Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1895-01-16
THE BLESSED BURGLARS.
BY GEORGE A. WESLEY.

My hrst burglary" remarked Uncle
Bob suddenly, as Dicky and he sat on
the piazza together, was committed
when l was boy of twelve"
What! You committed burglary
you, Uncle Bob?'' cried Dicky in dis
may. ooh, that was an awful thing
to do!''
Not such very awful thing the
way we did it, said Uncle Bob, calm
". Listen and 1 will tell you
about it.
Teddy Gordon, my school chum. was
the swiftest runner in Pol1eville. One
Fourth of July he captured no less
than fifty dollars in prizes. Next
morning l met him coming down the
road.
Hello, Teddy" said I, decided
what to do with your money yet?"
Yes he replied, I'm going into
the burglar business
Ted Gordon, have you clean gone
out of your senses? What on earth do
you mean?"
Exactly what L say" replied Ted,
calmly. I've got my eye on an easy
house to begin on, and look here, Bob.
I'm going to take you into partner
ship"
well, not if 1 know it, said l, my
eyes opening wide with amazement at
Ted's GOODNESS.
''In the first place it's dead wrong.
and in the second it's very dangerous.
"Oh, I guess you will join me in this
enterprise all right" responded Ted
with a smile ''Now listen"
Looking cautiously about to see that
there was no chance Of being over
heard, Ted unfolded his plan.
why, it's splendid schemer' broke
ort presently. ''Of course I'll join you.
And lock here. Ted, the old lady hasn't
got any bulldog or anything, and l
don't believe she even locks her door
nights. Come along now, and let US
get together our things.
And arm in arm we strolled down
the street, maturing our plans as we
went.
Miss Judith Brown, or ''Aunt judy
as she was often called, lived in a
somewhat dilapidated little cottage
about half mile down the road. The
poor old lady had recently fallen upon
evil times. The hundred-dollar income
with which she had for years managed
to keep body and soul together was
suddenly cut down to one-half that
amount. And to make matters worse
her eyes began to fail her, so that she
could no longer add to her small in
come by her sewing and fancy work.
So, altogether, matters were looking
about as black and gloomy as they well
could.
The carpet i'll her little sitting-room
was very threadbare the chairs old
and rickety, and as for the table, it
could scarcely support the few cracked
dishes her frugal meal required her to
put upon it.
Occasionally Aunt Judy had lady
visitor, and then with what mortifca.
ton the poor woman was compelled to
set before her caller Clipped cups and
saucers, and to warn her not to beal
. too heavily on the chair upon which
she was sitting, only few of her &C
quaintances knew.
''Tilly," she said one evening to the
little colored girl she kept more fol
company than anything else. "Tilly
tomorrow when you go down to the
grocer's, see if he won't give you an
other soap-box. We must save the
chairs for our callers"
This evening after the Fourth She
was feeling very down-hearted indeed
1t looked as though she would have t.
openly appeal to charity, and this SHE
had never been driven to before. l
was so hard to do it, so hard.
A little after eight she and lilly re
tired to their chamber up under tn,
caves, and soon they were fast asleep
About ten o'clock when all was darl