Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-02-27
THE STORIES
THREE BURGLARS.
BY FRANK B. STOCKTON.
[CoPYRIGH9, 1SS9.l
ICONTINUED.

GAS we were walking to the station,
as the business to be attended to was
out of town, this man, whose name is
James Barlow, talked to me in such a
way that began to suspect that he in
tended to commit burglary, and open
1y charged him with this evil purpose.
you may call it burglary, or any thing
else you please said he; property is
very unequally divided in this world,
and it is my business in life to make
wrong things right as far as l can. l
am going to the house of man who has
a 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
] leave his house he will still be a rich
man, and I'll be poor one. But for
time my family will not starve.' Ar
que as cyou please, James Barlow
said, what you are going to do is nothing
less than burglary 'Of course it Isl
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 acquaintances. Now, to show there
are not so many bigots as there used
to be.
"'There's young man going to meet
us at the station who is greatly inter
sested in the study Of social problems.
He is going along with US just to look
into this sort of thing and study it. 1t
as impossible for him to understand peo-
pie of our class or do any thing to make
their condition better if he does not
thoroughly investigate their methods of
life and action. He's going along just
as student, nothing more, and he may be
down on the whole thing for all know.
He pays me five dollars for the priv
ilege of accompanying me, and whether
he likes itor not is his business. l want
you to go along as a mechanic, and if
your conscience won't let you take any
share in the profit I'll just pay you for
your time James Barlow said I, 4
am going with you, but for purpose far
different from that you desire. 1 shall
keep by your side, and If can dissuade
you from committing the crime you in
tend 1 shall do so, but if fail in this
and you deliberately break into house
for purposes of robbery 1 shall arouse
the inmates and Illustrate your crime.
Snow, James Barlow" said he, turning to
the stout man with severe expression
on his strongly-marked face, is notwhat
have said perfectly true? Did you not
say to me every word which have just
repested?"
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:
''That's just what said, every blasted
word of it. You've told 1t fair and
square, leavin' OF nothin' and putin in
nothin' You've told the true facts out
and out, up and down, without q break"
'NSw, ladies'" continued the tall
man, you see my story is cOrrobOrated,
and Will conclude it by saying that
when this house, in spite of my pro-
test, had been opened, 1 entered with
the others with the firm intention of
into hallway or some other
suitable place and announcing in
loud voice that the house was
about to be robbed. AS soon as l
found the family aroused and my