Tombstone epitaph., 1891-08-02
KISSED BY A BURGLAR.
rbe Story or a san Frsneisoo Giri's sfid.
 night Adventure

CT heard the pddost of all burglar stories when l vas olt on the Pacific soast." said New Yorker who has just rsturncd from there to New York Snn exporter "It was told me as having happened to household in a suburb of san Francisco. Private detectives were employed to hunt the desperate, but the fear Of publicity hid the case from the authorities. In the front hall room Oh the second floor of a dctaE he'd house slept the daughter of the house, the other members Of the family being only her father and mother. The Chinese servant was in all probability at some friends laundry or over in san Francis co smoking opium, a- those servants are almost certain to be after nightfall. But he does not count, at any rate. The young lady was not asleep. She was "a very poor health. and part of her sil- mont was an inability to sleep except in cat-naps. She heard a noise on the porch beneath her window. and min- uts later her window was thrown open and a man stepped lightly into the room. Without halting to see if his action had aroused any one he passed along the very narrow passage between her bed and her truRh--a way so narrow that 1t was the young lady's custom 70 sit on her bed and search her trunk and to lace her shoes by putting one foot at A time upon the trunk while she was seated on the bod.
 As the burglar passed along beside the bed he dropped one hand upon the young woman's head. and then let it re- main in that position as be moved. and it swept along her side over the bed rlOthes. But whs. "iS hand reached ner feet he pinched Al.< soes. gently and mischievously, and passed out Of the room into the hall. She did not dare to scream, nor did she care Jo venture out after the thief. While she lay there, dreadfully frightened and wondering what Co do, back came the man. He stood in her room. closed and locked the door, end then sat down on the bed.
 Now said he, in gentle voice not at all modulated to avoid being heard, I know that you are awake, and l am going to sit here and talk with you. Upon my honor as a burglar of reputa- tion and good instincts, l will not hurt you. In only one way will transgress the rules of good breeding. l am going Co kiss you, that is all.
 The young woman found her voice and screamed.
 Oh, said the burglar. I am sorry you are frigh tened. I have half a mind to go away and come again when you are more accustomed to my presence. But. no; can not do that. only mean to take one kiss
 At this point her screams were at her loudest, and the noise she made was such as to wake any but dead household, one would have thought.
 '''I really wish you would not do that said the burglar It will not deter me. What do l care? can only die at the outside, and l am not in the least afraid to die. have seen you again and again on the streets, and I have made up my mind to risk every thing in order to kiss yOu-to kiss you when you are awake, and know that I am stealing the favor, for To"ld not risk a day in jail to kiss a w"maK asleep. We'll, if you won't stop screaming l can not see any use in delaying-'
 Here he put an arm under the girls shoulders, and, gently raising her body, he bent his own and kissed her on her lips as lightly and respectfully as if she had been his maiden aunt. With that he lowered her, still screaming, to her pillow, and leaped out of the window. Her screams brought her father and mother, all too late, and they found her able to tell all that had taken place. Yet in an hour she had grown delirious. and it was month before she was even mentally herself again. The bravo wss never captused."