The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-02-01
4 RETIRED euRLoAR.s STORY.

A RETIRED 6URLGAR'S STORY.
Curious Happenings in . House in . Penn.
sylvania Town.
think that about as curious an ex-
perience as ever had said a retired
burglar to reporter, 81 had in town
in western Pennsylvania. 81 had got
into fine big house there without
much trouble, and had found things
when got inside about as expected
to find them. There was some silver
in the dining room, and nipped few
little things that could get into my
overcoat pockets handily, but l had
other things in mind. and went on in
to the next room, which turned out to
be the library. As 1 threw my light
around this room, / saw on a table in
the center magazine open and lying
face downward l picked up this
magazine and turned my bulls eye on
it, and saw that it was open at the be-
ginning of story. The title caught
my eye, and stood there for moment
with the magazine in one hand and the
bulrs-eye in the other, and read few
lines 1t seemed to be mighty inter-
esting story. Whoever had been read
ing the magazine had sat in a big
leather chair, which still remained
alongside the table. 1 sat down in
Shis big chair, stood the bulfs-eye on
the table at my elbow where its light
would strike the pages, and began to
read, and became so interested that
forgot that l was there on business
81 don't know how long I had been
reading. maybe twenty minutes or SO.
when l felt hand on my right shoul-
der. / looked up and saw standing
alongside of me tall man in dress
ing gown. He had lamp in his right
hand; he had touched me with his left,
and that hand still remained upon my
shoulder. He looked down upon me
coolly. confess that as far as I was
concerned / was surprised, and when
he asked me what l was doing there /
was at first actually too fiabbergasted
to reply, but I finally told him l was
reading a story in that magazine.
He asked me what story was reading,
and told him. I thought saw just
the faintest flicker of a smile on his
face at that, but couldn't be certain
about it,
"'What do you think of it?' says ne.
81 had come back to myself by this
time. and l told him / thought he
ought to be able to see what / thought
of it himself; that l was interested
in it enough to let him come down and
find me reading it, but that wouldn't
undertake to say what thought about
it absolutely until had finished read
ing it.
"'Well, says the man, don't let me
interrupt you. Go ahead and finish it.
''He was looking perfectly calm and
cool, just as he had been when I first
looked up at him. He set his lamp
down on the table by the bulrs-eye
and pulled up big chair himself on
the other side, and got another chair
to put his feet on; he had only slippers
on, and I suppose he thought his feet
would be cold ON the floor He sat
down on the big chair, put his feet up
up on the other, and pulled his dress
ing gown up around his legs, making
himself quite comfortable. Then he
picked up book off the table and
went to reading, while he waited for
me to finish the story. When 1 had
finished it the man said:
"'Well, what do you thing of it
now?'
"And 1 told him, and that's what
did think about it, that l thought it
was immense.
'"The man laid bown his book and
got up on his seat again. He picked up
his lamp and stood there for moment
holding it and looking at me. He said
nothing, but it was perfectly clear to
me that he was about politely to bow
me out of the house. j laid down the
magazine and picked up my bull's-eye
and moved toward the door just as
might have done if had been guest.
The tall man opened the door and
calmly bowed me out. AS / went down
the steps heard him boiling the door
after me.
"You know wondered who it could
be, but when came to find out, / won
dered that hadn't thought of it my
self before: he was the man that wrote
the story."-N. Y. Sun.