The Story-Teller.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume X, Issue 914, 30 May 1891, Page 4

The Story-Teller.

THE STOPPED WATCH. * A diamoad atotenp*6rth i£sOTFbief shouted, darting tovrWda the shop "door. The watchmaker followed, and the ap prentiqeliogersd to guard the shop. As the tmA idar^d out , of , tUe shop they oanght sight of Bailie moving off down the street at a smart pace, bat not act ually rupnihg. [ JuSt then r ,hpvT»T«i 1^ Jfc/ chancedWlbok" brick ami qniekened his pace till he reached a common stair m Catherine Streetj mtq w^hich )lie turned, and for a few moments was Wt of sight. The distance between the porsaera and the pursued, however, was so ehprfr tha| when they reached the entry they could hear his footsteps no higher than the first stair. "With a great outcry and a good many voluntary helpers behind theiik^^xlftltx^rjedl ;Qp) the .itai^ j«t[ a break-neck pace, and at length made up to the fugitive, staddift^^fa door, as if waiting for an answer to his rng at tke bell,' and coolly knocking the >«h from his cigar.: He looked op Upgnidly and with snob, well-affected surprise that for a jnomenfc . . they . hesitated to lay Violent hands upon him, . . ; . * Well, a |f.|b (^B anything Yrfqng?\ he Calmly inquired, , ; 'Yes, one 6f 'the' diamonds missing that I showed you,' cried M'Letchie, m tqneg whose significance could not be miitaken '■'- Li - ! ; : ""' K ■' 1 5^ell,.look: for Jlt, f " coo)ly returned Bails. , r'.l ; have nothing to do with that/....! «.■/-....,.■> >■ ;, •• • ■. '■;■;■:.■ •■ " ; *Ibave looked for it, and it must bare been stolen,' answered' M'Letchie. ' Stolen ! StoUn I. echeed, -,-. -Bailie, ftriking a dramatic attitndei; * and< rdo ; you fbr'a moment believe that ' I am a thirf^v"' ■'■"■•:'.;■ ; '■'"> ■; ;rjJ --' :! '\<- i " !;ii ; Tbe acting 1 was so perfect that f dr. the moment both men were staggered, 1 and faintly Wsked' themselves if tHere might' not be a mistalce oh their part. Just then, however, it happened that I was attracted by the crowd at the stair mouth below, and hurrying up to learn the cause I found Bailie making his grand protest, and, of courße, recognised him at a glance as an old offender. He dropped his high tone at once, but did not appear quite so scared as I should have expected, and when the nature of the theft was explained to me I was not surprised at his coolness. One unset diamond could be so easily thrown away or got rid of that I mentally gave the gem and th^ cage/ up for lost. That though did not prevent me from securing Bailie and, making every, precaution against hiifl .getting ri<i 9f.it,: supposing that he.^badj hyjj . done, so.; I handcuffed his 'wrists behind hi- back after inspecting his hands. Then I took possession of his cigar for after examination ; looked inside his mouth and ears, and bad the whole stair examined from the spot on which he stood to the street &lfttt:/'!i?rW7ofliid.'! no diarnond^and ,1, was ,not disappointed. Nothing 4 ' ] was ' more likely' than that Bailie should 'have ! ba'l « boh federate, and passed the 1 plunder toi him tne moment be emerged from the shop. Bailie jras not m the habit; of working with a confederate, it is true, having an exaggerated idea of his own abilities, but on this 'occasion he- thightbave depart .from., his , usual custom.,. On that ground ajone, cQuld ,1 aqcpant for his cool demeanour and strong' protests of innocence, and of th« injustice "of his arrest. 80 eagerly did he implore me to have tbe jeweller's shop examined before marpljing him off to Jhe., Central, that bis wishes were 'compiled" with,' and the shop inside/and outside of. the counter, .Qteefullyj searched jfor , the missing stone, bqij without .success,... .Nothing remained but to take him away, M'Letchie going with us to give particulars of the crime. When we got to the Office, Bailie was very carefully searched. He j was even with .another; ,suit of clothes, while we went over his own, but j yet the^lando'titi "-was 'hot found. "He bad only/a if etwishillihgarin bis possession, a cheap silver watch,; the; -finger ring, a I took down mto shreds, but it contained no diamond. When we had finished I bundled up his possessions to have them put away, and m doing so I noticed that tbe watch bad stopped. ' Your watch has taken fright at your arrest and stopped, ' I said cheerfully to Bailie, who was gloomily resting his head on his handy at the opposite side of the table He started, and looked at me m a scaled jfaahion, but ; iiftde.no reply, •- *' We'll; you're not likely to be twin?it for some time, ' I pleasantly continued, 'so we need not trouble to set it agoing, jnst now.' JtiLk .Wais too $uch overpowered, to make a cheerful reply, and having no new Bta,tem<pt to make, he was soon charged and" 1 taken t!6wn to $hje? cells. As the ciise stood it would very soon bs settled even without' the finding i>f tlie missing diamond, Bailie being by habit arid repuj» j a thief, <and a precious stone being missing after he hail been fingering it. But just there arose one of these curious complications which no one con account for or guard against, The day after the committal of Bailie the jeweller himself called at the Central and' asked td see me. Hs had a grave disturbed expression, and appeared strangely ab--Bti acted while asking if any trace had been found of the miauing diamond. ' Do you think the fellow — that man wliom you Imve m custody— really took trie diamond V l>e at length awkwardly blurted out, 'Is it not possible that even though be is a professional thief hi mkr.jfa.M9.9m bmtolm »°th-