Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-10-05
A TALKING WATCH.

Aaol Wv
junior partner, began to dance around the
shop, excitedly pointing to a parcel which
lay open on one of the glass covered show
cases.
"Mr. Flowing" said the senior partner
seriously, 'tif you have been buying any
more Of that stick and umbrella cigar case
Or night light matchbox or those horrid
beetle pencil cases, l shall be very angry.
When asked you to go to London, I meant
you to get sensible things, and
Its all right, sir; it's the photographic
watch" said the junior partner excitedly.
at will sell like blazes."
The partners undid tho D in
which some Is watches were incased.
ct is $3.50" said Mr.. Flowing. Sin
ten minutes we shall hear them speak. I
believe II contains the voice of Mr.. Glad
stone and one a text spoken by Archdeacon
Farrar at II O'Clock and a sentence from
the archbishop Of Canterbury's sermons"
AS the big clock over the shop began to
wheeze, preparatory to striking, a tiny lit
tie voice was heard to proceed from one of
the mild looking watches on the desk.
Nine. Your father has gone down to
breakfast, y it said.
"a sohoolboy's holiday watch, l sup
pose, " said Mr.. Spartan.
mime. Quite time to get up, " said ono
OF the watches brightly. Then the others
said, all talking at the same time:
mine. Open the letters and take them
up stairs.
"Nine. Mustn't forget pencils and o
scoring card-also niblick."
g Uolfon,r xyotoh - eoiJ NJ. Jly.uusa-
Five minutes to | Mr.. Bunsner came In.
He asked to see the new watch. Mr.. Buns
ner was a very rich manufacturer and
spent his money very freely. Spartan pro-
duoed the watches and turned them on,
while Flowing explained all he knew
about their mechanism in order to bridge
over the interval until / O'Clock should
strike.
A ome before the big clock struck
the watches began to talk; about ten
went off exactly at the same time, and what
they said could not be distinguished. All
Mr.. Bunsner heard was a recipe for cuts
a la Norfolk from one watch and the ex-
cellent advice, Zone o'clock; take your
hands out OF your pockets, from another.
whats that onef" said Mr.. B%unsner
eagerly. "How much is itS"
(Which, Mr.. Bunsner, please?"
THE ono that said, Take your hands
out Of your pockets 1t will do beauti-
fully for my boy"
"Oh, that's the sohoolboy's watch, sir;
it has q lot of useful precepts, 1t has also
solne football maxims, the chief rules of
good behavior and some hints upon keep,
ing pets. the whole to conclude with
some nice homely advice in a lady's voice
for every night at 10. After that, II con-
suited, 1t says, Don't talk and Go to
sleep, . said Mr.. Flowing, reading from
the descriptive catalogue.
What is the price of this one, them"
said Mr.. Bunsner.
''Ten pounds" said the o~ficious Plow-
ing, pushing his way past Spartan.
Mr.. Bunsner took the watch with him.
In spite of his curiosity about what the
watch would say next, be restrained him
self from listening to it until quarter to
6, when he took the watch out of his pocket
and held 1t in his hand as the carriage
neared home.
When the hands marked 6 the tiny
voice said "Si1-ohange your boots and
brush your hair" MIR. Bunsnsr was de.
lighted; he had often scolded BERTHE when
be came home at half past 8 for looking
go untidy, for not wearing his boots in the
house.
~ have bought you q watch for your
birthday, my boy, u he said to BERTHE when
the boy came in to say good night"
''put 1t in the watch pocket by your bed;
now mind you take good care Of It,"
"Yes, father, l will, " said the boy, bis
eyes Frightening at the present. "Thank
you very much. Good night, father"
Mrs. Bunsner and BERTHE laughed, and
the boy went off to bed handling his new
possession.
A servant came into the boys room a
few minutes before 8 the next morning.
She pulled up the blind and called to the
sleeper;
your bath is ready, Master BERTHE. You
must get up"
Berthe turned over and had a long dis
cussion with himself.
"Shall l get up? 1t will be awfully nice
to get up in a few minutes. It's very bad
for one not to have enough sleep. Another
quarter of an hour will do me a lot of
good"
eight. Time to get up now" said
somebody.
"Hello, I'm dreaming. That was a
ghost, I suppose" said Berthe.
'sHalf past 8. Get out"
"Nlne. You have been In bed too long.
Get up" said somebody.
"What ON earth is itf"
"Ihen don't talk in school,"
eleven. Hurry up to the other class
roomr'
Something had gone wrong with the
watch and nothing could stop it.
"Twelve. William the Conqueror,
1885,"
Zone. Dom eat too fast at dinner"
"Two. Don't run after eating"
BERTHE got up and looked all around the
room, under the bed and in the cupboard.
"Four. Get ready for tea"
"Five. Don't speak with your mouth
full"
"six. Change your boots and brush
your hair"
BERTHE screamed for help, and the serv-
ant came rushing in.
ooh, Mary, I'm madi And there are
ghosts saying nasty things all roundm me.
Listenp p
Eight. TO bed In an hour and a half
was all they heard.
Mary tainted and BERTHE hid his face In
his hands and sroveled on the floor. Sud
denly he jumped up, tore down the watch
pocket and held 1t to his ear.
"That's It'll" he cried. "It's this beast
Of a watch that papa gave me is mad, not
us. 1t Is talking like Balaam's ass. Here
goesl" And he dropped the watch pocket
and all into the Jug,
"Wo shan't hear 1t there, he said to
| himself as he threw the contents Of the
| water jug over the servant and called for
help. Mr.. Bunsner rushed In and scolded
his son for his ingratitude; then sent Mary
away and administered corporal punish
Ment.
As his father left the room BERTHE NUT