The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1902-12-20

it as the apple of my eye; always to
be as exact and reliable, as true to
duty, as honest, as industrious, as it
was itself.
'Tom,' said he, You know how
much We Thompsons think of this
watch. 1t belonged to your great
grandfather. He bought it in Liver
pool before the revolution, and it has
been In the family-and running, too
most Of the time, ever since. Take it,
my boy, and remember to live up to
its principles
II was much affected, naturally, for
I knew Uncle Jackson regarded that
watch as his :chiefest treasure. made
all sorts of protestations of good be-
havior and careful solicitude for the
ancient horologue. Uncle Jackson
went back to his Michigan farm
and I went to work among the bears
and bulls here in Chicago, on the old
board.
THE watch, as you remembered,
Carroll, was an enormous bulls eye,'
and weighed half a pound, easy. But
wore it, and laid aside my own more
modern t1mepiece. The boys used to
laugh at it good deal, and got in
the habit Of asking me what time it
was, just to see me lug it out, and
Ito pretend that I had been selected to
decide disputes as to the exact hour
and second, and all that sort of nui-
sance, you know. But I didn't much
care. Uncle Jackson could have any
old thing he wanted from me then.
He was getting old-and he had a
'bushel of deeds to good Michigan
land.
Zone Saturday afternoon, hurrying
|on ito the boat, going over to visit
Uncle Jackson, I took out my match
to see if I had time to run back upon
some trifling errand I had forgotten.
The ancient chain parted link, the
watch rolled from my hand, fell upon
the gangplank, Quivered there an in
sstant, and then plunged with a mali
cious plunk and gurgle into the Chi
,cago river.
II came near to diving after it, as
1t went down, SO great was my con-
sternation, but finally was content to-
hire two river roustabouts to try to
recover it, with the promise of a big
reward. Then the boat cast off her
lines, and I started for the lions
mouth, wondering what kind of a lie
would go down with Uncle Jackson.
He always wanted to see the old
watch, about the first thing, when I
went over to visit him on Sunday.
AFTER deep thought I concluded to
say it was in jewelers. hands for
repairs, trusting that my amateur
divers would recover it fol me by
the time I returned. Perhaps fal.
tered little in detail when I told him
this tale. He was very inquisitfve
about it, and it seemed to me unduly
suspicious. Nevertheless, he affected
to believe me, and at last I breathed
freely; then he confounded me again
by announcing desire to return with
me on Monday morning to Chicago.
"As the boat landed my divers met
me. gleefully at the wharf, watch in
hand, claiming their reward. They
had recovered the old turnip at the
first effort, I learned afterwards, but
they prated much of their desperate
search in the dirty river, and insisted
upon receiving the promised $50. I
was caught red-handed, so to speak.
Uncle jackson took in the situation
at single look. He was very grave.
~ could have excused your, heed
lessness, Tom,' he said, but hate to
have you lie to me-, Don't do it again,
my son. Remember the old watch.
It never told q lie in all it's life /: a. ).
! He went home that very. afternoon,
wearing severe .countenance. / was
full of. gloom. All my worldly pros.
poets hung upon Unclo Jackson's good
will. That night, out of the pure per:
versity which makes a man do the
wrong thing when ho should Be pur-
suing only the right one. j began q
Wild spree, the first and last one of
my life. It lasted q whole week.