Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-01-21
THE STOLEN WATCH.

The season two summers ago at my fa-
vorite mountain resort was drawing to
close One by one the cottages, becoming
vacant, were locked and barred. Fewer at
tendants became necessary, and gradually
the negro walters were dismissed. A sys-
tenn of petty thieving was being carried on
among them, now that detection was diff
cult. It was easy in the general confusion
TO snatch a wrap or umbrella from the hall
adjoining the restaurants or piece Of jew
slry from a dressing table and go off with
It in the next train.
The hotel in which my room was situated
was one of the last to be closed, but 1t was
becoming rapidly depopulated. There was
q corresponding falling off in everything.
The long halls were no longer ablaze with
chandeliers. Here and there at long inter
walls tiny gas jet glimmered like star
amid the general gloom, revealing rather
than dispelling the darkness. Ones foot
steps echoed in passing down the corridors
The half open doors of deserted chambers
were suggestive of possible underlined dan
gers
A chambermaid in attendance upon a
small section of the second floor was now
put In charge of the whole of it. She was
mulatto. There was no hint Of kinks in
her head. Her eyes were amber tinted al
mond shaped and dreamy, and her fear
lures, though heavy, were more shapely
than those of the ordinary negro. Her
figure was redundant and fiawless, and her
hands, which were usually crossed hstless-
ly before her, from the exquisitely rounded
wrists to the tapering finger ends were
models of beauty
had kept my room carefully locked
during the season, thus making the maid
IN attendance, who alone possessed dupli-
cate key, responsible for it's contents; but
Julia's inaugural act was to insert the
wrong key in the lock and break it off
short in her efforts to remove ii. A bolt
enabled me to fasten myself into the room,
but during my absence its contents were
unprotected, a most uncomfortable and
hazardous state of affairs at this juncture.
Having no timepiece Of my own, a mass
i've gold watch in lieu Of a clock had been
loaned TO me by friend. 1t was family
piece, too ponderous for lady's wear, and
when out Of my room kept it in my trunk
under lock and key. 1t was an excellent
timekeeper and valuable from association,
and had felt some misgivings in trusting
myself with it.
That ! might know the time when
swoke, usually placed the watch beneath
my pillow at night, but have no recollec-
ton Of having consulted it in the morning
Of which 1 write. A sound in the hall must
have warned me that had oversight my
self, for / remember dressing hurriedly and
finding when / entered the dining room,
situated quarter Of a mile from the hotel
where / lodged, that many Of the guests
had already breakfasted. A walking party
was starting upon mountain ramble when
al nd
Joined It. The landscape, bathed in the
hay autumnal sunshine, the rainbow tint,
ed forest, the invigorating air allured us
and we wandered farther than we knew.
Dinner was being served when we re
turned, footsore and weary, and when II
was dispatched, had ] consulted my in
clinations, 1 should have gone at once u
my room for a rest. A friend, however
had arranged an old fashioned candy pull
over q blazing log fire in one of the deserted
cottages for the afternoons amusement.
note Of invitation to this entertainment
which l could not well decline, lay unde
my plate One thing followed another dur
ing the afternoon and evening, and it wa
bedtime when I returned TO my chambe
exhausted with the days efforts.
It was not until the next morning wheI
Twas dressing for breakfast that though
for it had been thirty-seven hours since
had wound it up, and went at once to m,
trunk to set 1t In motion. did not hn'
the watch where l usually kept it, how
ever, and thinking that it might hav
slipped from its accustomed place mad
hurried investigation of the rest Of tn
tray. Failing to discover the object Of m
search, l next proceeded to make NOR
careful examination, going through eac
compartment separately, but the watcl
was not to be found The bureau drawer
were then overhauled with the same result
the bedclothes were removed from the bed
the mattress turned over, the pillow
shaken, but no watch appeared 1t wa
gone.
The blood which had begun to cree
slowly upward as the bare possibility {
such loss suggested itself now rushed in
crimson tide to my cheeks. finished m
toilet with trembling fingers and went 9
once to the Office. The proprietor, a hal
hearty looking individual Of sixty or NOR
with the whole souled manner and genii
smile which those dependant upon publ
patronage often acquire, came toward m
with outstretched hand His manner wa
capable Of sudden alterations, howeve
and his face clouded instantly when state
my errand
"pm sorry, very sorry" he said, with
dismissive wave Of his hands, but | ca
do nothing for you. The negroes, 20
know, are on an exact footing with Il
whites couldn't search the baggage
any Of them to whom suspicion did nj
directly point. We make ourselves r
sponsible for any valuables deposited here
laying his hand upon the heavy iron sa.
near which he stood but further tina
that we cannot 60"
/ had chung more TO this last hope than
was aware Of The blood tDrsook my cheel
at this sudden blasting of it, and l turns
and entered the breakfast room. Only OF
of the party having seats at my table WI
present-a gentleman occupying the er
farthest removed from mine. Mr. Mas
was grave, taciturn man, one In whom
should scarcely have confded ordinaril