People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-02-27


about it. Even If you have me arrest
ID, you will not find out anything
"'Well, he said, 4 don't want to be
hard on you. Hand 1t over, and here is
ny cheque for the amount
"'Cheques won't do said I; I must
lave it in gold
ait would an hour or so TO col
lect in gold," said he.
"That will just suit | answered,
for I have not got the watch with me.
I'll 60 back and fetch it, while you
raise the money
81 started off, and got the watch
where | had left it When | came
back, the old gentleman was sitting be-
hind his study table, with the little
heap of gold in front of him.
"'Here is your money he said, and
pushed it over.
"'Here is your watch said l.
HE was evidently delighted TO get
It back; and after examining it care
fully. and assuring himself that II was
none the worse, he put it into the
watch pocket of his coat with a grunt
Of satisfaction.
"'Now, my lad he said, I know it
was you that took the watch. Tell me
how you did it, and don't mind giving
you an extra fve-pound note
"I wouldn't tell you in any case
said 1; but especially | wouldn't tell
you when you have witness hid be-
hind that curtain You see, had all
my wits about me, and it didn't escape
me that the curtain was drawn tighter
than it had been before.
"'You are too sharp for us" saidhe,
good humoredly. Well, you have got
your money, and that's an end Of IT.
III take precious good care you don't
get hold of my watch again in hurry
good nighttime; not that door, he
added as | marched towards a cup
board. This is the door, and he
stood up and opened it. I brushed
past him, opened the hall door, and
was round the corner Of the square in
no time. don't know how long the
old gentleman took to find it ont, bu,
In passing him at the door, managed
to pick his pocket for the second time,
and next morning the family heirloom
was in the melting pot after all. That
wasn't bad, was itY"
The old war-horse had evidently for
gotten all about his conversion now
There was tone of triumph in the
conclusion of his anecdote which
showed that his pride in his smartnes'
far surpassed his repentance of his mis-
deeds. He seemed pleased at the
establishment and amusement / ex
pressed at his adroitness.
YES" he continued with laugh
at was capital joke. But sometime!
the fun lies all the other way. Ever
the sharpest of us come to grief al
times. There was one rather curiou:
incident which occurred in my career
You may possibly have seen the
anecdote, for it got into print at the
time"
"Pray let me hear it, said l.
swell, it is hard lines telling stories
against ones self, but this was how II
happened: | had made a rather good
haul, and invested some Of the swsg h
buying a very fine diamond ring.
thought it would be something to fal
back upon when all the ready was gone
and times were hard. / had just pnr
chased it, and was going back to my
lodgings in the omnibus, when
as luck would have it, q very
stylishly-dressed young lady came
in and took her seat beside
me. l didn't pay much attention K
her at first; but after time something
hard in her dress knocked up agains'
my hand, which my experienced toucl
soon made out to be purse. 1t strucl
me that l could not pass the time more
proftably or agreeably than by max
ing this purse my own. / had TO do i
very carefully; but managed at las
TO wriggle my hand into her rathe:
light pocket, and thought the job wa.
over. Just at this moment she ros'
abruptly to leave the bus, and / ha,
hardly time TO get my hand with tn
purse in It out Of her pocket withou
detection. It was not until she ha,
been gone some time that l found on
that in drawing out my hand In ina
hurried manner the new and ill-fttin,