The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-03-14
LITTLE STORIES OF LIFE
CONTENTS OF HER WATCH-BY CARROLL W. RANKIN.
COPYRIGHT BY SHORT STORY PUB. CO.

beach together. It was barely possible
that the tiny watch had slipped from
its chatelaine hen, although the owner
had MOI missed it until she had gone
to her room to change her gown for
dinner. He could easily find the place,
for he remembered just how she had
looked as she had leaned against a
certain rough barked tree while she
examined the little shell. He remem-
bered wishing that he were the tree.
The others, including Miss Penning-
ton, had, apparently, not thought OF
that portion Of the beach. The place
was some distance up the shore, but
that did not matter. Bancroft would
willingly have walked 10 times as far.
If, by so doing, he could win a smile
from Miss Pennington.
A smile. indeed, was about all he
could reasonably aspire to. The cap
ricious beauty was not only bewilder-
ingly fair, but h was her fathers
only daughter, and would, presumably,
inherit half his fortune. The fac was
significant when one remembered tina
her father was considered the wealth
lest man in the state.
Wilmington, at that moment grovel-
ing in the sand for the lost treasure
could have gone-had he been so
minded-to the orient to purchase a
ship load of enameled watches, without
disturbing his capital. Wardlow, dam
aging The knees of his trousers and
| scraping his knuckles among the gravel
was a rising young lawyer, with d re-
markable practice for a man of his
years. Miner, wallowing in the mud
and cropping ~Zealously amonS evil
smelling water weeds, would fall heir
to a fortune when a certain aged and
apopletic uncle should depart his life.
Bancroft felt that his own case was
hopeless against such formidable riv-
ais. His income was 1880 a year.
1t occurred to none of these indus
trious lovers that Miss Pennington
might AVE reasons for wishing that
her watch might never be found.
Bancroft made for the tree. When
he reached it, he went down suddenly
on all fours, seized a small blue object
that lay half buried in the sand, and
pressed it to his lips. After all, it had
been ridiculously easy. There. in the
very spot where she had paused to pick
up the shell, was the dainty little
watch, with it's enameled Ease and
slender silver ring. A cheap thing,
truly, yet how dear, thought the man,
since it was hers. He hoped. since she
priced it so highly. that the works were
not injured. He would examine it, he
would look inside.
He did look. Pasted snugly within
the inner case there was a small pic
ture. With a sudden. joyous start
Bancroft recognized his own features
In a little kodak photograph that a
member of the merry party had taken
the previous week.
This sale Bancroft, staring at his
pictured countenance with hopeful eyes
may mean much, or it may NEAR
nothing at all; but l intend to find out
tonight just what 1t does e Mean
while bancroft was no fool) / shall
postpone the discovery of this priceless
timepiece to some future date. The
lear girl must never suspect that I've
seen that blessed picture"
With this, Bancroft dug a little hole
in the sand near the tree, buried the
watch neatly, and then, with hope
bounding high in his heart. walked
swiftly homeward.