Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-07-14

asked, coolly. I glanced into the
room and saw that she was alone.
what do you think / want?' 1 re-
piled. IF you did not look SO much
like gentleman she answered, i
should of course think you had come
to rob u.s. Thank you for the COM
pliment,' said / !; 'but where is your
husband?' He is in Toronto she
responded. Perhaps you bring bad
news of him?' sOh, no madam I
answered, reassuringly; but it can
not be possible that your husband
leaves you alone in this great house?
by no means; my servants are all
within call. was the suspicious re-
sponse. But will you not be seated ?
she added, politely. Now, I never
struck, abused OF insulted q woman
in my life, and the most dlshearten-
ing feature of my self-imposed en-
ployment was that / was sometimes
compelled to frighten these tender
and susceptible creatures. took
seat near the door, so that my COM
panion could not possibly give the
alarm, and she sat down on the other
side of large center table, and as
she did so l distinctly heard the click
of a pistol. She had cooked the pis-
tol and was ready for me.
This incident happened at the
height of the Beecher trial in Brook
lyn. That woman was game, and l
knew she would never let me leave
those premises without spunky at
tempt for my apprehension. Most
of my surprises have come from wo-
men, but | was never so utterly
dumbfounded as when this one asked
me for the latest news in the Beecher
trial. | have tried to show you that
only small part of my nature was
really burglarious, and that in all
other respects [ was a gentleman.
When [ found that this woman was
alone, | would no more have placed
hand on any of her possessions
than would have cut my own throat.
There were two reasons for this.
The first | hope was my innate re-
spect for women in general, and my
great admiration for this woman in
particular, and next was because of
the one predominant trait of charact-
er which made everything valueless
which was not obtained by the hard
est work. / could have taken this
woman's little toy away from her
and locked her into her room with
the greatest ease, and I would not
have hurt a hair of her head; but
such tussle would have been un-
manly and ridiculous. So 1 answer
ed her inquiries as politely as l could,
and now comes the part which will
doubtless seem incredible to your
practical mind. / became so inter-
ested IN this singular conversation
that whole hour passed without my
being aware of it.
My hostess curious smile fit
ted across the ex-burglar's serene
countenance as he uttered this word
twas talented, refined, well-inform-
ed. She regarded the matter from
a standpoint which was always fas-
cinatlng to me-that of philosophy
and precedent. She was analytical,
and | discovered in the course of the
conversation that she was close psy-
chometric student. | forgot my in
glorious intentions entirely, and was
only recalled to the object of my WIS.,
it when my companion, with the dash
of gazelle running away from a
rifle, threw up the window, and
screamed at the top of her voice. 1
heard the rumbling of a wagon, and
the shouts of men, and had only
time enough to escape through the
back door into the woods. l take off
my yhat-metaphorically-to that wo-
man dozen times times day.
| told you the narrative would
seem incredible, but Notwithstanding
my past career, which probably ap-
pears to you allied to every other
weakness and wickedness, am not
and never was liar.
One experience | will recount be-
fore make the application of the
sermon you are to preach for me. |
had resolved to rob the house of one
of our millionaires. This had been
attempted several times by others
and their failure was, as usual, an
inspiration to me. So / dressed my
self in my best clothes, took my lit
tie tools and started one dark night
about II o'clock. It was nearly 2
before / got in, and here, as in the
other house | have told you about,
l did not feel at home. / was an
alien and stranger. The sound of
my own footsteps made my heart
beat audibly. But | was fool again
and did not fly as should have done.
| had lighted the gas in the dining
room, and was about to reconnoiter
when / heard quick step, and in an
instant man was upon me. | had
time to seize my hat, which | had
dropped upon the table, strike dig
nified attitude, and await develop
ments. well, said the man rath-
er sharply, what do you want?
turned, and this time met an old
chum of mine, whom / had not seen
for fifteen years. why he ex-