Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1851-03-27
A Thief Out-witted.

- >>>ASA SAO w xttGu.
1t is an old saying that honesty is the best
policy, and that it is well to keep the maxim
before the people, as kind Of rod to hang in
terrorem over rogues-albeit the man who has
paused to debate whether honesty will pay
is already at the halfway house to knavery.
A good story, in illustration of the old saw,
was told us some years ago, of down-eas.
chap. He had been trading one day with .
shrewd old store-keeper in c., Maine, and,
among other things, had bought bag Of feath-
ers, for which he had made payment of twen-
ty-dollar bill While the trader was making
change at the other end of the store, happen
Ing To cast his eye around accidentally, he saw
his customer, who was partially concealed by
molasses hogshead, slip very dexterously q
small roll of sheet-lead into the bag. Now
some mer, under the circumstances, would have
confronted the thief, and charged the crime up-
on him at once; but onr crafty trader had had
his eye-teeth too well cut thus to make an ev-
erlasting enemy of the man, and lose his Gus
tom, besides cutting off all hopes of his refor-
nation. So pretending not to have noticed the
theft, he handed the man his change, and, lift
ing the bag up, as if TO put it into the wag-
on
Ugh! why, mercy on mellow heavy il
isl he exclaimed, as if fastonished at its weight.
while his customer had already sprung for
ward, but too late to intercept him, begging
him mot to trouble himself as it was quite
light and he could easily place it in the wag-
on himself
why, really continued the trader 4 must
have made some mistake in the weight. Let
me clap it on the scales again.
'N-n-no, my dear sir-d-d-don't trouble your
self-it's all right am sure it is Il could
take my oath of it, stammered the frightened
:hief, as with both hand he clutched the bag
con'nlsively.
well, it won't do no hurt to weigh it again,
at all events persisted the cunning trader,
while with vigorous jerk he twitched it once
more into the scale -
There | knew Twas right-it seemed to me
all-fred heavy-why, it weighs more n thirty
pounds over what | sold 'em for Guess I'll
be little more careful next time-the plaguy
scaes!'
But, my dear, sir
'Oh, you needn't take 'em all, if you don't
want em, you know. If there's too many for
your use, can empty out part Of 'en'-and
with this, suiting the action to the word, the
trader was about untying the strings of the bag
when
! 'No-no-don't trouble YOURSELF quickly
replied the other; on second thought, l recol-
lect my wife told me she would want another
lot in day or two-so may as well get 'em
all at once
! And with this he forked over another cool
ten spot and, dragging the bag to the wagon
drove off like hurricane-having paid for hi,
rascality by buying pig-lead at the price Of hre
geese teathers-tfrst quaLty-.ftty cents per
pound! He was cured of his dishonesty but,
in spite of the traders caution, the story event
ually got wind; and, though the former always
declared that the lead must have fallen into
the bag accidentally yet his neighbors for ma
ny years after, were wont to feed fat every
grudge against him, by inquiring Ho,c's lire
geese feathers, notc " or, if he got angry, tel
ling him not to let his feathers get ru6led -
and it is said, that in his most exultant mo-
ments, if flock of geese chanced to hiss a.
him, he was at once crest-fallen, and some-
times nearly went into convulsions. Yankee
Blade.