Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-08-10
A RETIRED BURGLAR.
lEleanor Kirkl

Eleanor Kirk.
'Yes, j am pleased to see Won, and you car
take my career for a text if that is your oh.
ject in visiting me; but you are not at liberty
to mention my name. You can call me Jacf
for short. Toa see ! have had no;oriety
enough. Your article may be valueless with
ont my name, Very sorry. indeed, but tina
talker in this case must only be known to tn:
| .alkeun
There was no way Of evading these terms,
ami they were accepted with thanks.
"How is it that my English is SO goodi
/ Then You 10 observe difference between my
! English AMI that of most men of my profcs.
sion: | am glad this is the case | had 1;
! good edacation; in fact, l was intended for
! the ministry. You laugh my friend. ] as
sure You that it was only feathers weight
| that decided my vocation. Ny mind was of
/ studious, philosophical and scientific cast.
/ got into bog about free-will and predestina-
/ ton. ard then stuck. 1t was impossible for
me To honestly preach either do ctrine. and
certainly was bound to commit myself to one
Or the other. There wasstill another obstacle
! ia my path II was this: / was born with
an overweening desire for the unattainable."
This was certainly poetic way of getting
around the eighth commandment and the
p
Il Was constituted the speaker pro-
ceeded, that | could not care for anything,
however beautiful, which was within NV
reach. Now, was not responsible for com
ing into the world, neither was / responsible
for the law Of heredity. 1t WAS great deal
safer 20 address a cultivated audience twice
a Sunday, and make a few pastoral calls dtv
ing the week, than to climb into mans
90 .i,z
his bedroom and walk off with his pocket
book and diamond studs. studied theology
with the best old man that ever lived. and he
considered me brilliant and hopeful dis
ciple, but | spent three weeks planning to
rob him-to rob him artistically,
mean. / could have doIe this with
out suspicion at any time, for The
whole house was open to me, but the
things tiat | coveted were not valuable to
Ele ,ntil they were locked up. This desire
was stronger than life and stronger than
death, for | riskod death many q time to
accomplish \ | could not believe that il
had been predeatinated from tie beginning of
things that my career was to be that Of a
burglar, and ! knew that was not a free
gent. You can comprehend my dilemna.a
This was plausible, though the treatment
new, well as trife mystical
YES, was the calm response You have
become accustomed to certain terms, certain
forms and modes of expression, and you do
not know how 10 get outside Of them Most
men are like YOU
Are you willing to tell me your method
OF attack--so 10 speaker did you enter
houses like othei--4
Burglar Do not be afraid OF the word.
] thini. ny methods were original. if not
unique, though, as never had any dealings
with men OF my profession, may he AFRO
eating too much
You never had a companion, pal. Was !
neve- a member Of any clique.'
Never, and my contempt for thieves was /
probably rs great your own. | had no |
wish Icr slch society, and up to the time |
was caught and convicted | had as good a |
name any other man a house that was /
easy to enter always passed by, for, as told |
you, | cared only for the unattainable NY |
tools could all he carried in one pocket When /
had such work in hand always dressed |
myself sciupulously. The professional burg
lar can never be mistaken for Il gentleman
for he locks Ike the tramp he is. Ny linen
was invariably immaculate, my boots we're
well BACKED, and my whole appearance un-
exceptionable. | should have bltshed 10 rob
q man in old clothes"
.And you were never caught but onceg7
"Only once, though had two or three hair
breadth escapes. One Of these was when
attempted 10 rob a house on the Hudson said
to be as inlpregnable as a fortress II took
three hours Of the hardest work | ever did to
effect an entrance, and after had succeeded
III doing 50 found, to my great chagrin.
that | did not feel at home
Feel at hOnel That is funnier than all
TIE rest
"A great psychological truth uuderlies that
feeling, in If ! could not hold my .isad un
IN mans dinng-rooni or library, and feel in
g large and comfortable sense like the pro
prictor. was in danger. In the house | have
mentioned | was indeed cat in strange
garnet. But, like other fools, / ignored tho
warning, and proceeded TO investigate had
not gone far when a door softly opened and
woman met me upon the threshold
But You were not afraid of a woman
- was never very much afraid of a nan.
This woman wasas calm rs the summer night.
" rather the summer morning. for then it
Was ncarly3 O'Clock, 'Whatd you WANT she
lslged cooliy glanced into the room and
say that She was alone 'What do you thini:
wantF Ireplied. If you did not look so much
isc gentlema1,' Sd, answered, i .hould, Of
'olue think that you had come 10 rob us'
Thank you for the compliment, said I 4: but
sherc is your hGsban;ia He is in Toronto.
he responded. Perhaps You bring bad news
4 himE Oh. %. madam. I answered. n,
bua q cannot be possible that
7our husband leaves you alone in this Great
iousct By no means; my servant arc all
rithin call. was the suspicious resps.,~r.
But win you not he rcatedn she added ~
itely. This was u poser. Now neverstrgick,
!blNeI ,r insutod L woman in my life, and ,
he most disleartenipg feature of uy self
imposed employment was that was some
iuies compelled to brighten these tender and (
s.epGble creatures. took seat near the
io7r. go that my companion could Tot pos
ih.c give the alarm, and She sat down on the
ther side q Il large center table and Us she
Id | distinctly heard the rlicl, Of pistol {
She had cooked the pistol and was was ready
or me 5
This incident happened a; the height OF q
he Beechrr trial in Brooklyn. That woman ,
va game and | knew she wouli never 1t me >
cave those premises without Il spunhy at ,
cmpt for my apprehension Most OF my +
urprisc5 have GENE from women, but | was {
eyerso utterly dumbfounded as when this r
ne calmly asked me for the latest new in !,
be Reechrr iIial I hnve tried TO show you
bat only small part Of my nature was n
eally hugE.aTipus. and that in all ether re- :.
poets ! WIS gentleman. When found that i
his woman was alone, would no more have
laced hand on any Of her possessions than
wcuid hare cut my own threat There
fsre two reasons for this. The first |
onc was hiy innate respect for women in
cncral. and nay great admiration for this
oman "a particular. and the next was be- :, :,
aUse OF the predominant trait of character
hich made everything vaueless which was =
OF obtained by toe hardest work could
ave taken tis werlan'S little toy away
ON her and locked her into the room with !
&c greatest ease, md would moi have hurt
ham OK her head; but such tIssle would
ave been uamaaiy and ridiculous. Sol Al
ns.eTed her inquiries as politely as | could.
nd now comes tie part which VIII doubtless .
lem Incredible TO your practical mind
ecame ~ interested in tins singular ccGvoi-
zion that whole hour passed without my
IN. aware Of Il. :.
&y hostess "a curious smile fitted across
be cN bar -rs serene count laallCe es he
.tcreI 'ai4 uorl-"waS talented. refined
~ informed Sho regarded the matter
ON th, standpoint which was always most 3.
mating 90 ne-thae of philosophy and i.
-coeicur S!,s was analytical, and dis :,