Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-03-06


house.
"'Look 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 can tell you what 1t
is. Young man, 1 can appear ag'in you for
| doing poor work.
esThe 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 60 up the spout. says
he: I'll 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, 1 never went up a safer spout"
sAnd you opened the front door?
asked Aunt Martha.
Indeed did, ma am said the burglar
sYou wouldn't catch me maxim nc
mistakes in that line.
"After awhile I got too heavy to
climb spouts and took to the regular
business: and did well vt it, too"
"Do you mean to say" asked Aunt
Martha, s'that you willingly and pre-
meditatedly became thief and mid
night robber?"
That's what 1 am, ma'am," SAID ne
81 don't make no bones about It, I'm
number one, double-extra, back-spr1nged
1copper-fastened burglar, with all the at
tachments and noiseless treadle. That
!. what l am, and no mistake. There's al
kinds of businesses in this world, ant
there's got to be people to work at ever
one of 'em, and when fellow takes an
particular line his business Is to do l
we'll; that's my motto. When 1 breaI
into a house make it point to cIea'
it out frst-class and not to carry ava
no trash nuther. OF course I've had m
ups and nv downs like other people
preachers and doctors and store-keeper:
They all have them, and L guess tn
downs are more amusin' than the ups, a
least to outsiders. I've just happene
to think of one of them and I'll let 20
have it.
'eThere was man knew named Jerr
Hammond that was contractor, an
sometimes he had pretty big jobs
hand. buildin' or road maxim or SOM
thin or other. He'd contract to do an
= thing, would Jerry, no matter whetht
= he'd ever done it before or not. got
: know his times and seasons for coIIec
ing money and laid for him."
= "Abominable meanness!" exclaime
" my wife.
% cts all business" said the stout ma
n quite unabashed. ''You don't catch
doctor refusin' to practice on frien
IT or lawyer, nuther, and in our line
K business it's the same thing. 1t w
about the end of October, nigh TO
re- wears ago, that found out that Jer
I'd had lot of money on hand. He'd bee
collectin' it from different parties, al
w had got home too late in the day to p
d. it in the bank, so, says to myself, tn
n is YOUR time, old fellow, and you'd bt
10 ter make hay while the sun shines.
was a little afraid to crack Jerry's hou
@. by myself, for he's strong old felIo
II so 7 got a man named Putty Henders
to go along with me. Putty was b
ID fellow and very handy with jimm
1 but he was awful contrary minded, a
he wouldn't agree to clean out Jerry L
be til I promised to go halves with hi
1r This wasn't fair, for it wasn't his j
ey and quarter would have been lots
ny him
"But there wasn't no use arguiR', a
lie along we went, and about one o'clock
was standin' alongside Jerry's bed, wh'
tn he was fast asleep. He was bache
in and lived pretty much by himself.
i'd, give him punch to waken him up,
Up we'd made up our minds that that v
to the way to work this job. 1t would
ID nav us to 60 around huntin' for Jerr
he money. He was such sharp old fell
id il was six to four we'd never find 1t.
a sat up in bed with jump like n
,ly toad. and looked first at one and the1
er, the other of US. We both had ma
he on, and it wasn't puzzlin' to guess W
he we was there fur.
"'Jerry Hammond says 1, speai
re- rather rough and husky, we KIN
Lsk you've got lot O. money in this no
tie and we've come fur it. We mean b
roqe and there's no use foolin'. You
e." give it to US quiet and easy, and kee
alt whole head on your shoulders, or
it lay you out ready fur wake and
got ourselves to the funds; and now
in, pays your money and you can take J
I'M, choice how you do it. There's not
N tn