A Girl and a Watch

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 202, 10 August 1927, Page 3

A Girl and a Watch

And a Disgruntled Cavalier. HE HAD LOVED AND LOST. HIGHLY AMUSING CASE. (Special to “Tribune.”) Auckland, Aug. 10. “Here I have a middle-aged man of 50 who has been paying attentions to a little girl of 24 and he gives her a gold watch- He comes here and tells me he bought it tor his niece, to who mhe has never previously given a present, and at the same tune declares he merely lent the watch to the defendant.” So said Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday afternoon, in summing up a highly amusing case in which George Barker, a disgruntled cavalier of 45 or 50 years or thereabouts, who had loved and lost Amy Webb, 26 years or somewhere near it. He wanted back the gold wristlet watch he had given her (though he denied it) when love’s middle-aged dream, which had promised a fixture of bliss, was over. Mr. Alan Moody, who assisted Amy to retain the watch, told the sad story of George’s wooing and losing, which, in effect, was in this wise. THE STORY. About the end of last February Barker, who was on the friendliest terms with Miss Webb, bought the watch and gave it to her for her very own, and the course of true love ran smoothly. One evening Miss Webb in--ited her worshipper to spend a pleasant evening at her home. The ecstatic George Barker arrived, but, instead of being received with loving embraces as he was heretofore accustomed, he was greeted with 'hilly indifference. George soon discovered the, reason—there was another man in the caseASKED FOR IT BACK. To make a long story short, the chagrined Barker asked for his present back and as it was not forthcoming he brought a policeman along “for a witness.” Much afraid, the girl wrote promising to return the watch but on second thoughts did not do so. Cross-examined by Mr Moody, Barker admitted that he was as old as he looked. How old are you?—About 40. Are you sure it isn’t 50? persisted counsel.—lt may be, but I don't know when my birthday is. A woman friend of the plaintiff was both positive and voluble in her assertion that Miss Webb had promised to return the watch. She illustrated with a fine flow of sarcastic mimicry, Miss Webb’s alleged utterance of, “Oh yes, i know the watch is only a present for the niece and if I keep it it will only haunt me I” “YOU ARE VERY RUDE.” Cross-examining the lady, Mr Moody fired questions at her m quick succession. “Pardon me, you are very rude,” she complained. “Oh, no 1 1 am only trying to shorten the proceedings,’' Mr. Moody roasssured her. “Are you married?” he went on. “No; I’m single” (very quickly). “Living in hopes, I suppose?” was the quicn rejoinder. “He is very rude, sir,” appealing to the bench. The case concluded after Miss Webb had given evidence as the next witness.

Mr Hunt decreed that the girl should retain the watch.