Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1891-02-19

| cOat-tail pocket. Then he put on MS
greatcoat, and went out as calmly as he
had come III. He found the stolen
articles somewhat heavy, SO as soon
as he was in the hanson he took them
! out and put them under the seat.
| Mrs Charles T. Van Dyke was the
| name of the hostess at the next place.
Van Bibber shot quickly up stairs and
| opened two Or three bureau drawers, a
writing-desk and a secretary, but found
nothing of value. There was an i'm
mense silver water pitcher in one cor
ner with two goblets, which he thought
of taking, but he could think of no way
of getting it out unobserved unless he
| lowered it down the elevator shaft with
q rope. In the dining-room, however,
the spoons were undisturbed rs yet, and
| lay in coy little rows on the white
| cloth. Van Bibber placed dozen of
these in each of his trousers pockets
and told the servant as he turned from
the tea urn over which he had been
! bending, that he would take two Jumps
and lemon.
| A large, heavilp-moustached stranger,
with a cup in his hand, nodded pleas
antly to Van Bibber, and asked him,
with glance at the tea, if he had got
what he wanted.
Eyes, thank you,'' said Van Bibber
cheerfully 81 think | have"
| At the next place he was somewhat
surprised to see the same stranger drink
ing more tea and apparently watching
him. But Van Bibber put this down to
| the fact that he was unduly suspicious,
and that his imagination was excited.
He was just going out without having
made any seizures, when fat, pOmpOus
gentleman, who he was sure must be
the host, took pity on his apparently
neglected condition and said: II see
you are looking over my bric-a-brac, sir.
1t is not much of a collection, and [
have not had time lately to give it the
attention it needs" Then he pro-
ceeded, at great length and with evident
satisfaction to himself, to describe each
separate piece of crOckery on the wall.
Van Bibber was greatly bored, but he
was too polite to say SO, and was re-
Warded when the gentleman said, '"This
piece of Satsuma cost me $500" Van
Bibber kept his eye on the plate, and,
when his host turned to greet new
arrival, slipped it into his coat-tail
pocket and bowed himself out.
He placed it under the seat Of the
hanson very carefully, and drove on to
the next place quite assured that he
had won his bet, but anxious to settle it
without q question or doubt. He did
mot see the stranger with the heavy
mustache pass him in close cab and
dart into the house to which he was 60
ing just q minute before. Van Bibber
elboWed his way, with many apologies,
to the third floor. There was dressing
table covered with silver trif1es, and
Van Bibber smiled complacently.
There was bed in the room, and he
could see this as he looked in the mir
ror. But he could not see under the
bed. His overcoat was on chair, and
he made several trips to it and filled
the pockets with silver-backed brushes
and combs. But on the third of these
trips his heart stood still, for out from
under the bed came the big stranger
with the heavy mustache. He came
very leisurely and determinedly.
Don't make q row. he said; 'you're
under arrest"
At that moment two young men came
into the room, pulling off their over
coats.
Help" screamed Van Bibber:
'loOk - he shouted, pointing at the de-
tectlVe. ''TheTc's a snoak-thief under
the bed" Then he fell on the officers
head just as relentlessly as he would
have dropped on a football, and banged
his nose into the carpet and sat on his
of their coats much more quickly than
they had intended doing and fell with
their keees on each OF the detectives
arms, and while they thus pinned him
to the floor they punched him vigorous
ly in the ribs and yelled.
''Look at this !" said Van Bibber,
catching up his overcoat by the tail and
spilling all the silver over the floor.
Look at what he had stored away
Hold him, will you? while | get po-
liceman."
Every one was running up the front
stairs, so he could not 90 down that way,
and SO ran to the back and went down
the kitchen stairs and on into the din
ing-room, whence all the walters had
fled. He was quite unobserved in the
confusion, and accordingly took time to
fill his pockets with spoons and forks of
heavy silver. Then he walked out
through the excited women and stepped
into his hanson, and told the driver to
go to the club.
"That detective of yours" he said
calmly, as he produced his treasures
from the bottom of the hanson, Twill
probably be around here when he gets
his nose patched up. In the meanwhile
| will ask you to value these articles
roughly and ring for some messenger
boys"
An authority said the lot was worth
500, and the separate exhibits were
promptly returned to where they be-
longed by messenger boys, who were in
structed to leave them at the door and
run. The detective was pacitied by
some of the clubs best brandy and
$50 bill. But whenever Van Bibber
enters the club now the men feel nerv-
ously for their watches and the walters
count the fcrks.-NeaU York San.
Stabbed by BiIIfish.