The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1895-01-02
THEY HAD MET BEFORE.
But in circumstances Not Conducive to
Ready Recognition.

The drummer had for some time been
watching a fiashy-looking city crook
playing game of cards with a man on
the sleeper, VINO ffftzsl-G-A&ra heen a
farmer, and then again who might have
been something else. Ali of a sudden.
as the train pulled up at a 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 at the
drummer.
"What the mischief was the matter
with that partyP" asked the drummer,
taking seat with the smiler.
There's story goes with that" re-
piled the smiler quietly. want to
hear it?"
Indeed, I do"
Here she goes, then. About five
years ago had some cattle to deliver
in Chicago, and when I got there
stopped out by the stock yards in
hotel I found convenient. 1t wasn't in
a very good neighborhood, but wasn't
looking for society fxings, so I didn't
care much. / had some money and
fine watch, and once or twice during
the evening, as I sat around the bar
room, / noticed l was being watched
by several of the loafers about the place.
When went up to my room / locked
the door and bolted it and took a look
out of the window to see what was out
side. | found it opened out onto a sort
of shed about eight feet below, and that
ran down to within climbing distance of
the ground. l took this observation SO
as to know where was going to be at
in case of fire. Then I went to bed,
leaving the window up, as it was hot
night.
Il don't know how long it was after
had been asleep that some noise awak-
ened me. At first / thought I was
dreaming, but just as tried to go to
sleep again / heard the noise once
more. and this time I didn't try to go to
sleep. l got up and went over toward
the window with a six-inch knife in my
hand that thought would come handy
in case found at the window what ]
thought would. 1t was quite dark on
that side of the house, and when / got
up close / could hear two men whisper
ing 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 into my
window. By this time 1 was standing
by one side of the window ready to
meet my visitor as soon as he came.
While | was thinking whether to kill
him OF not l saw his fingers slide up
over the window sill seeking for good
grip. Then they stretched down tight
as if the man were testing his strength
for the final pull. At this moment ]
reached forward, and with swish ]
whacked two of those fingers off with
my knife. l kept very quiet about it,
too. but my visitors didn't, and they
rolled and tumbled off that roof in q
manner worth coming all that way tc
see. Then l went back to bed, but ]
fastened down the window. Next
morning when 1 got up, which was just
at daybreak, for l had my cattle to look
after, | went to the window to see what
was left of the wreck, and / saw two
fingers on the sill. The owner had for
gotten them in his hurry the night be-
fore, and it struck me then for the first
time that ought to take charge of
them, so that if they were ever called
for could return them.
well, took them along with me,
and as soon as could get into a drug
store got a bottle filled with spirits
and put them into it. Until to-day /
have not been able to find anybody that
I thought might want them, although 1
have carried them ever since when 1 go
anywhere, and while that duffer YOU
saw trying to work me first shuffied 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 it right at him,
asked him if he didn't think he had bet
ter see if he couldn't fit them on to the
stumps he had. 1t took him about a
minute to catch on, but when he did
well, you know the rest