Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-07-12

these fellows and pays 'em. That's
my impression, sir. Easiest thing
to humbug these French savants,
sir. A criminal, sir, can't be detec-
ted except by detectives, and they
make an awful botch of it, SIR"
$50 you don't believe in itf,
The gentleman was now drinking his
second cup of coffee.
"That don't sir.
"Well, now, suppose that ! give
you little practical demonstration.
Smiler started.
you, sir?"
Eyes; I've studied little in that
| line as an amateur. Suppose, for ex-
ample, / were to read your mind,
Smiler."
"You couldn't do it, SIR"
II should say you were faithful,
honest fellow, who always served his
masters interests"
Smiler gave deprecating gesture.
1T wouldn't take no mind reader
to tell that, sir.
But wouldn't it take q mind
reader to tell Smiler, what you've
got in your pocketbook?"
Smiler turned pale.
LAS an amateur, Smiler, mind /
don't pretend to be accurate; don't
say that il any one should. look in
that pocketbook he would find my
ruby scarf-pin. and my emerald and
diamond ring"
Smiler nearly went into fit.
''Of course l have so many rings
and pins that unless l was q mind
reader / would never have missed
these. And, let me see, Smiler, in
your trunk you have three pairs Of
my trousers. Those would not be
easily missed, either. Also about
fifty neckties and collars and cuffs
innumerable.
By this time Smiler was as pale as
a ghost.
IF / was to read your mind little
further as an amateur l would tell
you that on the Goth Of September
you went to pawnshop on the Rue
iii Rivoli and there disposed OF two
seal rings and watch, for which you
received 500 francs. They cheated
you, Smiler. You should have got
double that amount. From there
you went to bank, like the thrifty,
honest, frugal fellow that you are,
and opened up an account. On the
I'd of September with commendable
industry you added to your little
horde by disposing Of my gold
mounted stick, the one presented me
by the Baron Rothschild. You care
fully obliterated the names. COM
mend your caution. Four days
afterward you sold, or rather pawned,
sundry articles in four different
places which won't take the time
to enumerate. In all you have /, 500
francs in the bank and 20 francs in
your pocket-book, together with other
articles of mine which you were about
to get rid of this morning. You have
been quite thrifty, and inside Of a
month it was your intention to draw
out your money and emigrate to
America, where you are DESTROYS OF
setting up in trade. This has been
your dream, Smiler, the life of a
prosperous and honest tradesman.
Am I right, Smiler! If have made
any mistakes attribute it to the fact
that am but an amateur.
But SmiIer was speechless.
"To continue, or rather to 60 back
into the past, read that you robbed
all your masters before me, only they
were not mind readers in an amateur
way and attributed the loss of differ
ent things to natural shrinkage.
When you first entered my apart
ments in Kings Road your thoughts
were regarding my worldly posses
sions. You saw much that made
you sure l was a man of means.
After l entered the room was SEEM
ingly busy reading the newspaper.
Really, Smiler, was reading you. l
did not want to see your references.
They were superfluous. The man
himself stood before me. There was
the reference. determined to make
little study Of you. You interested
me at once, for / recognized in you a
thief of many years training, a
thief who had pilfered for all his life
and never been detected. Here,
thought, is subject worthy of my
attention; here is case which will
edify and .amuse me. So took you
to my bosom, Smiler, and employed
you on the spot. AS you stood there
waiting for me to address you the
thoughts that flashed through your
mind were: i can easily get away
with one Of those Dresden-ware vases.
He has,so many Of them that he will
never miss it. Then he must be a
careless sort of swell. one Of those
spendthrifts. He will come home
inebriated every night. II pin, a
ring, watch or some other article
disappears he will think he lost it
somewhere the night before. Here's
a swell that pays no attention to his
personal effects. All he thinks OF is
having jolly good time. Am /
right, Smiler?"
But Smiler never relapsed from his
collapsed condition.
You began to pilfer when you
purchased the tickets to France. You
made ten shillings on the tickets.
You put aside for yourself. five shil-
lings from the purchases from the
trunkmaker. Do not deny it, for 1t
is written indelibly on your mind.
/ took to you right away. Here is
a precious rascal, / thought. Here's
servant worth having You will
oor,cxa-laI xvo.r fnr