Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-01-29
THREE BURGLARS.
BY FRANK r. STOCKTON.
tCOPYr' CIT, 1c2".l

cas- we were rall:iEg to the station.
as the business 70 be attended to was
out of town, this man. whose name is
James Barlow, talked to ne in such q
way that began to suspect that he in
tended to commit burglary. and open
ly charged him with this evil purpose.
You may call it burglary, or any thing
else you please said he; property is
very uncqually divided in this world,
and it is my business in life to make
wrong things right as far as ] can. l
am going to the house of a man who has
n great deal more than he needs, and l
haven't any thing like as much as l
need; and so l intend to take some of
his overplus-not very much, for when
l leave his house he will still be q rich
man, and III be q poor one. But for a
time my family will not starve.' Ar
que as you please, James Barlow
said, what you are going do is nothing
less than burglary of course it is
said he, but it's all right, all the same.
There lot of people, Thomas, who are
not as particular about these things as
they used to be, and there is no use for
you TO seem better than your friends
and acquaintance. Now, to show there
are not so many bigots as there used
to be.
"'Thercs d young man going to meet
us at the station who is greatly inter-
ested in the study OF social problems.
He is going along with us just to look
into this sort of thing and study it. 1t
is impossible for him to understand pco-
pie OF our class or do any thing to mako
their condition better if he does not
thoroughly investigate their me thods of
life and action. He's going along just
as student. nothing moro. and he may be
down on tho whole thing fer all l know.
lie pays me five dollars for tho priv
ilcgc of accompanying mo, and whether
he likes it or not is his business. l want
you to go along as o mcchanic and If
your conscience wont let yCH tax" any
share in the profit III just Fay y0u for
your time James Barlow said |, L
am going with you. but for a purpose far
different from that you desire. l shall
keep by your side, and if cen diss,lado
you from committing tho cn':-.lc You in
tend l shall do so, but if | fail in this
and You deliberately break into a house
for purposes of robbery shall arouse
the inmates and Illustrate your crime
Now. James Barlow" said he. turning to
the stout man with q severe expression
on his stronglymarkCd face, is not what
l have said perfectly true? Did you not
say TO mo every word which l have just
repeatedly
The stout man looked at the other in
very odd way His face seemed to
broaden and redden, and he merely
closed his eyes as he promptly answered:
"Thats just what l said, every blasted
word of it. You've told il fair and
square, leavin' off nothin and putin in
nothin'. You've told the true facts out
and out, up and down, without break. :"
"Now. ladies'" continued tho tall
man, ''you sec my story is corroborated,
and 1 will conclude it by saying that
when this house, in spit" OF my pro-
test, had been opened, l entered with
the others with the firm intention of
stepping into & hallway or some other
suitable place and announcing in
lC I'D voice that the house was
about to be robbed. AS soon IS l
four the family aroused and my
porposc accomplished 1 intended to de-
part as quickly as possible, for. on ac-
count OF the shadow cast upon me by
my fathers crime, l must never be
found even in the vicinity of crinina |
action. But as l was passing through
| this room | could not resist the invita-
ton of Barlow to partakc of the refresh
mcnts which we saw upon the table. l
was faint from fatigue and insufficient
nourishmcnt. 1t seemed very little
thing to take drop of wine in house
where I was about to confer 4 great ben
eft. yielded to the temptation, and
now am punished. Partaking even of