Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-01-30

AFTER all, / reflected, and spent twice the
usual amount of time it took me to reach
our camp by making thorough inspection
OF the path. But did not find the locket
SAID nothing to the fellows about NV
afternoons experience, but quietly made
up my mind to make another visit to tn.
tailoring establishment later on in the hone
that | might find its owner in a r,ore rea-
sonabie frame of mind.
The next morning we had heard that
bllsing was dead, and before noon I was
arrested on the charge of numbering him
he had been found in heap on the floor
OF ms shop by John Draper, who had stop-
pea In to order pair of trousers made at
twenty minutes past G. He had a bruise on
ehe SIDE OF his head, and my locket was
found on the door by his side.
AN investigation was made by com
nlietee OF cltlZens-there was no law to
speak of in Bluebcll Darling and Grav
were very reluctantly obliged to testify
That they had seen me quarreling with the
herman that very afternoon, and, to crown
all, they had unearthed that fellow who had
rushed i'll with pair of trousers to he re-
paired, who turned out to be one Herman
Oigreich, and who swore that he had seen
me standing up before Bilsing in a threat
But had left the shop good half
hour before that insisted. when I heard
TINS. 1 remember that fellow coming in
| ana am sure that it couldn't have been
more than ten minutes to at the very
| latest
But even As spoke remembered with
shudder that would find it difficult to
prove my assertion, for on account of NV
search by the way for the locEet had
taken, AS | have said, twice the usual
length OF time to get back to our camp, so
that ire testimony Of my mates there as to
the time Of NY arrival would avail me
nothing. Jack Dingman, my chum, did
| al Lhat mortal man could do, and the rest
OF the fellows in our claim secured Blue
| Dell III search of witnesses who might be
able To prove that | was not in Bilsinp,s
shop at 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 be had stepped in al the tailor's estab-
llshment about O'Clock to get = light for
his pipe, and found Bilsing alone, and an
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
Bllslng, we could get you clear in a jiffy.'
Jack assured me.
But that was the worst of it, couldn't
prove it, and of course, under the circum
stances, Olgreich's word would be believed
Deiore mine. The case against me looked
blacker and blacker Money was found To
De missing from Biising's place, and so to
the mind of nearly all in town it was evi
dent that had chOked the German to
death in an ungovernable fit of passion.
and (liSIninp1 IN Of 81, l. \
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 well 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. AL 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 OF the other side
Suddenly Jack DingInaIi 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 q
look in his eyes that set my heart to thrub-
bling quickly.
"'Wiil you please call Herman Olgreich
tS<,Ntr go H.. La L
man who was acting the part of judge
amid a good deal of wondernent 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, l believe
4" looked at the clock, was the reply
"'What is Jack driving at?' 1 asked my.
self. Surely this has all been gone ovs~
before
"'Where were you standing when you
looked at the clocky went on Dingman.
{" In the doorway. 1t was just as / was
going in replied Olgreich.
Jack brought his hands together with
smack. That settles it, 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 I'M
suspecting witness promptly There is
looking glass behind Bilsing's table, and
saw the clock reflected there
Which turned the hands round and
made it seem TO you quarter past 6, when
1t was really quarter before 81 and Jack
rushed toward rne with hand outs.retched.
ut was as if a bombshell had been burst
- that improvised court room. There was
a complete revulsion of public sentiment
in my favor, and it scarcely needed the
testimony of the trampish individual who
wanted light for his pipe to clear me.
Suspicion now being turned back upon
itself, so TO speak, n 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
am little sensitive to the ticking of q
clock, even though, as 1 said, one did save
nv life?"
sit wasn't the clock, Frank, but the
mirror, which did that,o and Young shiv-
cred slightly as he sat up on the lounge