The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-01-12

the streets hungry. L Know, IOr nave
triedlboth. What is yclr trade?''
.sl am matchmaker aad first class
wclman, but I have pawned all my
tools. have tramped from Lyons, but
there is nothing doing in my trade. %
Picard looked at him suspiciously for
few minutes
"Why did you acccst me::" he asked
at last.
tI saw you wcro a fellow country
man. Frenchmen have helped me from:
time to time. -
..let us sit down on this bench.
What is your name, and how long have
you Dcen ia England:''
ssMy name is Adolph Carrier, and I
have been in London three months.
$50 long as that? How have you
lived all that timer
every poorly, as you may see. 1
sometimes get scraps from the French
restaurants, and sleep where cam
"Well, think I can do better than
that for you. Come with me-
Picard took Delore to his house, let
ting himself in with a latchkey. No
body seemed tc occupy the place but
himself and Lamoine. He led the way
to the top story and opened door that
communicated with a room entirely
bare Of furniture. Leaving Adolph
there, Picard went down stairs again
and came up shortly after with light
ed candle in his hand, followed by La
moine, who carried a mattress.
s'9,his will do for you for tonight, y
said Picard, "and tomorrow we will see
if we can get you any work. Can you
mako clocks?''
"oh. yes, and good ones!''
every well. Give me list Of the
tools and materials you need, and I will
get them for you
Picard wrote in notebook the items
Adolph recited to him, Lamoine watch
ing their new employee closely, but say
ing 1;othing. Next day table and a
chair were put into the room, and in
the afternoon Picard brought in the tools
and some sheets of brass.
Picard and Lamoine were somewhat
suspicious of their recruit at first, but
he went ca industriously with his task
and made no attempt to communicate
with anybody. They soon saw that he
was an expert workman and quiet, in
nocent, half daft, harmless creature, so
he was given other things to do, such as
cleaning up their rooms and going er-
rands for beer and othel. necessities Of
life.
When Ado1ph finished his first ma
chine, he took it down to them and e:s-
hibited it with pardonable pride. There
was d dial on it exactly like clock, al
though it had but one hand.
1sI4et us sec it work, said Picard.
ssSet it so that the bell will ring in
three minutes.
Adolph did as requested and stood
back when the machine began to work
with scarcely audible tick tick. Pi-
card pulled out his watch, and exactly
at the third minute the hammer fell on
the bell. 1'That is very satisfactory, +"
said Picard 'sNow can you make the
next one slightly concave, so that a
man may strap it under his coat with
out attracting attention? Such shape
is useful when passing the customs. .
ssI can make it any shape you like,
and thinner than this one if you wish
it. -
every well. Go oat and get rs G,
quart of beer, and we will drink to
your success Here is the money
Adolph obeyed with his usual docili-
ty, staying out, however, somewhat
longer than usual. Picard, impatient at
the delay, spoke roughly to him when
he returned and ordered him to go up
stairs to his work. Adolph departed
meelly, leaving them to their beer.
"See that you understand that ma
chine, Lamoine, - said Picard. 'sSet il
half an hour.
Lamoine, turning the hand to the fig
ure VI on the dial, set the works in mo-
tion, and to the accompaniment Of its
quie5 tick tick they drank their beer.
'l1e seems to understand his bust
ness, said Lamoine.
"Yes, - answered Picard. "What
heady stuff this English beer is! wish
we had some good French book. This
makes me drowsy.' .
Lamoine did not answer. He was
nodding in his chair. Picard threw
himself down on his mattress in ono
corner Of the room. Larnoine, when be
fell from his chair, muttered an OATH
and lay where he fell.
An hour later the door stealthily
opened, and Adolph's head cautiously
reconnoitered the situation, coming in
to the silent apartment inch by inch,
his crafty eyes rapidly searching the
room and filing with malicious glea
when lie saw that everything was as he
had planned. He entered quietly and
closed the door softly behind him. He
had great coil of strong cord in his
hand. Approaching the sleeping men
on tiptoe, be looked down on them for
moment, wondering whether the drug