St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-02-05

must indeed be very unpropitious
My plans being thus far adopted,
ordered dinner, and waited patiently
or rather impatiently, the appearance
OF the newspaper next morning. II
was brought up to my room damp
from the press, and then read, in al
the glory of large type, my interest
ing announcement. But, my stars
with what an advertisement was it fol
lowed, i'll the very same column. on
ly wonder my hair did not stand OF
end, as read as follows
500 REWARD. Lost, or stolen, on tn,
~ night of the concert, at the Town Hall
a Gold Chain Bracelet. 1t is thought to hay,
been taken from the lady S arm by pick-pock
ct, OF gcntlemanly appearance, who wore a
blue coat with brass buttons, and kept near the
lady on leaving the hall. Any one giving
such information as will lead to the recovery
of the bracelet, or the capture Of the thief, iii
it was stolen,) will receive the above reward on
| applying to Cambridge Parade"
Here was a pretty plight--to be adj
vertised in the public papers as a pick
pocket, when my only crime was like
otucilO ,, tudI Vi
"Loving, not wisely, but too WELL"
My determination, however, was
soon adopted. went up stairs, put
on the very identical delinquent blue
coat, SO accurately described, and, ta-
king the paper in my hand, went to I
Cambridge Parade.
| knocked at the door and asked the
servant who answered, the name of the
family having heard it, l said, ,-"Is
Miss A in?"
Yes, SIR said the servant-woman,
who shall | say wants hcr?'
"Tell her." | replied, "that the pick
pocket with a gentlemanly address,
and blue coat, with brass buttons, who
stole her bracelet, is here and wishes
to return it to her"
The woman stared at me as though
| were mad, but on repeating my re-
quest to her, she went in and delivered
my message. Soon there came out,
not my fair one,
With all that's best of dark and bright.
Meeting in aspect and in eyes,
but stalwart brother. "That," |
said, handing him the bracelet, is
Miss As property and though
as you perceive, l wear blue coat
with brass buttons, and am fiattered
to think my manners are not ungentle-
manly, | am bound in candor to say |
am not pick-pocket.'
ho1 Al.
ward" said the brother taking out his
purse.
"No," l replied, "for strange as it
may appear, though am 10 pick-pock,
ct, l stole the lady's bracelet"
The man looked puzzled but when
l told the truth, and pointed to my adj,
tisement in the same paper, as proof
that did not want to walk off with
the property, he laughed heartily at
the whole story, and not the least at
his sisters description of the gentle
ly pick-pockct.
WE'LL" he said, "you had better
walk in and have tea with us, and my
sister will be able to say whether she
can speak to your identity, after which
it will be time enough to canvass the
propriety Of sending for constable" !"
You may rest assured I accepted
the invitation. Need go further with
the story. The young lady Ito use
the advertisement captured the pick
pocket herself and received the re-
ward, suchreward being the said pick
pocket The bachelors button no Ion
ger adorns my blue coat, and now l
have framed and glazed, over the fire.
place, the advertisement, in which |
am publicly described by my own
wife, as "a pick-pocket Of gentleman
ly address," Whenever | charge her
with the libel, she always does what
she has just this moment done, pay
damages for the slander in any amount
of kisses, declaring, though not pick
pocket, | was a thief, and stole her
heart and pocketed her bracelet.
So ends the story Of \ BACHELORS s
BUrroN."