Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-02-13
R1Jlesp euRolAR's STORY.

~ think about a. curious an ex-
periencc ss I ever had" said u reformed
burglar 20 a New York sun man, III had
In a town In Pennsylyanla. ! had got
Into fine big house there without much
trouble, aud had found things when
got lnsid. about az expected to hnd
them. There was some silver In the din
Ing room, and nlppcd n few little
things that could get Into nv o,ercoat
pocket. haudlly, but had other things
In my mind aud ! went on Into the next
room, which turned out to be the
library. "a threw my light around
the room I ssw ou table In the centre
mags ,Inc open and ylng face downward.
picked W this magazine aud turned
my bull'. eve on II, and saw that u Was
open at the beginning of . story. The
title caught my eye aud ! siood there Tor
a moment With the magazine In one hand
and the bulls eve In the other, aud read
q few lines. II seemed to lie nightly
Interesting story. Whoever had been
reading the magazine had at In q blk
leather chair, which stlll remained
alongside the table. sat down In the
big chair. stood the bull'. eye on the
table al INV elbow, where It, light would
strike the psges, aud began To rad. aud
became so interested that ! forgot that
WAS there on business.
II don't know how long had been
reading, maybe twenty minutes or So,
when I felt q hand laid on my right
shoulder. . looked up and saw stand
ing alongside of me tall man In q
dressing gown. ~. had lamp la hls
right hand; he had touched me With his
left, aud that hand still remaiDed on my
shoulder. lie looked down upon me
coolly. I conf-.s that as far n ! VAS
concerned was surprised, and when he
asked me what ! vss doing there was
At iirst actually too nabbergast-i To rc-
ply. hut I finally told him was reading
story Ia that magazine. lie asked me
whst story was reading and told hlm.
I thought .aw Just the fsini..t flicker
ofa smile on hi. face st that, but ]
couldn't be certain about u.
"What do you think of iif' says he.
II had come hack Ia myself by this
tim. and told him ! thought he ought
To be able To- see what thought 10 II
himself: that I was Interested enough to
let him come down and hnd me there
reading n, but that I wouldn't under
take to say what thought about u sb-
soluiely until I hsd finished reading II.
"Wcll,' says the mAn, don't LET me
interrupt yon. TO ahead aud flni.h u.
"Ile VA. locking perfectly calm snd
coOl. just a. be- had been when ] first
hooked up N him. lie set hls lsmp
down on the table by the bull. eye, and
pulled up big chair hlm.elf on the
other .ide, aud got another chair Ia put
hi. feet on; he had only slippers an,
and I suppose he thought hi. feet would
be cold on the noor. lie at down Ia
the big chair. put hl. feet up on th.
other, aud pulled hi. dressing gown up
around his leg., making himself quite
comfortable. Then be picked up book
OF the table aud went Ia reading, while
he waited for me To finish the story.
When had dnl.h-i II the man said:
"Well, shat do YOU think ~ u nov :
"And told him, and that. what did
think about II, that I thought II Was lm-
mense.
''The man laid down hi. book and got
up on hl. feet again. lie picked up his
lamp aud stood there for a moment hold
Ing ID aud looking NJ me. lie .ald moth
Ing. but IL was perfectly clear to the
that be was about politely to bow me
out oi the house. laid down the maya
line and picked up my bulls eve, aud
moved towards the door just as might
have done 10 had been guest. The
tall man opened the door and calmly
bowed me out. Asl went down the
step. heard him boiling the door after
me.
"lou know wondered who he could
b. but when came % hnd out Won
dercd that I hadn't thought % II myself
before; be wa. the man that wrote the
story"