The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-08-17

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that his watch was an openfaced gold
watch, which was not correct in time.
Not only was there something less
dignified about an open-face watch in
those days, a certain kind of undress,
as it were, but his watch was thick,
and the crystal bulged up high about
the metal, and it's bevelled edge
| showed in a way that was unpleasant
to me.
He wasn't much of a doctor, and he
didn't have much of a watch. Of
course, he could have been a poor
doctor and have had a good watch,
but such was not the fact. | make no
! argument on this, but merely state the
| fact.
| AS, l say, everybody who knew me
knew I had a good watch.
But that watch went And it never
came back
One rainy night I had to make a
call in Elizabeth Street and took
| Third Avenue car to ride five blocks
along the Bowery. The car was
crowded, and disliked to enter it, for
| it would require forcing to get in and
more effort to force my way out again
after five-block ride. So / stayed on
the rear platform. That also was
crowded The cars stops were sud
den and the starts violent, detest-
able and unnecessary condition that
| is prevalent all over New York City,
because of the recklessness and haste
| of the motormen and their abuse of
/ the power controller and the air
brakes. We lurched violently back
ward when the car would suddenly
start, and were hurled forward when
| the sudden stops were made. A heaV-
| lily built man was in front of me, and
| when he Iurched backward | felt his
| bulk, and inwardly believed that he
could have controlled himself better,
1 resented his lurching, because felt
he was depending on the safety given
by the crowded bodies.
I got off the car at the end of the
short ride, found the patients house,
climbed the stairs, sat down by the
bed, and, in due time, took the pa
TENTS wrist in my right hand and
reached with my left to extract my
watch from my waistcoat pocket.
But the watch was. not there.
| Neither was the chain nor the watch
charm. l suddenly recalled the heavy
man in front of me on the car plat
| form. Yes, he could have come
against me more lightly, had he de-
sired. Yes, no doubt of it. Now l
regretted l had not given him the
| shove that l felt he should have had.
1t would not have cost me any more
than the watch, anyhow-and might
have saved it.
Police Headquarters was but a
short distance away from the house
on Elizabeth Street, and thither I
went to report my loss.
| l told the detective sergeant who
was on duty.
Took the whole front, eh?" he said
in matter of fact way
| After moments reflection | said,
YES" Evidently that was the ver-
nacular for the watch, the chain and
the charm.
WAS the watch gold?" he asked.
| bristled. "Of course snapped.
thought of that valuable watch,
whose timekeeping was proverbial
among my friends, whose virtues were
so often extolled by others than my
self-for l never spoke about the
| worth of my watch. q often thought
| of the beauty and value of that watch,
but others spoke my thoughts.
merely confirmed public opinion.)
We'll, you'll never. get it," said the
detective with an air of tinality that
annoyed me.
why not?" was my natural query.
eff it's gold, they'll hammer out the
case number, and sell the case for old
gold, and watchcase with no mum.
Der, broken UP in bits, can't be
traced" That was his cheerful an.
nouncement
/ But what about the works?"
wanted to know.
"Oh, they'll keep them for few
weeks, then hook EN- in Newark
Paterson or Philadelphia, where we
|, WOH uSdI dpOuC IL VI SCI q AOpOAI,
said the dispenser of gloom.
But he added, there's the gal
lery. Look it over and see if you
recognize anybody who was on the
platform
| looked over several thousand faces
in the rogues' gallery, but recognized
none, not even the heavy man who
had lurched against me. | came away
from Headquarters, resolved never to
buy another gold watch. A set of good
works in a gold-flled case gives the
correct time, looks exactly like gold,
wears for many years and costs but a
trif1e, compared to gold. Such was
the advice given to me, and | took it,
and bought filed case.
l have now gotten accustomed to
the gold-filled case, and my views on
watches have changed somewhat, as
may be inferred.
Henry's watch?
/ Well, Henry was druggist who
lived near me. He was very sedate
man. Once each year he took day
off and went to Coney Island. Then,
for six months, he talked about it to
every confidant he had, or visitor to