The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1896-08-05
the hook, and was about to 60, when
two walters came up to him, and
grabbed him by the collar.

| lWO WdlIGIS CuAC ny " AAAAf 0Au
grabbed him by the collar.
Now we've got him." said one.
eyes," said the other, 1--WE have got
him now. This is the man who has
been stealing hats"
Picket, paralyzed with establishment,
protested. what! I'steal hats!" he
said. What do you mean?"
"Yeu will have an opportunity to ex-
plain this at the police station" was
the reply, and the proprietor, who had
whistled for a policeman at the door,
turned him over to the hands Of q
blue-coated guardian Of the peace
The unfortunate Picket was yanked
along the street, followed by crowd
of passers-by, who applauded his ar
rest, and a number of street boys, who
signifed their disapproval more forci-
bly, by hurting mud at him. When the
party reached the police station the
proprietor OF the restaurant made his
complaint to the sergeant there.
That's the man." said he. "For the
last two weeks some scoundrel has
been coming to my restaurant, and
whenever he goes out somebody misses
a hat. Now we've got him. There he
is. This is the thief. We caught him
in the very act"
But l was simply mistaken in the
hat" cried Picket. If were stealing
hat, 1 would have two here, but l
haven't. This is not mine, but you
will find mine hanging on the hook"
Eyes," said the restaurant man, II
know. Ordinarily you were in the
habit of carrying gripsack. in which
you put the other hat. This time ye2
came without it."
"But am an honest man." persisted
the unfortunate Picket. II am we'll
know. Let the officer go to my house.
and he will see" He gave his name
and address, and the sergeant. waver-
ing in the face of his protestations,
sent an officer to accompany him to
the address given. In about half an
hour the officer returned, bearing an
enormous pile Of hats.
Here, sergeant" said the latter,
"see what | found in the fellows
house. His wife had gone out, and it
was the servant who let me in."
"Well," said the sergeant, severely,
still deny that you are a hat theft"
gazing at the gigantic pile of hats.
II deny it. deny it in toto" said
the unfortunate Picket. bought
those hats. l don't wear them, but l
bought them"
"You don't wear them? What In the
world can you do with twenty-eight
hats?"
well, you see, my wife has always
told me to sell them to an old clothes
man. I never think of It; am SO for
getful Why, today, even forgot my
umbrella. I never had any head.'
"Ya9 have no head? What do you
wan, ss:th twenty-eight hats then':''
But at this moment weeping wom-
an entered the police station. 1t was
mis-. IlChCI. OIlC Adu uCoA " A1O1AA IAC
servant OF the plight in which her
luckless husband was placed and came
and told the police sergeant who he
was, and that the hats were really his.
But was Picket grateful to her +?
Hardly. He wished thousand times
that she had not heard about his mis-
adventure, and that he had succeeded
in going through all the pains and hor-
rors of police court rather than she
should find him there with the TWEEN
ty-eight hats-twenty-eight mute wit
nesses of her superior judgment star.
ing him in the face. He said to him.
self, mentally: Never shall I heal
the last OF these twenty-eight hats.
He never did. In fact, he 60; Il
morning, noon and night. He had II
with his breakfast, lunch and dinner
He had 1t with his soup. He had II
with his nightcap. He had it with his
morning slippers. And whenever the
rain began falling, and poor Picke
would incautiously say:
What dreadful weather"
EYES," Mrs. Picket would reply, lex
actly !:,e same kind of day as whe1
you got rid of your twenty-eight hats.
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