Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-11-27

4 OOu Z WOnueT tndt H6y anu MI
Braithwait glanced slightly at Baxter,
'remains in the business, but that you
should follow the vocation for IA years
surprises me greatly"
''Indeed?r queried Graham, with per-
ceptible stiffness. "Whyg"
because you appear to be a sensible
man, and should not think the bust
ness would pay. What is your annual
income as a burg larp
ION an average, should say SO, 900
a year"
"And you are an expert 1 receive
Sc, 900 year, and l am only assistant
general freight agent and have been IL
years in the business. Then l may in
fer that these two gentlemen make much
less than SO, 000?"
eve seen the week when / didn't
make hod carriers wages" growled
! Baxter, who had now finished eating
and was preparing to smoke a black
| wooden pipe.
"YOu re not so sensible as / thought"
rejoined Mr.. Braithwait frankly 81
can easily imagine a man exposing
himself to dreadful dangers and cruel
|
in view. An explorer like Stanley, a
! pioneer like Pike or Fremont, a con-
queror like Cortez or a revolutionist
! like Washington could well brave hard
ship and peril when success meant
wealth as well as the plaudits Of their
fellow men. The early settlers of this
and every other country, the gold hunt.
ers of lS49, the pirates who rayaged the
seas, all were actuated by the hope of
fortune at one swoop, but to risk prison,
to say nothing of life itself, for a day
laborer's wages
But" spoke up Montgomery quick
ly, There is fame, if not fortune"
Pardon me. In what way?"
''In the usual way Who has not
heard of Hickey, the man who cracked
20 banks before they tripped him up /;
Peters, the New England cracksman !;
Bronthers, the Chicago expert?'
II hope" said Braithwait gently, 81
won't offend you when say never
heard Of those gentlemen.
''Is it possible?'
Honestly, never did"
lyon have surely heard Of Red
Leary?'
~ can't recall his name''
George Post? Louis Ludlumf Pete
Mccartney? Miles Ogle?''
Don't know them
"Perhaps, " sarcastioally, lyon don't
read the papers?"
Eyes, i do, and 1 have a good mem
DRY. can say without boasting that
have on my tongues end all the pro-
fessional, literary and artistic names in
America and many in Europe. In my
library / have many biographies, but
none Of which burglar is the theme,
nor do recall the name Of a celebrated
criminal. unless" pleasantly, "he has
been hanged.
yet there are famous names in our
profession, persisted the young bur-
glar, somewhat sullenly.
"Oh, yes, admitted Mr.. Braithwait,
taking small drink of claret. Liter
AZURE has preserved Claude Duval, Jack
Sheppard, Dick Turpin-all hung-Fra
Diavolo, who was shot, and even cur
own James and Younger boys. and
have heard vaguely of one Billy the Kid,
somewhere out west. In a general sense,
literature and the drama are saturated
with bandits, brigands and outlaws,
sometimes comical sometimes heroic.
but you will excuse me if | maintain
that you stand on a different footing
Those fellows always had a poetical
backing; somebody or something had
driven them to their illegal calling, put
you can scarcely make similar claim. +"
II don't know about that" protested
Baxter doggedly. Who'd give me q
job?"
did you ever try?''
"No; nor l amt goin to"
''As ] supposed. Honest work is
plentiful, therefore you are absolutely
without excuse. No one has usurped Your
name and fortune, stolen your ances-
trail home or intended BRIDE neither
have you been outlawed for your politi-
cal or religious beliefs or unjustly &C.
cused of crime"
The big burglar looked extremely
blank at this pointed address and took,
grumbling, a drink of whisky. Mr.
Graham promptly came to his compan-
ions relief.
"You have made out a prima facie
case, as the lawyers say, but the fact
remains that there is a fascination in
the life we lead and some romance
There is mystery about 1t, for one thing,
and danger for another. Then we GER
tainly have the sympathy of certain
class Of society when we are prisoners "
is not the sympathy to which you
allude confined to murderers, especially
those who kill their wives2''
''As a rule. yes" admitted Graham,
"but the people who have sympathy
for murderers generally have such a
superabundance that they can spare
some for us. have known burglars to
receive six bouquets in a single day,
and from real ladies too -
II am afraid, - said Mr. Braithwait,
with smile, that the sympathy ex-
tended with such small discretion has
little market value But let us pass that
by and glance at the disagreeable side Of
your profession. For instance, this
night you have walked from the city,
the nearest point of which is three
miles. 4"
ave come four, growled Baxter.
"Well, four. and four back is eight.
1t could not have been pleasant walk,
as the night is cloudy and the roads are
heavy from recent rains"
''There warn't no choice" said Bax-
ter savagely. 1--WE had to walk. "