The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-01-16
THE BURGLAR : STORY
BY WILLIAM :. GILBERT.

When became eighteen years o.
age my father, distinguished beg
glng letter imposter, said to me
Reginald, | think it is time that you
begin to think about chosii G Il pro,
tession.
These were ominous words. Since
| left Eton, nearly a year before, !
had spent my time very pleasantly
and very idly, and | was sorry tC
see my long holiday drawing to &
close. My father had hoped TO send
me to Cambridge, Cambridge was a
tradition in our family.) but busi.
ness had been very depressed OF late
and sentence of six months hard
labor had considerably Strengthened
my poor fathers resources.
Itwas necessary, highly necessary,
that | should chose a calling atonce.
With sigh of resignation | admitted
as much.
IF you like, said my father, 4 will
take you in hand and teach you my
profession, and in a few years may
take you into partnership; but, to
be candid with you, doubt wheth-
er it is a satisfactory calling for an
athletic fellow like you
/ don't seem to care about it par
ticularly,' said |.
I'm glad to hear it, said my faith
er, its poor calling for a young
man of spirit. Besides you have to
grow gray in the service before peo-
pie will listen to you. Its all very
well as a refuge in old age, but a
young fellow is likely to make but a
poor hand at it. Now, | should like
to consult your own tastes on so i'm
portant a matter as the choice of a
profession. What do you say? The
army?'
No, l don't think care much for
the army
Forgery The bar? Cornish
wrecking?'
Father said l, I should like to
he a good forger, but | write such an
internal hand
A regular Eton hand said he.
Not plastic enough for forgery, but
you could have writing master
It's as much as | can do to forge
my own name. | don't believe |
should eyer beable to forge anybody
else's with accuracy
Anybody else you should say,
not anybody else's." It's dread
ful barbarism. Eton English
No, said |, i should never make
fortune at it. As to wrecking-vou
know how sea sick | am
You might get over that. Besides,
you would deal with wrecks ashore,
not on the sea-
Most of il is done in small boats,
I'm told. A deal ofsmall boat work
No, l won't be a wrecker. think |
should like to be burglar
Yes said my father, considering
the subject, yes, it's a fine manly
profession, but it is dangerous, very
dangerous
Just dangerous enough to be ex-
citing, no more
Well, said my father. If you've
taste for burglary, I'll see what can
be done
Nv dear father was always prompt
with pen and ink. That evening he
wrote to his old friend Ferdinand
StoneIeigh. a burglar of the very
highest professional standing. and
in week was duly and formally
articled to him, with a view to uti-
mate partnership If / was at all sue
cessful.
| had to work hard under Mr..
Stoneleigh.
Burglary is jealous mistress
said he. She will tolerate no rivals.
She exacts the undivided attention
of her worshipers'
And so | found it. Every morn
ing at 10 o'clock | bad to present
myself at Stoneleigh's chambers in
New Square. Lincoln's Inn, and un-
I'll l. | assisted his clerk with the
correspondence. At II | had to 90
out prospecting with Stoneleigh, and
from to 4 | had to devote to finding
out all particulars necessary to a
scientific burglary in any given
house.
At first did this merely for prac-
tice. and with no view of an actual
attempt. He would tell me off to
house of which he knew all the par
ticulars, and ordered me to ascertain
all about that house and its inmates
their coming and going, the num-
Der of their servants, whether any
of them were men, and, if SO, wheth
er they slept in the basement or not,
and other details necessary to be
known before a burglary could be
safely attempted.
Then he would compare my infor-
nation with his own frcts and COM
pliment or blame me, a. | might de-
serve. He was strict master, but
always kind, just and courteous, as
became highly polished gentleman
of the school. He was one of the
last men who habitually wore hes
slams.