, and began 10 search
among the litter under the table. You
didn't see il, did your l added, when a
three minutes hunt proved barren Of re
suits
'Yur dink steal him, ehr he snarled,
dropping his work and beginning 10 glare
at me.
No; / didn't say sor 1 returned.
might have added that thought so, but
he scarcely gave me any time 70 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 OF and made ready to defend my
self, and in that instant the door opened
and man entered the shop. He was quite