Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-05-24
HER GRACE AND THE BURGLAR,
1t Is the Burglar Himself who Tells the
story of their Brief Acquaintance.

1t Is the Burglar Himself who Tells the
story of their Brief Acquaintance.
The best looking business l was ever
mixed up in (he said slowly was down at
Heron court, near Guilford. ! may be a
bit old-fashioned in my tastes, but I've al
ways been rather partial to duchesses. (I1e
said this with relish, as though they were
something sold in tins. And when / saw
in "Lloyd's'' that the young duke had gone
and married Miss Deborah Clancy, daugh-
ter of the well-known rubber merchant of
New Haven, Conn, and when | saw that
the wedding presents were both numerous
and costly, and the happy pair had left
town for the dukes house near Guilford
amid shower of rice and old slippers, then
l said to myself. l said: go in and win,
my boy, and play the game off your own
bat Don't have no partners l says to
myself: ''don't have no confederates, but
Jest go in and have a good old try" So ]
dressed myself up very Hastily, and l went
down to Milford station.
l had a Gladstone bag with me, and in
that bag l had few necessary articles that
no one can do without. | don't care how
clever you are, you can't do without their
help. And had a little money with me,
too That's another thing that you want
always to have about you. Many's the lit
tie business I've known spoilt just for the
want of a sovereign or two.
was walking out one afternoon, and /
was going down lane pretty close to the
grounds of a mansion. In front of me
was a neat girl in blue serge, with a bon
net box in her hand She was one of the
sim-wasted sort, and she carried herself
very upright. As l passed her l caught
sight of the address. 1t was for the duch-
ess. l lifts my hat like this. Look!
"Pardon me, miss" says, ''but might
you be one of the maids of Heron court9"
"Wel, she says, Il might
"Oh" says. pleasant weather we're
having, aren't we?'
She said yes it was very pleasant weather
indeed She said this she said in par
ticularly attable way she was afraid we
should have wet before night.
"Been here long," l inquiries.
No, she hadn't been there long, she said.
Only three weeks
"Come down with the dukes party?"
Yes, she came down with the dukes
party.
Like the place?'
She said she didn't mind it. l asked her
a few questions about the people. She said
she could get on all right with the duke,
and she was on awful good terms with the
duchess; but she wouldn't give dollar a
gross for the servants. For one thing she
didn't believe they kept proper lookout
at the place. While they were wasting
their time in smoking and drinking and
flirting, burglar could get in at any mo-
ment.
ooh, well, miss, ~ says, "were none of
us perfect, you know. We all have our
little 'Obbies.'
put on my best smile and made up my
mind to have dash for it. l asked her
whether there was any chance of having a
look in and and bit of supper in the
evening. She looked at me very straight.
Then she said thing that knocked me
silly
"Say, mister" she says, "where do l
come in? How much am l going to make
out of this little game?'
l was so astonished that | blushed. l
did really.
"Well," says, IF you are going to put
it that way, l suppose I'd better speak out
straight. I'll give you twenty quid now,
and I'll give you another twenty after it is
over"
snake it thirty sovereigns now and thir-
ty after" she said, land its done"
started to argue and she turned on her
heel.
"Here, stiddy on, my dear" l says
"Don't lose your temper. You've got a
good-hearted face. You're not going to
be hard on a poor chap, are you now?
Give me kiss and I'll give twenty-five"
She fired up.
"You don't have no kiss, mister" she
says, land if you want me to help you,
you must hand over the coin. You kent
do better, anyway"
l tell you she fairly surprised me. l as
sure you to look at her you'd think she
was as quiet a girl as ever wore shoes. She
kept her eyes-bright, black eyes she had
fixed on nv face, and seemed almost TO
enjoy the corner she got me in.
! turned the matter quickly over in my
mind After all, knew l needn't really
trouble about the second payment /
should be clear away before she had a
chance to see whether put it there or not.
'All right miss" l said, don't 'aggle;
and don't bite feller's cad half orr.
Here's the thirty pound. What time shall
1 come up?'
She told me that at half-past eight the
duke would be having dinner, and that she
would leave the window of the duchess
dressing-room open. l might find ladder
in such a place, and, when l got in, l
should find the Jewels in such place, and
some loose notes and gold in such a place,
and Twas to leave the $50 for her on a ledge
in the chimney. And if any of the other
servants caught me, why, so much the
worse for me, and if they did not, so much
the worse TO- them. She shook hands
pleasantly and went off toward the court,
l felt inclined to shake hands with my
self, too / knew that there was good
100000 worth of stuff for me if | could
only get quiet quarter of an hour there.
You may believe me when | say l was
there that evening to the minute. Just as
neared the mansion had a nasty feeling
that the maid might have given me away.
You never can be sure OF women. But
when l saw the window open of the duch-
ess's dressing-room, and found the ladder
and everything ready, l knew it was all
right.
'She's a girl after my own heart" | said
TO myself when / got in the room. "And
I'll be after hers when it's all over"
It's risky work you know. No matter
how easy things are, you always have a
queer sort of nervousness unless you're
drunk, and then. of course, you're liable
to make mistakes. None of the servants
was about; they might have been dead for
all the trouble they gave me.