Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-03-06

severely.
II don't mean to say" he continued,
''that my friend here tried any thing
like that. Every word he said was per-
fectly true, as could personally testify
if was called upon the stand, and what
I'm goin' to tell you is likewise solid
fact.
''My father was a cracksman, and
fiHt-rate one, too; he brought me up to
the business, beginning when I was very
small. | don't remember havin' any
mother, so I'll leave her out. My old
man was very particular, he liked TO see
things done right. One day was with
him and we saw timer mailing new
leader or tin water-spout to the side OF
house.
"'Lool1 here, young man. says dad,
you're maxim pretty poor job OF that.
You don't put in enough nails, and they
amt half drove in. Supposin' there was
a fire in that house some night, and the
family had to come down by the spout,
and your nails would give way and they'd
break their necks? What would you
think then? And l can tell you what it
is, young man, l can appear ag in you for
doing poor work.
1.-THE timer grumbled, but he used
more nails and drove 'em tight, dad and
me standin' by an looking at him. One
rainy night not long after this dad took
me out with him and we stopped in
front of this house. Now, Bobbie,'
said he, Il want you to climb into that
open second-story window and then
slip downstairs and open the front door
for me; the family's at dinner
"'How am to get up, dad% said L.
''Oh, you can go up the spout says
he; 'Ill warrant that it will hold you.
I've seen to it that it was put on good
and strong
81 tried it, and, as far as / can remem-
Der, never went up safer spout"
"And you opened the front door?"
asked Aunt Martha.
"Indeed did, ma said the burglar"
"You wouldn't catch me maxim no
mistakes in that line.
"After awhile / got too heavy to
climb spouts and took to the regular
business; and did well at it, too"
"Do you mean to say" asked Aunt
Martha, "that you willingly and pre-
meditatedly became thief and mid
night robber?"
'That's what / am, ma'am," said he;
81 don't make no bones about it. I'm
number one, double-extra, back-springed,
copper-fastened burglar, with all the at
tachments and noiseless treadle. That's
what am, and no mistake. There's all
kinds of businesses in this world, and
there's got to be people to work at every
one of 'em, and when fellow takes any
particular line his business is to do 1t
we'll; that's my motto. When / break
into a house | make it point to clean
it out first-class and not to carry away
no trash nuther. OF course I've had my
ups and my downs like other people
preachers and doctors and store-keepers.
They all have them, and i guess the
downs are more amusin' than the ups, at
least to outsiders. I've just happened
to think of one of them and I'll let you
have it.
"There was man / knew named Jerry
Hammond that was contractor, and
sometimes he had pretty big jobs on
hand, buildin' or road maxim or some
thin or other. He'd contract to do any
thing, would Jerry, no matter whether
he'd ever done it before or not. got to
know his times and seasons for collect
ing money and laid for him."
Accountable meannessp exclaimed
my wife.
cts all business, said the stout man,
unite unabashed. "You don't catch
doctor refusin' TO practice on friend,
or lawyer, nuther, and in our line OF
business it's the same thing. 1t was
about the end Of October, nigh four
years ago, that found out that Jerry
had lot of money on hand. He'd been
colleetin' it from different parties, and
had got home too late in the day to put
it in the bank, so, says to myself, this
is your time, old fellow, and you'd bet
ter make hay while the sun shines.
was little afraid TO crack Jerry's house
by myself, for he's strong old fellow,
so got man named Putty Henderson
to go along with me. Putty was a big
fellow and very handy with a jimmy,
but he was awful contrary minded, and
he wouldn't agree to clean out Jerry un-
til promised to go halves with him.
This wasn't fair, for it wasn't his job,
and quarter would have been lots for
him
''But there wasn't no use arguin', and
along VIC went, and about one O'Clock we
was standin' alongside Jerry's bed, where
he was fast asleep. He was a bachelor
and lived pretty much by himself.
give him punch to waken him up, for
we'd made up our minds that that was
the way to work this job. 1t wouldn't
pay us to go around huntin' for Jerry's
money. He was such sharp old fellow
it was six to four we'd never find it. He
sat up in bed with jump like hop
toad, and looked first at one and then at
the other of us. We both had masks
on, and it wasn't puzzlin' to guess what
we was there fur.
"'Jerry Hammond says l, speakin'
rather rough and husky, we knows
you've got lot o. money in this house
and we've come fur it. We mean bust