The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-03-21
AN ADVENTURE.
How "A Desperate Character" Failed to
Get There.

AN ADVENTURE.
How "a Desperate Character Failed to
Get There.
/ went to Covent Garden Theatre
one night last season. We were let out
at II, and set off to my lodgings. l
Knocked; there was no answer.
knocked again; n window was thrown
up and my landlady's head appeared.
who are youP" she screamed.
Lets in. please; it 5 me - | answer
ed.
Then, Mr. Me. if you don't come
home before 10 YOU may stay out till
mornin'. l never wait up for my lodg-
ers-my door is closed at 10r' and then
the window closed with a bang.
mo go!' thinks /. Il have no
money III go to railroad-station
and wait in the waiting-roem till morn
ing;" which resolution I proceeded to
carry ont by walking briskly for the
Bank
turned. into Moorgate street, and
was just thinking whether l should go
to London, Brighton, and South Coast
or the London Bridge station. L stopped
to think. There was a cenfectioner' $
were open! | had three-pence left.
just at this moment a tall, broad
shou:dered man came up to me and
viewed me from top to toe. L looked at
him. He was dressed in dark clothes; a
pea-jacket and clap-trap cloth hat, with
q peak living level on the forehead, gave
me feeling of awe. The thought forced
itself upon me that he was a garotter
He spoke first.
You re MIR. SanlP'' and he laid his
finger on his nose.
''You've gessed it, said |, thinking
it best 10 agree with him. although my
name was Tom.
'"rhen come alongt' and away we
went
did Butler give We e'er pistol?" he
asked.
No said j. beginning To tremble
ole said he wanted them himself
Just like him He told me q find YOU
Standing IL Aloor5ate street. between Il
uln; ]. opposite the ccnfectioncr' 5, with
Your right hand in Your pocket.
I'm in for it. thinks /, '.but | must
90 through with if But whatever will
ii come TO at all. at ALP
He led me through a labyrinth of
streets, walking rather fast, till we
emerged upon the city road. Then he
made straight for the Angel, and from
thence tooll.a cab for Fleet street What
object he had in doing this Icannot say.
lie did not offer to explain; in fact, not
a word passed between as till we got
out at the top of Ludgate Hill.
From thence we went into back
street, and out of that into another.
no matter which, and Suddenly stopping
opposite shop exclaimed:
There's our crib!.
els it?" says I.
Whereupon he produced from his
pocket a rule. The shop was evidently
a tailors, as it had bars standing out
like the rungs of Jacob ladder, from
each side of the door, to exhibit stock
upon My friend stepped on the first OF
these, which was three feet from the
ground, and speedily measured the
hight of large glass fanlight over the
deor; then, stepping down again, ne
measured the breadth of the door, and
a. the fanIight was square, he muttered
to me by way of giving me its dimen-
Si0ns:
Three and half by two hight! and
chlIckled quietly.
Then he crossed the road. and | fol-
lowed, lie explaining that we must wait
til the policeman passed. lie hove IN
SIGHT about ten minutes afterwards,
while we walked past him Then we
waited till he returned. This time we
did not pass him, but watched from a
corner at distance.
Twenty minutes and a half between
going and coming" exclaimed my com
panion. land handy beat; for he
4. 4 how.
one little beyond the shop-'+and goes
down this street next ours.
'Tte impression began to steal over
me Chat was committing. or helping to
commit. felony, and that if caught
might get into trouble. | thought of
running for it; but the remark my
companion made at that moment: to the
effect that it would be.a short run if
deserted him (for he seemed to see
didn't like the iob), deferred me. dared
not explain that he had made a mis-
take. for felt sure that he must have
mistaken me for some ally of his own.
Il must go through with it, thinks |.
4sHe'u leave me outside to watch, and
Ifll hook ii then!s So / went on.
He crossed the street again the mo-
ment the policeman was past interfering
with us. and producing a piece OF stout
black cloth he applied the rule thereto,
I holding it against the shutters while
ne set out. s'three and half by two
thereon. This done, he cut it within
two inches of the measurement al
round, and then producing treacle-poi
from his pocket, he smothered one side
of the cloth with treaele. and, desiring
me to hold it, he mounted the shop
door, SO to speak, again; and gave
him the cloth, which he Immediately
.clapped on to the sky-light, the treaclt
making it adhere firmly to the glass
Then, looking at his watch, he cried:
by gosh! he'll be here this minute!
and away we walked. A glance behine
us, as we turned thenext corner. No
yet in sight We stopped and waited
but the policeman came not. My frlenc
muttered an oath, adding, 'I'll go
Come along; but keep your weathsr-eys
or,s.nt'' And off we went
perhaps he is watching us, sng
oested. But the idea was discarded as
not in the nature of policeman ''llk'
that one we saw.
We arrived at the shop. he mountef
again, and drove a string through
hole in the cloth. Then he ran Ola
mond round the edge of the glass. 4
gentle pat, and it gave way Now saw
the use of the cloth and string. III
could hold the glass by the string; ane
he slowly let.it down into the shop, and
producing a long-shaped pad. he laid i
along the bottom of the fanlight t
cover the glass edge, and threw one les
into the opening and got astr1de OF It!