The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1877-05-01
A VERY PlOUs YOUNG MAN.

ID peated benevolent old gentle
man rs he glanced at q placard posted In
the car which he was riding. Dear,
me, how sad that such warning should
be necessary in Christian land 2''
Yes, sir" said the young man next
him, Z" but It's best to be careful for there
may be plckpockets in this very car. ]
know all about that, sir. I've been
rescued from the lowest depth. was
pickpocket once, sir.'
Dear me-" said the olds gentleman,
starting.
"I'm respectable person now. Yes,
sir, I'm very respectable, ask anybody
about Jim Tilks and they'll tell you that,
but was brought up thief. l was
born among thieves, and took the trade
naturally, and / used to pick pockets
when was ten years old. You needn't
look at yours, If you please, sir. I've
been converted since, and go to meeting
regular. You could trust me with un-
told gold now.
But as 1 said, was thief, and
might have been one yet II 1t hadn't
been for what happened at Rickady
station, where i was sitting waiting for
any old lady's reticule, or any forgetful
persons parcel, or even an umbrella, or
a pockethandkerchief, AS might be drop
ped by chance. For folks that's anxious
about gettin' on the right train at the
right time, and nobody to do anything
but snub 'em, which is what the officials
are apparently paid to do amt as care
full of their portable property as they
would be otherwise. When 1 was a
wicked sinner, used to take advantage
of that, you know. You couldn't bribe
me to do it now-oh, no.
But as / said, Il was a-lounging about
there, and in came gentleman with q
long basket. 1t was the curiousest
basket ever saw. Had two handles
and paddock. Never saw such basket.
There was cord about it, too. He put
| IL down in the corner as he looked for
his pocket-book, and he spoke to gen.
tleman who was standing near, and
seemed to know him.
"Got It," he said, "and it's cost me
enough, can tell you, but wanted it
for the ollection-couldn't do without
1t. So proud of 1t brought 1t along
myself. Whew five minutes only, and
l haven't my ticket" and he rushed
toward the Office.
1.-THE other man looked at the basket
a minute and then walked away, and
that was my time. L crept up to the
basket and took 1t up and walked away
in another direction. No body noticed
me, / didn't run, Of course. just went
out of the station and down under the
trees, and what i meant to do was to
take the valuables out of the basket and
leave it there.
I'D made up my mind that it was
something very valuable, but what it
could be couldn't guess. L took off the
cord first and then took the key that
hung beside the paddock and unlocked
that, and lifted up the cover a little
Just then there was noise and turned
my head.
When found it was nothing to be
afraid of, turned back. opened the
cover wider and peeped in but there
was nothing there, the basket was
empty-not thing in it.
'" Why, gracious mel'' said L only
not in them words-I was a wicked
sinner then" what does this mean
An empty basket And what did he
mean by talking of its being valuable2"
And there was i, running a risk for
nothing.
:" A risk. Why, was done for, for
nothin' ; for here were the police after
me; at least, big arm went around my
wrist, all of sudden like; and when
jerked it only held me closer and what
was that-another armY
Well, sir, 1 thought L should just
give up that minute, for there and then
/ knew that what was twisting about
me was something worse than even a
policeman's arm to such as / was then.
" 1t was a snake-a great snake = the
kind they put in menageries. Boa con-
strictor-yes, sir-that was the kinda
boa constructor; and now / remembered
the face Of the gentleman who had the
basket-he was the menagerie man. 1
had stolen basket with snake in it,
and 1t had slipped out when opened
the cover, and now 1t had me.
Tight, sir, was no word. It was
twisted around me until had very lit
tie breath left, but with what did have