Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-03-20
A QUARTER PAST SIX,

A QUARTER PAST SIX,
| mo, can't get to sleep with one in the
| room. And yet a 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 he deposited it on one
of the shelves.
Nonsense, Frank!' 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 I
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, $50 on,
Frank"
at was shortly before joined the army,
and when l was out in Arizona prospect
ing with party from Denver We had
struck a good thing near the little town
with the most inappropriate name of Blue
NSAA'
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, and try to recall the place; the vein
proved 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 I speak, however,
Bluebell was a city of considerable preten-
sions-for its kind, 1t boasted hotel
with two rooms, shaving saloon with
regular BARRIERS chair, and small tailor
ing establishment, as the sign had it,
which we fellows of the Baby Mine found
great improvement on amateur darns
and button fastenings.
'"rhis tailor shop was kept by German,
named Eilsing, one Of the most repulsive
looking men | have ever seen. He was
short, almost a dwarf in size, with fingers
like talons and nose that was almost a
perfect beak. He was surly and disagree
able, but being Il good workman, and hay
ing a 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.
Gone 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 Is 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 NE;
Say, you go off nlitout leaving me some
dings. 1t cost twenty-five cent
I paid you once retorted.
No, you did not, he insisted, and then,
rather than have a fuss with the man, l
paid him over again, and took occasion at
the same time to tell him plainly that
knew he was cheating me.
"Jack Darling and Nate Gray, two min
ers from Bluebell, happened In while Bill
sing and I were in the thick of it, for the
impudent fellow answered back, and I 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 go to the shop agains
you can imagine, then, how annoyed WAS
when discovered that had lost a locket
from my watch chain.
"It contained a picture of my mother
which priced most highly. had noticed
J
my chain was wearing perilously thin, and
had determined to file it through, take the
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.
''Could I have lost it at BiIsing's shop?
asked myself. remembered that had
been leaning against the work table, thu
edge of which would come just about
where the locket had been. I resolved to
return at once and make a search, deeply
as [ disliked the idea of interviewing the
man again.
''Iturned and retraced my steps, walk
ing slowly, with my eyes on the ground
But saw no sign of my locket on the way.
just before l reached Bilsing's place I
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
entered.
"'Vell, vat you want nowT he grunted
out when he saw me.
I think dropped locket on the floor
here l answered, and began to search
among the litter under the table. You
didn't see it, did you?' | added, when a
three minutes hunt proved barren of re-
suits.
&. 'Yur dink steal him, eh?' he snarled,
dropping his work and beginning to glare
at me.
"'No; I didn't say SOL I returned.
might have added that thought So but |
he scarcely gave me any time to do any
for all at once he burst out with |
a torrent of brutal inyectiye
He sprang down from the table, and |
thought he was going to strike me. | |
off and made ready to defend my
SELF and in that instant the door opened |
and man entered the shop. He was quits |
q 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
to take myself Off, satisfied |
that | could get nothing out Of the man in
his present mood.
Perhaps did not lose the locket there,
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 locl1et.
I said nothing TO the fellows about my
experience, Bu6 quietly ilioalG
up my mind to make another visit to the
establishment later on in the hope
that might ind Its owner in q more rea-
sonable frame of mind,
1.-The next morning we had heard that |
Biising was dead, and before noon l was
on the charge of numbering him.
He had been found in heap on the floor
Of his shop by John Draper, who had stop
ned in To order a Dair of trolSerS made at
twenty minutes paste. He had bruise on
the side of his head, and my locket was
found on the floor by his side.
''An investigation was made by COM
,nittee of citizeas-there was no law to
eraa1 of in Rluehall DARLING. .1taai l-S,-,Lz