Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-04-04

hove in sight about ten minutes after
wards, while we walked past him
Then we waited till he returned. This
time we did not pass him, but watched
from corner at distance.
Twenty minutes and a half between
going and coming" exclaimed my com
panion. "And handy beat; for he
comes up the corner there"--pointing
to one little beyond the shop--,"and
goes down this street next ours"
The impression began to steal over
me that 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 short run
if | deserted him (for he seemed to
see didn't like the job}, deferred me,
| dared not explain that he had made
a mistake, for | felt sure that he must
have mistaken me for some ally of
his own. 81 must go through with it,"
thinks |. "IIe'll leave me outside to
watch, and I'll hook it them" SO
went on.
lie crossed the street again the mo,
mcnt the policeman was past interler-
ing with us, and producing Il piece
of stout black cloth he applied the
rule thereto, l holding it against the
shutters, While he set out "thrcc and a
half by two" thereon. This done, he
cut it within two inches of the mca-
surement all round, and then produc-
ing a treacle-pot from his pocket, he
smothered one side of the cloth with
treacle, 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 trcacle making it adhere
firmly to the glass, Then, looking at
his watch, he cried:
"By jjngo. he'll be here this minute"
and away we walked. a glance be-
hind us, as we turned the next corner.
Not yet in sight. We stopped and
waited, but the policeman came not.
My friend muttercd an oath, adding,
"l'll go. Come along: but keep your
weather-eye open.' And off we went.
"Perhaps he is watching us | sug-
gcsted. But the idea was discarded
as not in the nature of policeman
like that one we saw"
We arrived at the shop. He mounted
again, and drove ~tring through a
hole in the cloth. Then he ran a dia-
mond round the edge Of the glass a
gentle pat, and it gave way. Now |
saw the use of the cloth and string.
He could hold the glass by the string;
and he slowly let itdown into the shop,
and, producing Il long-shaped pad, he
laid it along the bottom of the fanlight
to cover the glass edge, and threw one
leg into the opening and got astride of
it,
"FOllOW me- he muttered and
ducked his head under the door-head. |
But before he could draw in the other
leg mounted the ladder and, seizing
it, gave him pull that kept him from
going in, at the same time yelling,
Police. Thieves. Murder. Police." at |
the top Of my voice. And, 10 and be
hold. the policeman appeared at the
corner at that moment. a horrible |
oath from within, a pistol-bullet |
whistling past my head, and | ran for
death and life. | did not stop till |
found myself in Broad street.
In the next days papers l saw the
account of the capture of burglar by
one policeman, who had watched two
burglars from the corner, and saw one !
enter the house, and the other leap up
the wall like a cat, grab at a disappear
ing leg, and yell "Police" and run.
The one that was caught got seven
years penal servitude, and "the police
are searching vigilantly, though as yet
msuccessfully, for the other, who, it
appears, is Il desperate character'
They never caught him. -CasseH.