The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-28
TIE EVENING ST0R Y
His First watch.

Paul had not slept well the I1g4lt De
fore Taking the night before that,
and the night still before that as a
basis of comparison, he had slept very
i'll indeed.
Had Paul been twenty years older
he would have traced the d1fI1cuitJ 70
the mince pie he had had for olnler
and the mince pie which he had en-
joyed surreptitiously in the pantry al
ter dinner But is not an aua1ytlca1
age. Paul was, therefore, IN no Jan
ger Of arriving at false conclusions.
For, little as the noralists VIII take
it. the mince pie had nothing WhaleVef
to do with the matter.
The reason for Paul's reslessness the
night before was the same reason lot
his standing, with large and popping
eyes. before a brilliant case OF goio
and silver watches at the JeWelry snop
on the morning in question ana pre-
senting a dirty. but authoritative sap
of paper to the salesman.
Paul Duncan Brown was Wei khoWh
in his neighborhood. He was a leaoeI
among men. He had organized ana
perfected the Mysterious league 10
| belong to the Mysterious league one
must be of mature years; none unoef
| z was considered. One had also 70
learn the league whistle, a particularly
shrill whistle, exertly accompanied p, Dy
4 a tight wink Of the left eye and other
unholy manipulations of the 1aclaA
| muscles. Paul, as has been SAD al
| ready, had organized and perfected the
| league. and in its bosom he was known
as RIum.
Paul had further accomplishments.
| At mibs and other skilled pastlmes
none could touch him. At wrestling
who but Buck Hill had ever stood up
| against him And Buck, It must De
remembered, was a heavy weight, up
{ ping the scales at-but this is the Ian
| guage of the ring Few would unoef-
| stand it.
of course. goin' on 8 is an age Of
some responsibility, or PauPs grand
father would never have consented to
the watch. OF course, this moment OF
claiming the watch, complete with It's
mystic monogram, was a superb one or
! Paul would not have laid awake antici-
! pating it for at least twenty minutes
out of his twelve sleeping hours on
1 that memorable night before.
The league had been invited to come
along and had done so in body.
/ Somewhat at a loss in the gorgeous
place, its members huddled in an
abashed and distant circle, Buck FORM
ing the center the circumference
packed about him, as if there were
strength in unity of sheepishness.
The dirty but authoritative slip OF
paper was received by the salesman.
who eyed it and then eyed Paul and
then eyed the league and finally pro-
duced the watch. PauFs manly per-
son all but burst as he received it. An
ecstatic ''S-a-yt'' breathed from the
circle.
To this praise Paul was oblivious,
He was lost to all things but his watch
Gee whiz, The splendid gold of it!
Lawsy! It's exquisitely delicate facei
Jimmy Whit The music that licked
from its inside! And, oh, unspeakablel
The mazes of its monogram
you wouldn't know it" elucidated
= he stbut these are my initials. 'P' fol-
Paul and d for Duncan and b fOl
2 Brown
SAY"
But suddenly there came an outburst
) which took on a revolutionary mean
where demanded Buck, SIS M
? lfor Mun?"
It was a bad minute for Paul. Doubt
: settled heavily upon the league. Nc
other member had a gold watch, or g
silver one, for that matter It was
therefore, just as we'll to begin picking
flaws at once.
r Jus show it to u.s. persisted Buck
= Jus show it if you can. Shouldn'f
! Dicky was hattered at the appeal
= "Awl'' said he, whats the good of i
if there amt no M for Mun?''
Then Sticky Williams cast his 10
with the revoIutiOnists. "Aw," saiC
E Sticky, Il should say nOt!''
s And the rest of the league sale
. fAWi" also.
It was a bad minute for Paul. Sucl
reproaches are terrible to bear H
- gazed at the watch wildly. There mus
e somewhere or other be an M TO
V AIuff. He tried to remember. Hi
t grandfather had spoken of the ''P'
t and the I'D" and the "B, but not
Y word had his grandfather said of al
4 M for Muff.
V Paul wanted to cry, but he did no
cry. It must be a mistake. He wOulC
= have his grandfather point out tn
r M for Muff. He would show thi
4 Buck. He would-nO, he certainl.
a would not cry.
a Paul faced his organized and per
fected league. I'm going home,'' h
v said. I'm going to have it 'sp1ainet
and then I-Tu wrastle you for a liar
o Buck Hin.'-Chicago News.