Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-04

ham with significant glance at Baxter,
| who had resumed eating.
Il did not think of that" said Mr. Braith-
wait simply. My life has been threatened
so often-you know / am a railroad man
| that give little thought to the risk of an
undertaking. Professionals I suppose?''
| He looked at Montgomery, who nodded
nonchalantly and lighted cigarette.
| Mr.. Braithwait coughed.
Il wish you wouldn't" he said deprecat-
ingly. Apart from the looks 1 can't bear
cigarette smoke. There's a box Of very fine
to Graham-'ff you will join me?-thank
you again."
Graham laughed with genuine enjoyment.
yet without vulgarity.
| Il like you.' he said frankly, land am
sorry that. in the line of business" He
waved his cigar at the bag.
| Ot course, yes, of course, / know that
can't be helped" said MIR. Braithwait. smok-
ing away easily, and that's another reason
why I'm glad I came. l suppose you have
In that bag some trinkets belonging to my
wife and daughters that have special
value as mementos. 1 hear that you gentle
| men are frequently forced to sell your
piunder at simply ruinous sacrifice. and
| II occurred to me that IL we could come
| to some arrangement--you understand
ertecty; answered Graham. 1T can
early date. Provided of course" he added
| severely. that you play fair"
fhat is understood. AS a business man
gain"
At this the youngest burglar broke silence
for the first time.
You are a philosopher" he said, In a
tone OF admiration.
What sensible man is not?" responded
MI. Bratthwait cheerfully. II suppose 1T
Is capable OF proof that the accumular ted
wisdom OF the ancients amounts simply to
| the homely proverb, What can't be cured
| must be endured My business is a sort of
war, and have my defeats as well as my
victories; l . must bear them both with
so is ours" said the youngest burglar.
AS Horace says in his 'Epistles,' 'Caedi-
mur, Q totidem plagis consumimus hos
Permit me-" returned Mr. Braithwait,
to reply with Catullus NIL mihi tam yalde
placeat. Rhamnusia virgo, ouod temere in
| Wits suscipiatur heris.' f"
MONTGOMERY flushed slightly, and Baxter
use Of foreign languages
Ot course l do not claim that enjoy
being robbed" continued Mr.. Braithwait
but l realize that 1t Is not as bad as IL
nisn. oe. Last week you would have
caught me with two thousand in cash in
the mouse, and last month you would have
norribiy scared my wife and daughters"
NOT Tor worlds" murmured Mr.. Mont
gomery.
We'll. you might have done so-women
nave SUCH a detestation Of robbers except
when they are in Jail The pleasure of vonr
vlslt-I limited that l could extract pleas
ures from adversity-lies in the fact that il
brings me In contact with a profession
nave previously known only by hearsay. /
suppose 1 may take it for granted you gen
uemen are experts?
We've been there before" said Raxter
coarsely. '1-N 'aA'ef'
an experience of fourteen years is any
guarantees then am an expert" said era
nam, with a certain air of nride IN bis
tones. Our friend there" noddinp at Ray
yer, mas. l believe, been in the profession
SINCE childhood. while Mr."-indica tinp
rvn NJ" emery r with his cigar-"youn excuse
ais sk, me workman. I admit. but this is
don't wonder that he"-and Mr.
mains in the business, but that Won sbonId
follow the vocation for fourteen wears sur.
pr1ses me greatly
b,s i ntiTHI au.risd Graham. with percepa-
because you appear to be a sensible
MAN, ana should not think the business
~I huu pay =. What is your annual income as
On an average. should say thre,, tbous-
and year"
=, ana you are an expert. 1 receive six
thousand q year, and 1 am only assistant
general freight agent and have been but
49, weNe years In the business. Then 1 NAV
inler that these two gentlemen make much
Tess than three thousand?'
We seen the week when I didn't make
hod T nnI wages growied Baxter. who
ing TO smoke black wooden nine
fou re not so sensible as / thougbt - 70.
Ioiiieo ar. braithwait. frankly 81 can east
inasIhe man exposing himself to dread
iui hangers and cruel privations when there
Is great prize in view. An expIorer ill.,
Stanley, pioneer like Pike or Fremont
conqueror like Cortez, or a reyolutionIs,
lRe washington could well brave hardship
Wen as the plaudits Of their fellow men
Inc cary settlers of this and every otber
country, the gold hunters of 40, the pirates
VINO raVageo the seas, all were actuated
put TO risk prison. to say nothing of life
ITSELF Tor day laborer's wages"
au.' spoke up Montgomery. quickly,
there Is fame, IL not fortune"
Pardon me. In what way?''
In the usual way. Who has NOT heard
or Hickey, the man who cracked twentv
banks before they tripped him up; Peters,
the Chicago expert?"
Il hope" said Mr.. Braithwait. gently. "I
won't offend you when say never heard
of those gentlemen"
rs ii pOssible.
Honestly, l never did"
90. You have surely heard Of Red Learyr.
can't recall his name"
George Post? Louis I,udIum7 Dat. n.
CARNEY? Miles Ogle?"
Don't know them"
Perhaps... sarcastically, you don't read
the papers," eau
Yes, do, and have a good memory 7
can say without boasting that I have ON
my tongues end all the professional. lii
erary and artistic names in America and
many In Europe. In my library / have
many biographies, but none of which a
burglar is the theme nor do 1 recall the
names OF celebrated criminal, unless"
pleasantly, he has been hanged"
yet there are famous names in our pro-
fession," persisted the young burglar, some
what sullenly.
"oh. yes" admitted Mr.. Braithwait, TAX
ing small drink of claret. Literature
has preserved Claude Duval, Jack Shep-
herd. Dick Turpin-all hung-Fra Diavolo.
who was shot. and even our own James
and Younger boys; and have heard
vaguely of one Billy the Kid somewhere
out west. In a general sense literature and
the drama are saturated with bandits,
brfgands and outlaws sometimes comical
sometimes heroic, but you will excuse me
II maintain that you stand on a different
footing. Those fellows always had a poet
icai backing; somebody or something had
driven them to their illegal calling but
you can scarcely make a similar claim
Il don't know about that" protested
Baxter, doggedly. Who'd give me a job?"
Did you ever try"
No; nor / amt goin' tor
las l supposed. Honest work is pIenti-
ful, therefore you are absolutely without
excuse. No one has usurped Your name
and fortune stolen your ancestral homo or