The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-11
the other hand. to marvelously improve

the other hand, to marvelously improve
it.
All eyes were naturally turned on the
cardinal, who. it was known. set great
value on the exaggerated size of his
chronometer. However he hesltated 10
lend me his beloved watch till Plus VII.
said to him:
Cardinal, I fancy your watch will suit
exactly; oblige me by handing 1t to NJ
Torrini."
His eminence assented though not with
out numberless precautions.
us your watch a repeater" / said to
the cardinal.
mo, sir; It Is a chronometer. and
watches Of that degree of accuracy are
usually incumbered with unnecessary ma
| chinery.
Indeed a chronometer, then 1t must
be English" 1 said with apparent sim
! pllcity.
What, sir?' the cardinal replied, as II
! stung by my remark do you think
chronometers are made only in England?
| On the contrary, the best specimens have
always been made in France. What Eng
lish maker can be compared with Pierre
! Leroy, Ferdinand Berthoud or Bregue:,
| above all, who made that chronometcr
for me?'
"Weu, then, I will select this chro-
| nometer'' l said putting a stop to the
! conversation l had purposely started. Il
| have, then, gentlemen, TO prove to you
it's solidity and excellent qualities. Now,
! for the first trial"
! And let the watch fall to the floor A
| cry Of terror rose on all sides while The
| cardinal pale and trembling, bounded
from his seat, saying with ill-supppressed
/ wrath:
you are playing a very sorry jest,
sir"
but, monsgnor," said with the great
| est calmness, you have no occasion to be
| frightened. / merely wish TO prove to
| these gentlemen the perfection OF your
watch. 1 beg you not to be alarmed; It
will escape scathless from all the trials l
subject it to-"
with these words / stamped on the case,
! which broke, fattened and soon presented
a shapeless mass. At first | really fan
! cied the cardinal was going into fit, he
could scarcely restrain his passion; but the
pope then turned TO him:
Come, cardinal, have you no confidence
| in our sorcerer? For my part, laugh like
a child at it, being convinced there has
been some clever substitution
''Wil your holiness permit me to re-
mark" I said respectfully that there
has been no substitution? I appeal to his
eminence. who will recognize his own
watch"
! And offered the cardinal the shapeless
| relics of his watch. He examined them
anxiously, and, finding his arms engraved
inside the plate, said, with a deep sigh
Eyes, that is certainly my watch. But"
/ he added dryly: Il know not how you
! will escape. sir; at any rate, you should
have played this unjusthable trick on
/ some object that might be replaced, for
| nv chronometer is unique
The identity of the cardinals watch thus
| proved. I wished to pass into the pope's
| pocket the remaining one of the pari. But
could not dream Of this SO long as his
holiness remained seated.
A brass mortar with an enormous pestle
was now brought in. l placed 1t on the
Ia BILE. threw in the fragments of the chro-
nometer and began pounding furiously.
Suddenly a light defamation was head,
and vivid light came from the vessel,
which cast a ruddy hue over the spec
tators, and produced a magical appear
ance.
All this while, bending over the mortar.
I pretended to see something that filed
me with the liveliest establishment
Through respect for the pope, no one
ventured TO rise, but the pontin yielding
10 his curiosity. approached the table, fol
lowed by portion Of the audience. They
might look and look; nothing was 10 be
seen but flame.
1 begged the pope 10 come round the ta-
bic and choose more favorable spot