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

TRANSPORTATION.
Teopyright. 1891. by the Author.l
So strange combination is that mys-
tery which we term human nature that
q touch Of adverse circumstance may
transform quiet, peaceable, law abid-
ing citizen into a malefactor whose
heart is filed with desire for venge-
ance. stopping at nothing to accomplish
{ 1t.
IL . little narrow street of the broad
Rue de Rennes, near the greas terminus
of Mont Parnasse, stood the clockmak-
Sfng shop of the brothers Delore. The
window. was filed with cheap clocks,
and depending from q steel spring at
tached 70 the top Of the door was . bell
which rang when any one entered, for
the brothers were working clockmakers,
continually busy IN the room at the
back 90 the shop, and trade IN the
aighborhood was not brisk enough to
allow them to keep an assistant. The
broahers had worked amicably in this
small room for 90 years and were re-
pmted BY the denizens Of that quarter
Paris TO be enormously rich. They
were certainly contented enough and
! had plenty Of money for their frugal
wants, as well as for their occasional
exceedingly mild dissipations at the
naighborin cafe. They had always
little money for the church and hstle
money for charity, and no one had ever
heard either of them speak harsh
word to any living SOUL and leastAof all
st, each other.
One evening, just as they were about.
close the shop and adjourn together
She cafe, the Bell rang, and Adolph
4 8 went forward to learn what was want
ed He found waiting for him an un-
ksnpt individual Of appearance SO dis
reputable that he at once made up his
nsiirfl that here at last was the thief for
Iaom they had waited 50 long in vain.
The man wild. roving eye, that seemed
to search out every corner and Granny
SIN SIN the place and rest nowhere for longer
stlian second at a. Gne, added to De-.
lore suspicious. The unsayory visitor
was evidently spying out the land, and
AdoIph felt certain he would dono busl-
mass with him at that particular hour,
6 ssy sssyWhafeYef might happen later.
,s The customer took from under his
coat, after q furiye glance at the door
&c The. hack room, q small paper covered
parcel and, untying the string some
what hu1Tiedly, displayed crude piece
zof;cfockwork, made Of brass. Handing
to Adolph ne said, How much
Toulf 1t cost to makea dozen like thats'
What is it used fforg
The man hestated for a moment. sIIf
[ is q pars of q clock, 2 he said at last.
don t understand it. never saw
/ q clock made like this. . -.
ssIt IS an alarm attachment, = replied
Che visitor, with soma impatience ls
is not Necessary that You should under
stand it. All Z ask is can you duplicate
it and at what price,
But why not make the alarm ma.
chiinery part of the clock II would be
much cheaper than to make this and
then attach II to clock.
The man made q gesture OF annoy
anee.
Ill you answer my question:" he.
said grnfHy
ssI don believe you want this as part
of clock in fact, think can guess
why youcame IL here, replied Adolph,
as innocent as child Of any correc5
suspicion Of what the man was, think
ing him merely a thief and hoping to
frighten him by this hint Of his own
shreWdness
His visitor looked loweringly at him,
and then, with quick eye, seemed to
measure the distance from where he
stood to the pavement, evidently medi-
tating flight.
81 viii sea.what my brother says
! about this, = said Adolph. But before
Adelph could call his brother the man
bolted and was gone in an instant, leay-.
ing the mechanism In the hands of the
bewildered c1ockmaker.
Alphonse, when he heard the story OF
their belated customer, was even more
convinced than his brother Of the dan
ger of the situation The man was un-
doubtedly thief and the bit Of clock
work merely an excuse for getting in
side the fortress. The brothers, with
much perturbation, locked mp the estab-
lishment, ard instead of going to their
usual cafe they betook themselves as
speedily as possible to the Office of the
police. where they told their suspicious
and gare description CT the supposed
cuipTit. The officer seemed much inn
pressed by their story.
Before morning tie man, who gave
his name as Jacques Picard, was arrest
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