Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-04-05
Il want to redeem the watch LETT

here on Saturday." he announced.
where is your ticket, sir?" said the
man.
Il have mislaid it, replied Hamlyn;
"bu: IT'S all right. You remember he,
1 expect. The watch belongs to me,
and l want it now
Il am very sorry, sir, but you can't
have it without the ticket"
Hamlyn muttered an exclamation
of Impotence.
But suppose I have lost it, what
then?"
Il VIII give you form of declara-
tion to be made before a magistrate"
rs there no other way?" said Ham
lyn, realizing the trouble and annoy
ance this would cause.
No, sir" said the pawnbroker, 4 am
afraid there is not"
There is no time to waste. He had to
be in court early. as his case was among
the first on the lists. 1t was no use
stopping to argue the matter. He
must go before magistrate and sign
the declaration as soon as possible. Re-
turning TO his chambers, he put on his
robes and was soon lost in contempla-
ton of the business in hand.
About an hour after his visit TO the
pawnbroker's shop Alice Valentine
drove up in cab to the same door.
She had found the pawn ticket lying
/ On Hamlyn's table on the Saturday
| afternoon and had appropriated it,
| meaning 10 redeem the watch and send
| it back 10 him as soon as possible. She
was rather nervous at going into the
| shop, but she was not the kind of a
| girl to allow her own feelings to stand
| in the way of any project she wished
| to carry through; so, putting on an
air of unusual haughtiness, she en-
| tered the little compartment and hand
ed in the ticket.
Il want the watch, please she said.
The pawnbroker's assistant looked
| her up and down carefully. When he
had, as it were, sized her completely,
he inquired, dryly: where did you
get this?''
Alice fared up Indignantly. ''That
| is no business of yours. Tell me what
1 have to pay and give me the watch. -
Not so fast" said the young man;
| you must answer one or two questions
| first
He went away, and after whispered
| confabulation returned with a gray
| bearded old man, who was polite, but
firm.
Il am sorry. madam, but I cannot al
| low you to redeem this pledge until
you inform me how this ticket came
| into your possession
Il found it." said Alice.
ALLOW me to inform you. then" saia
the pawnbrober, sternly, that you
are committing a very grave offense.
| BY attempting to obtain the watch
You lay yourself open to criminal pro-
| ceeGings.'
But" said Alice. Il am friend of
the gentleman TO whom the watch
belongs"
Come. come" replied the man. that
won't do at all. y ger yleman who
called himself Mr.. Hamlyn was here
about an hour ago endeavoring to get
| the watch HIMSELF
Mr.. Hamlyn been here this morn
nE." cried Alice. She had never sus-
pected that he would be able to redeem
| his watch so soon.
| Better send for n policeman" sug-
| Gssted the assistant.
Hold your tongue" said his master.
| Then. turning to Alice Valentine. he
| said: - do not wish to be hard upon
YOU. but l insist on an explanation.
| Will send over to the address on the
| ticket, and if your story is true, Mr..
| Hamiyn viii corroborate it. Harvey.
| send the boy over to Queens Bench
| walk and ask Mr.. HamIyn to come here
Immediately"
Mr.. Hamlyn coming here" cried
Alice. unguardedly. "Oh. l must go
at once"
Il cannot allow it." said the pawn
! broker. You must wait. If you re-
fuse | have no option but to call po-
| liCeman.'
| If looks could kill the pawnbToker
would have died on the spot, as Alice,
with the air of tragic queen. submit
ted to the indignity of being escorted
to the back parlor. while Harvey kept
watch and ward over her.
Y quarter of an hour later Everard
| Hamlyn jumped out of hanson and
| hurried into the shop. He was an i'm
| petuOus person. and he had not waited
| to change his robes, but had come
! straight away in wig and gown from
| the law courts. He was met in the
passage way by Harvey, who had been
| awaiting his arrival with keen inter
| est.
| There's a woman in here" he said
/ pointing TO the Parlor, who says shes
] u fr-ipnI Of I,c
pawn ticket, but l.
| Out of the way" cried Hamlyn
| thrusting the ofiicious young man on
one side and rushing into the room.
alice, by ali that's wonderful" he
exclaimed, and then. seeing that her
| bosom was helving convulsively. he put
his arm around her and inquired ten
| DERBY what had happened.
| They have been so rude and insult
| ing" she sobbed.
Hamlyn waited no further explana.
ton. but. selling Harvey by the throat.
| he shook him until the unfortunate
| youth had not breath in his body.
| Then. turning on the older man. he
cried sternly: What do you mean by
! insulting this lady?''
The pawnbroker. discovering his
mistake. was all apologies, but Ham
lyn's temper was still up.
Nothing could justify rudeness to
Il lady, he said, and he insisted on an
| abject apology from the crestfallen as
sistant.
Then he took Alice back to his rooms
in the Temple. When they were alone