Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1869-11-18

morning. at ten o'clock. Blaisdell han l.
Ell me the KEY Of my drawer which |
hai lefl with him the night before. and.
opening the drawer, said, pointing to a
piece of white paper pasted in the
bottom:
You will please not disturb or
touch that but lay Your money care
fully upon it. | shal, be in and out
here every half hour Or 50, to see how
the thing comes out"
''lIow the thing comes out" rather
puzzled me, but. as was in the doc
tors hands, obeyed orders aud said
nothing.
Blaisdel came in and out, and talk
ed coffee closely ani knowingly. and
had some trouble. once or twice. to
persuade myself that was only going
throush tue motions. and not really
buying cargo Of Rio OF him. All
was quiet. and my accounts right,
Blais,lell declining 10 lunch with me.
savi = in an oif-hand way. that he
would fpot-up Iii. freight account. in
my absence. IL would permit him to
sit at my desk. In half an hour was
back. and the moment | entered saw n
peculiar expression on BlaIsielrs face.
an expression of intense listening. lie
did not get up from my chair, but PUT
his finger On his lip The OH 20 was
perfectly silent, with the exception OF
the scratching of Conways pen-he
always would use quill'-when. sud-
dcnly, there was sharp noise and a
! struggling within ms desk. Blaisdcll
7 jumped Ia his feet, cxcitcdly. and call
| ed :
1 The key, Qu.ck quick By George,
/ we've got him
/ completely as,onnded. as waS-pld Con
way. for he tulnbled right of his stool.
and BlaisIell Unlocked tie drawer. 1t
WAS not 81 easy to open 1t. for it took
our combined strength. The first
sight That met my eve, when that Vas
done, vas a hu nan hand. which B.as-
/ deli seized with a grip like vice. aud
I IN All instant hal handcuT on It. |
! saw, at a glance, il VA, Il hand with
out n thumb, aud, at the same time.
heard Blaisdell say
4 why, it, rhumhy | thought he
( was up the river"
WAS so,,sazcd that couhl hardly
understand tha thing, and stood look
ing like an IDIOT. while Blais tell took
up IA heavy poker, clasped the other
handcut On it, and. placing it across
I the drawer, said, coinpos.dly.
I There's yonr man, sir-Thnmby
/ Dick, one of the most accomplished
burglars IN thl. country. Shall We 20
round and see i'm \"
I We went around an | saw him. and.
the -1omcnt laid my eyes on his face,
recognized him n a man who hal
been several times u see Inc in refer
encc Ia schooner. with fruit. we cX-
pcc,cl from the West Indies. profess
ing that H. wished 10 buy all the pine
apples, This was the greeting be-
tween he docior and Thulnby Dick
TINS Was a we'll put up j,b, DIcN.
say, the doctor ''but its played.
If III known YOU was on it, doc,
I'll 'av struck the heap, aud gone.
Yes" scratching his chin but you
didn't want to XIII the goose that LAID
the golden eggs. eh =,
Come, take us out of this, dos I've
got nothing 70 say
And 50 Mr.. Tuum5y Dick va, Ia
ken out aud accommodated with his
bracelets on the same slle Of the
house. aui told Us the whole story.
lie had noticed the money-drawer when
he first came 10 see me, his intention
al that time being 10 tap the safe some
pleasant evening lie knew the next
butlding well it was 4 small drinking
place in front, with back room, AMI
Offices up stairs. T4is back room he
managed To hire, and with the nice eye
of mechanic-for the job showed
skiil-through the wall he went. right
behind nv desk. At night he hai
skiIlfully removed the rear OF my mon
er-drawer, and rciitted it vita four
wooden pegs (Which was Blalsdeil's
first clew, as he WAS examining the
drawer and SO could noiseles,ly help
himself during the day for, even
though might open the drawer when
he was in the act, could not have lie
tected him. unless | bent down and
looked back 10 see the rear part out.
Blaisdell and his friend, the locksmith-
looking man, had SIX killfully fitted up
spring-trap at the bottom of the draw
er. under the white paper, SO that the
crowding Of the hand. in the act of
graspins the money, sprung the trap.
and took Mr.. Thumby prisoner-a
mishap that he is now expiating at his
old residence on the Hudson.
And this is the way came to he
dining with the doctor, all OF whicn
has nothing to do with my story.
So now, after telling (egotistically
putting myself tirst) the affair of the
money drawer. l will let the doctor
talk:
Yes, sir that's true-we do have
odd things occur in our line. 1t has
always been my rule not u work in a
case with anv one else. did not be-
gin SO but had 50 many mishaps
through stupid people, who thought
themselves smart. that concluded
would rather take the chances Of work
ing every thing out by myself. You
can make some count on knave; but
a fool-you never know where 70 have
HIM"
'And how did YOU come to enter
upon this business!' queried.
..Ah that was rather curious in it.
self. 1t rose from an accident, and,
if you would like to hear it. will tell
you"
"Of course, l would" and. passing
him the sherry, settled myself into a
listening condition.
..T.-aI,a ,aa.s au,, 7 ~aa in RoSton