Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-01-28
BURGLARS.
BY FRANK R. STOCKTON.
tCOPYElCHr, 1881

''Wn iioated slowly, for Tie tide was
just beginning to turn, and when we got
near the house l mentioned l no.
ticod that there was now no light in it.
When we were about opposite to it
father suddenly looked up and said, not
speaking very loud: BY George! if that
isn't Williamson Green's house. l
wasn't thinliin' of it when we rowed up,
and passed it without taking notice Of
it. l am sorry for that, for wanted to
SEQ Williamson, and now l expect he has
gone to bed
"'Who is Mr.. Green" asked.
"'He's an old friend of mine said my
father, and l haven't seen him for
some littlo while now. About four
months ago no borrowed of me sex
tant, quadrant and chronometer. They
were instruments 1 took from old Cap
tain Barney in payment Of some work l
did for him. l WASH usin' them, and
Williamson had bought a cat-boat and
was studying navigation, but he has given
up that fad now and has promised mo
over and over to send me back my in
strumcnts, but he has never done it. If
I'd thought of it l would have stopped
and got EN- Of him, but didn't think,
and now l expect he has gone to bed.
However, I'll row in shore and see; per-
haps he's up yet
"Iou see, ma am said the speaker
to my wife, I'm tellin' you all these
particulars because l am very anxious
you should understand exactly how
every thing happened on this night
which was the turning point of my
life"
Very good said Aunt Martha, I'VE
want to hear all the particulars
well, them" continued the burglar,
| Two pulled up to q stone wall which
was at tho bottom of Green's place and
made fast, and father he got out and
went up to tho house. After a good
while he came back and said that he was
pretty sure Williamson Green had gone
to bed, and as it wouldn't do to wakcn
people up from their sleep to ask them
for nautical instruments they had Dor
rowed, he 81 down for minute on the
top of the wall and then he slapped
his knee, not making much noise. though.
by George he said, AN idea has
just struck me. l can play the pref
test trick on Williamson that ever was
played on mortal man. Those instru-
ments are all in box locked up and /
know just where he keeps it. ] saw it
not long ago, when l went to his house
to talk about n yacht he wants built.
They are on n table in the corner of his
bedroom. He was taking me through
the house to show me the improvements
he had made, and he said to me:
""Martin, there's your instruments,
won't trouble you to take them with
you, because they're heavy, and you're
not going straight home, but I'll bring
them to you day after tomorrow, when
l shall be goin' your way
"Now, then, said my father, the trick
I'm thinkin' of playing on Williamson
is this: Id like to take that box of in
strumcnts out of his room without his
knowing it and carry thcm home, hav-
ing the boat here convenient: and then
| in day or two to write to him and tell
| him l must have EN-, because l have "
special use for them. OF course, he'll
be awfully cut up, not having them to
send back, and when he comes down to
my place to talk about it, and after
hearing all he has to say, III show him
the box. He'll be the most dunn
foundcst man in this State. and if I
don't choose to tell him he'll never
know to his dying day how l got that
box. And if he lies awake at night,
trying to think how got it, it will serve
him right for keeping my property
from me SO long
"'But, father said l, If the people
have gone to bed you can't get into tho
house to play him your trick
THAT can be managed says he. I'm
rather old for climbing myself but
know way by which you, Thomas, can
get in easy enough. At the back of the
house is q trellis with a grapevine run
ming over it, and the top of it is just
under one of the second-story windows
You can climb up that TROLLS, Thomas,
and lift up that window-sash, very care
fully, sos not to make no noise, and
get in, then you'll be in back room
with door right in front of you which
opens into Mr.. and Mrs. Green's bed
room. There's always little night
lamp burning in it, by which you can see
to get about. In the corner, on your
right as you go into the room, is a table
with my instrument-box standing on it.
The box is pretty heavy and there is @
handle on top to carry it by. You needn't
be afraid to go in, for by this7time they
are both sound asleep and you can pick
up the box and walk out as gingerly as
cat, havin', of course, taken your shoes
off before you went in. Then you car
hand the box out the back window tt
mel can climb up high enough tx
reach it-and you can scuttle down, and
t we'll be off, having the best rig or
Williamson Green that 1 ever heard O.
in my born days
81 was a very active boy, used tx
climbing and all that sort of thing, anc
had no doubt that could easily ge
into the house, but did not fancy m,
fathers scheme.
"'Suppose,' 1 said, that Mr.. Will
hanson Green should wake up and SCI
me, what could I say? How could ex
plain my situation?
"'You needn't say any thing SAT-
my father. IF he wakes up blow GU
the light and scoot. If you happen t.
have the box in your hand drop it GU
the back window and then slip dow