Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-03-24
NOT a COMMON BURGLAR.
els Experience with the. Literary Man
Was out Of the Usual Run.

els Experience with tho. Literary Man |
Was Out Of the Usual Run.
II think that about as curious an
experience as 1 ever had" said q re- |
tired burglar who was chatting con.
fidentially with a writer for the New
York Sun, II had in town In west |
ern Pennsylvania. / had got into
fine, big house there without very
much trouble and had found things
when l got inside about as l expected
TO find them. There was some silver
in the dining.room and l nipped
few things that ! could get into my
oyercoat pockets handily, but had
other things in mind and l went on
into TIE next room which turned out
to be the library As l threw my
light around the room ! saw on
table in the center q magazine open
and lying face downward. I picked
I'D this magazine and turned my
bulps.eye on 1t, and saw that 1t was
open at the beginning Of a story.
The title caught my eye and stood
there for a moment with the maya.
zine ia one hand and the bulrs.eye
In the other, and read few lines; II
seemed tn be nightly interesting
story Whoever had been reading
the magazine had sat In big leather
chair, which still remained alongside
the table. l sat down In this big
chair, stood the bulls.eye on the
table at my elbow, where its light
would strike the pages, and began to
read, and became 80 interested that
forgot tina. 1 was there on business.
Il don't know how long had been
reading, maybe twenty minutes or so,
when I felt q hand on my right
shoulder. / looked Up and saw
standing alongside Of me tall man
in q dressing gown. lie had lamp
in his right hand; he had touched
me with his left, and that hand still
remained on my shoulder. He looked
down upon me coolly. confess that
as far as was concerned I was sur.
prised, and when he asked me what
! was doing there was actually too
fabbergasted to reply, but l finally
told him I was reading story In
that magazine. lie asked me what
story was reading and / told him.
I thought I saw just the faintest
flicker OF a smile on his face a. that,
but ! couldn't DO certain about it.
"What do you think Of it?" -
says he.
II had come back to myself by this
time, and told him thought he
ought to be able to see what I
thought OF 1t himself: that was In.
tercstcd in 1t enough to let him come
down and 1nd me there reading II,
but that wouldn't undertake to say
what ! thought about 1t absolutely
until I had finished reading 1t.
"'Well. says the man, don't let
me interrupt you. Go ahead and
finish It.
',iic was looking perfectly calm and
cool, Just as he had been when first
looked up at him. lilo set his lamF
down on the table BY the bull's.eyt
and pulled up big chair himself Or
the other side and got another chail
to put his feet on; he had only slip
pcrs on and suppose he thought his
feet would be cold on tho hoOf, II,
ga: down in the big chair, put hi
feet up on the other and pulled hi
dressing gown up around his legs
uONtuk uiuSCst luhVo SOtuios VoDsS'
Then he picked up q book OIL tn
table and went to reading while HI
waited for me to finish the story
When I had finished II the man said
"Wcll, what do you think OF i
now"
'And told him. and 'that's wha
I did think about 1t. that ! Though
It was immense Tho man laid dow
his book and got up on his feet again
He picked up his lamp and stoo'
there tor moment holding 1t an'
looking at me. He said nothing, bu
1t was perfectly clear to me that h
was about politely to bow me out Q
the house. l laid down the maya
Zinc and picked up my bull's.cye. an,
moved toward the door just Is
might have done II I had been
guest Tho tall man orened tn
door and calmly bowed me out. A
! went down the steps heard hir
boiling the door after me. You kno'
! wondered who he could be, bu
when came to lind out l wondere
that / hadn't thought Of 1t mysel
before; he was the man who wrot