Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-05-21
[To BE CONTINUED
THE RETIRED BURGLAR.
One of the Mos Remarkable Incidents In
His Vagiegated Career.

4
Ills NaEiegated Career.
After | had gathered in what |
could find in the dining room. said the
retired burglar. telling Of his experience
In house in western Massachusetts,
81 started for the parlor. This parlor
was Just in front Of the dining room,
and there were heavy curtains between.
pushed these curtains one side and
went in carefully, so as not 10 mar the
furniture by kicking it, feeling along
for the table which | knew must be in
the center. ! came b 1t presently and
found il very solid feeling, with \ sort
Of molding OF carving along tho edge.
| had struck il on side apparently,
and SO felt toward tho dining room
until camo 10 q corner Of the table,
and then felt along the end for the
next corner TO get the dimensions OF II.
/ struck the other corner so quick that II
made my hair raise right up knew
there was only one thing they build Of
such shape, and that's coffin.
Il turned my light on it, and IL was
big oak casket, one OF the kind they
mako now days, square and solid, and
it had three silver handles on each side.
| didn't dare look in, but | felt as
though ought To have them handles
The head was toward the front Of the
house and this foot toward the dining
room | set my lamp down and got my
scrcwdriyer out Of my bag and began
on one Of the handles nearest the foot.
suppose | must have felt little easier
after I'd got that one off and into the
bag know went around the end and
then ND the other side pretty prompt,
getting 'om off smooth as could be, and
around tho head and started down the
other side where I'd begun. ! got the
handle of by the head on that side, and
then | went 81 the last handle, the one
in the middle. In turning the last
screw out Of the handle dropped my
screwdIiver.
'It seemed 10 me rs though it made
moro noise than an iron telegraph pole
dropping inside Of an empty iron oil
tank. Just lay down and waited
didn't dare ran. expected million
people would come pouring down the
stairs and from all around. and | just
waited, lying on the floor, but there
didn't anybody come. You know, the
fact was that dropping that screwdriver
hadn't made noise enough to wake up
mouse, but il seemed 10 inc like the
greatest racket you ever heard, and it
scared me- most to death. But when no.
body came picked up the screwdriyer
and set it in the notch Of the screw again,
and ri just get tina! handle OF when
heard somebody say:
Don't you think you're crowdm Us
here little, my friend, carrying away
them handles? IL was the dead man
sitting up and looking down at me.
suppose he'd been IN an epilcptic trance
or something Of THAI sort, and dropping
that screwdriyer had made just shock
enough to start him into life again.
II was so scared | dropped the han
die, but grabbed my bag-I suppose
instinct made me do that-and started
cot through tine dining room again and
down cellar and out by the window |
came in by didn't wait TO see If any
bcdywas coming this time.
II got $ll1 for those five handles. 1t
seemed pity to lose the other one, but
il was always great satisfaction TO me
to think that I'd woke the man up. -
New York Sun.