laugh again. Everybody laughs, and crowds round you to examine the
watches, and you make fun and crack jokes at your own expense all
the time, and pretty soon old Bemis says, "Why, this is MY watch,
NOW!" and you laugh more than ever--'

ROBERTS: 'I'm afraid I couldn't laugh when he said that. I don't
believe I could laugh. It would make my blood run cold.'

WILLIS: 'Oh no, it wouldn't. You'd be in the spirit of it by that
time.'

ROBERTS: 'Do you think so? Well?'

WILLIS: 'And then you say, "Well, this is the most remarkable
coincidence I ever heard of. I didn't get my own watch from the
fellow, but I got yours, Mr. Bemis;" and then you hand it over to
him and say, "Sorry I had to break the chain in getting it from
him," and then everybody laughs again, and--and that ends it.'

ROBERTS, with a profound sigh: 'Do you think that would end it?'

WILLIS: 'Why, certainly. It'll put old Bemis in the wrong, don't
you see? It'll show that instead of letting the fellow escape to go
and rob HIM, you attacked him and took Bemis's property back from
him yourself. Bemis wouldn't have a word to say. All you've got to
do is to keep up a light, confident manner.'

ROBERTS: 'But what if it shouldn't put Bemis in the wrong? What if
he shouldn't say or do anything that we've counted upon, but
something altogether different?'