Evening journal., 1891-01-29


covered them with his handkerchief and
slipped them into his coattail pocket.
Then he put on his greatcoat, and went
ont as calmly as he had come in. He
found the stolen articles somewhat
heaVy, SO as soon as he was in the han
som he took them out and pu5 them
under the seat.
Mrs. Charles T. gan Dyke was the
name Of the hostess at the next place.
Van Bibber shot quickly up stairs and
opened two or three bureau drawers. q
writing desk and . secretary, but found
nothing Of value, There was an immense
silver water pitcher in one corner with
two goblets, which he thought Of talk
ing, bat he could think Of no way Of
getting it out unobseryed unless he low
cred 1t down the elevator shaft with d
rope. In the dining room, however, the
spoons We're undisturbed as 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
servants as he turned from the tea urn,
over which he had been bending, that
he would take two humps ana lemon.
a large, heavily mtlstached stranger.
with q cup in his hand, nodded pleasant.
| ~ to Van Bibber and asked him, with
| a glance at the tea, if he had got what
he wanted.
Yes, thank YOU" said Van Bibber
cheerfully. II 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 Eibber put this down to
the fact that he was unduly suspicious.
and that his imagination was excited.
lie was just going out without having
made any seizures, when a fat, ponpons
gentleman, who he was sure must be
the host, took pity on his apparently
neglected condition and said: Il see Won
are looking over my bric-a-brac, sir. 1t
IS not much Of u collection, ana | have
not had time lately to give it the atten
ton it needs. Then he proceeded. at
great length and with evident satisfac-
tion to himself, to describe each separate
piece Of crockery on the wall. Van Bib
Der was greatly bored, but he was too
polite to say SO, and was rewarded when
the gentleman said, This piece Of Sat
suma cost me five hundred dollars
Z Van Bibber kept his eve on the plase.
and when his host turned to greet a
new arrival, slipped it into his coattail
pocket and bowed himself out.
He placed it under the seat Of the han
soin very carefully, and drove ON to the
next place quite assured that he had
won his bet, but anxious to settle it
without a question or doubt. He did
not see the stranger with the heavy mus 1
tache pass him in q close cab and dart
into the house to which hc was goinr |
just a minute before him. Van Bibber
elbowed his way, with many apologies.
to the third floor. There was dressing /
table covered with silver triaes, ana Van /
Binber smiled complacently.
There was bed in the room. ana he 1
could see this as he looked il tile mirror /
But he could not see under the bea. His
overcoat was on chair. and he made 1
several trips to it ana filled tile pockets /
with silver backed brushes AHA combs l
BUG pa the third of these trips his heart
stood stif, for out from under tile Jed I
came the bis stranger with the heavy
nnslachs. he came very laisurelv ana K
determnadlE Don't make row. hs
sAd, you're under arrest
Fay tlat moment two young mon came (
lAt4 'the room, pulling oil their over !
coats
'Ilelp.' screamed Van Bibber: "loolll"
he shouted, pointing at the detective.
"lhere's sneak thief under the bed
Then he fell on the officer head inst IA
ralentlcasly as lie would have dropDed
on football, and banged his nose into
the carpet and sat on his shoulders The
two young men got out Of their coats
much more quickly than they had in
tended doing ana fell with their knees
on each Of the detectives arms, and
while they thus pinned him to The floor
they punched him vigorously in the ribs
and yelled
Look 1T this" said Van Bibber
catching MP his oyercoat by the tail and
spiillng all the silver over the door
Look at what he had stored awayl
hold Mm, viii you. while | get po-
liceman.'
Every one was running MP the front
stars, So he could not 90 down that way,
lnd So run 70 the back and went down
the kitchen stairs and on into the din
ms room, whence an the walters had
led, lie was quite unobserved in the
rontusion and accordingly took time TO
lli ms pockets with spoons and forks of
heavy silver. Then he walked out
through tho excited women, ana stepped
into his hanson, aud told the driver to
~ to The club.
That detective of yours" he said
calmly, AS he produced his treasures
from the bottom of tho hanson, "wil
probably be around here when he gets
lls nose patched up. In the mean while |
viii ask you to value these articles
roughly and ring for some messenger /
boys
An authority said tho lot was worth
S'O0, aud the separate exhibits were
returned to where they be-
.onged by messenger boys, who were in
structed TO leave them at the door aud
run. The detective WINS pacifed by
aome Of the clubs best brandy and a
twenty dollar bin. But whenever Van
Bibber enters the CLUB now the men
.eel neryously for their watches and the
walters count the forks. = New York |
sun.
Christmas Figuring.
Biffers-Tm q pretty good hand at
lglres, but there's one thing | can't mn /