Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-12-15
HAD MET BEFORE,
Gut In circumstances Not Condu.
Give to Recognition.

Give to HocoQnttto0.
The drummer had for some time
been watching n fashy-looking city
crook playing game Of cards with u
man on the sleeper, who might have
been farmer, and then again who
might have been something else. All
Of q sudden, as the train pulled up
at u station, the sharper made wild
break and rushed out Of the car and
off the platform, leaving everything.
The other man simply smiled, and
looked over ut the drummer
"What the mischief was the mat
ter with that party?" asked the
drummer. taking seat with the
smiler.
There's a story goes with that"
replied the smiler quietly. Want
to hear it?"
Indeed, I do"
"Here she goes, then. About five
years ago had some cattle to de.
liver in Chicago, and when I got
there I stopped out by the stock
yards in hotel I found convenient.
It wasn't in very good neighbour
hood, but wasn't looking for society
fixings, 50 I didn't care much. /
had some money and fine watch,
and once or twice during the even.
ing, as / sat around the barroom, I
noticed was being watched by sew.
eral OF the loafers about the place.
WhenI went up to my room locked
the door and bolted 1t and took a
look out Of the window to see what
was outside. / found 1t opened out
ontoa sort OF shed about eight feet
below, and that ran down within
climbing distance OF the ground. !
took this observation SO as to know
where / was going to be ut in case OF
fire. Then / went to bed, leaving
the window up, as 1t was hot night.
II don't know how long 1t was
after l had been asleep that some
one awakened me. At first I thought
was dreaming, but just as / tried
to go to sleep again I heard the noise
once more, and this time l didn't try
to 60 to sleep. ] got up and went
over toward the window with q six
inch knife in my hand that I though,
would come handy in case found nj
the window what I thought would
1t was quite dark on TINT side OF the
house, and when l got up close l
could hear two men whispering on the
shed roof. listened and heard one
tell the other to stoop down and he
would climb on his shoulders and
from there pull himself up to my win
dow. BY this time | was standing
by tho window ready to meet my
visitor rs soon rs he came. While l
was thinking whether to kill him or
not, ! saw his fingers slide up over
the window sill seeking for a good
grip. Then they stretched down
tight as II tho man werc testing his
strength for tho final pull. At this
moment / reached forward, and with
a swish whacked two OF those fling.
ers of with my knife. l kept very
quiet about 1t too, but my visitors
didn't, and they rolled and tumbled
OH that roof In u manner worth COM
Ing all that way to see. Then went
back to bed, but / fastened down
the window. Next morning when
got up, which was just ut daybreak,
for ! had my cattle to look after, ]
went to the window to SEQ what was
left OF tho wreck, and I saw two
fingers on the sill. The owner had
forgotten them in his hurry the night
before, and II struck me then for the
first time that ] ought to take charge
Of them, so that II they were ever
called for ! could return them.
"Well, took them along with me,
and as soon as could get into drug
store ! got bottle filled with spirits
and put them into it. Until to-day
/ have not been able to find anybody
that ! thought might want them, al.
though / have carried them ever
since when go anywhere, and while
that duffer you saw trying to work
me first shuflled his cards I noticed
that he was short two fingers. About
the time he thought he had me
pulled the bottle out OF my pocket,
and, sticking 1t right at him, I asked
him II he didn't think he had better
see II he couldn't fit them on to the
stumps he had. 1t took him about
minute to catch on, but when he
did, we'll, you know the rest. guess
he must have been the chap that
tried to climb in my window that
night" and rs the man smiled tbs
drummer wondered how it was tina,
truth was oftentimes stranger than
fiction, and handed the bottle, with
its two CHASTITY and silent witness
es, hack to the owner.-[Detroit Ere.
Press.