The morning call., 1894-05-29
FEAR OF ROBBERS.
Early Morning Adven-
lures of a Clerk.
He Had Money With Him and Was
Determined That a Footpad
Should Not Get 1t.

A clerk in a wholesale house on Cali
fornia street, near Drumm. has been lead
ing a miserable existence ever since last
Friday. owing to his friends having be-
come acquainted with the circumstances
of an adventure which befell him two
nights before. 1t is not even necessary 20
mention his name as the 'jOshing" which
he receives daily is sufficient TO keep him
in misery for some time to come.
Last Wednesday evening be was return
ing TO his house in thew estern Addition
from a social gathering of friends. He
had helped nobly in assisting the social
bowl TO pass around at convenient inter
walls so that its contents would not suffer
from stagnatiOn, but at the same time he
had not INDUCED to that extent where
reason quits and inebriety begins.
He had not been home to dinner that
evening. and, according to custom, had
quite sum Of money about him belonging
to the firm, which he did not wish to leave
over night at the store.
LabOrinE under the responsibility of the
money in his possession and the weight Of
recollectiOns OF the evenings enjoyment,
his thoughts gradually fixed themselves
upon the subject Of f0otpsds until he be
came convinced that he stood a good
chance of being stood up by one of the
gentry on that particular evening. He
took to the middle of the street at once. it
being long after the hour when the cable
cars had retired. and stuck 10 il until he
came to his block.
Owing to the ateness Of the hour, and
knowing that any undue noise might add
to the frigidity of the domestic atmos-
phere, he approached his home very
cautiously, and even peeIed around the
fence corner to see If there was 4 light In
the window" There was no light in the
window, but under the shade of palm
tree in his front garden he saw a tall
shadow of what appeared TO be q man.
What else could ii be but footpad. who.
knowing that he often came home with
money, was awaiting him. The belated
clerk drew back and pOndered on the stu
alton. 1t would not do to enter the front
gate while that wicked fellow in the foot
steps of Claude Duval was there. He
would walk around awhile anu come back.
and perhaps by that time the footpad
would be gone.
He walked around eight OF ten blocks.
and on his return cautiously peered around
the fence again. The shadow was still
there.
Course the fellow" muttered the clerk,
and he went off on another spin. Twice
did he stroll around and twice did he peer
around the fence corner and behold the
| bad man of the night waiting for him.
1t was now after 4 O'Clock and PhGbus
began Harvesting up his horses in the
east preparatory to his days WORK, and
the clerk decided that something must be
/ done. a happy idea struck him. He
! could climb over several back fences and
! thereby reach his own rear yard. He did
| so and succeeded in reaching his w0odshed.
! He entered that. and, overcome by his
exertions in elndng the footpad, he fell
! asleep in the wOOdpile.
It was there his wife found him in the
morning, and with a stern countenance
! listened to his thrilling story of his escape
! from the clutches of fierce robber. She
heard Gim through in cold silence, and
then said:
well, John, I'm glad you saved the
past | wish you would go and carry in
that roll of new linoleum from the front
yard. You know you ordered it Yesterday
morning. but the man dldn't get it here till
late, and just dumped it in the yard.
| managed TO stand it up undrr The tree
but | couldn't get it in the house. If YOU
had come home for dinner last night you
might have brought it in
| Johns wife happened to mention tbs
affair TO her neXt-doOr neighbor, she told
her husband, and he-well up to date
nearly all Johns friends knew of it
Naturally they inquire why he did not
instead of going TO sleep on the woodpile
take one of the logs and smite the foOtpaC
from the rear by making an unexpected
! sneak on him.