The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1909-03-13
MY
FILIPINO
WATCH
BY CARROLL CARRINCTON

1
miles between his meals as he have
the stomach for travelling; but mine,
as secrets go, was not so very big at
the beginning, and when did stop by
the wayside for longer than a nights
lodging it was by compulsion OF ILL
ness. which nobody in the world could
recommend as companion to a man in
the circumstances | have described.
During a very black week | lay in a
room at the Santa Catalina hotel,
where | had been overtaken by mala-
ria while making a restless tour of the
pleasure resorts OF Southern Califor-
MIA. At the weeks end | pulled my
self together, paid my bill and was on
my way to the depot when fell a.
victim TO a coincidence.
It was during the first stages Of the
excitement attending that great IN
of tuna in Southern California waters
two years ago, and young Walter Har-
yey of the Los Angeles branch of the
photographic service was taking his
first vacation in three years to put in
a week of fishing for the big jew fish
at Santa Catalina. That is how 1t
came about that l met him coming
from, while | was going toward, the
depot. He seized my hand with the
greatest appearance of delight.
Talk about luck, rly boy" he
cried. why, it's nothing short of
%providential Where you going?-not
away from here just as | arrive!-l
should say not! Remember you prom.
Used to come fishing with me when /
saw you in Frisco a month ago-just
in from Manila the day before, weren't
you? Haven't heard a word from you
since-not a word Where've you
been?-and how's the Filipino watch?
Was there really anything In that
story you were giving me up there?'
For heavens sake, don't shout" !
retorted. He had turned me about and
was walking me back to the hotel,
you can see that | still have the
thing-and | may add that | I'M get
ting sufficiently tired of it,"
Whereupon | took the secret out Of
my pocket and showed 1t to him.
1t was nothing but a large silver
watch, with Oriental designs on the
back and some words in the native
language of Luzon engraved In Roman
lettering on the inside of the cover
Under these words was the name o
Emilio A%guinaldo."
l had picked it up on the outskirts
of Manila the morning after our frs
4 battle with the Filipinos. The follow
ing night my room at the hotel haC
been broken into and ransacked while
: | was on a visit to friends elsewhere
2 in the city; two days later had beer
: held up by four unknown assailanti
and robbed OF. everything | had on me
which happened not to include thu
mysterious watch, as | had thoughtful
ly hidden It; and a week later. afte
a narrow escape from being kid
mapped, had concluded Manila was n
y longer a place for a pleasure-seeke
and embarked as speedily as | coul,
for home, taking the watch with me
l Nor had my fight altogether endeu
with the close of the voyage; for eve.
after arriving on American soil wa
still oppressed, in a degree %grotesqu'
? ly out OF proportion TO the insight
canoe of the incident, by a constan
impulse to run away with my absur
prize, as though It had been the Ike
: to some famous international eonspi'
y acy.
/ told Harvey at dinner that evenin
that I had business in the city whic
would certainly take me north the 70
lowing day.
after we've caught a 300-poun
e. luna, you may co. he replied.
\ The next morning was inhospitabl
cold and dark when we stumbled int
!, our clothes after a wakeful Night an
: stole forth from the hotel, meetin
our Italian boatman on the verandi
= He had come to wake US up.
: / think we must have been fshln
full a half-hour when my companio
of gave a yawn and said It wasn't tin
ee for fishing yet and he couldn't for tn
n life Of HIM see why Andrea had Gale
US so "beastly early"
Il not.a Gala you at ALL said II
Italian. struggling his shoulder
"What-a time you teenk catch-a
feesh?"
ne mot for an hour yet Harvey T
piled, winding his line around a pc
in the bow Of the boat and pulling O.
his pipe. I'll have to smoke to ke'
Is awake. My %neighbor in the text roo
10: woke me up at all hours by openir
and closing his windows, stampiI
round his room and otherwise creatiI
an ail.night disturbance. He's a que
& piece. that chap. Calls himself Sen
Analdos."
20 Spanish" 1 observed quietly.
! Mexican grandee. I'm told" pun
Harvey through his pipe. Dead sw'
and very exclusive. Been here a wee
they say and knows nobody. Dress
with all the noisiness Of royalty, b
{ has one Of those exquisite polishes y
generally see on a~ristocrats from 4
g Latin countries. AS a matter Of fal
though.n concluded my friend lazil
Athe beggar strikes ms as having
y sort Of gypsy air. Looks like ! lmagi