The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-16
OLD CLO'MAN'SL Is OUT.
YEsTERDlY HE MET a DAM THIEF
and THE Word rs HIS,

80Id = bntN0rWnu - EOuF IpOfINE OOAG worth
Two Dollars and ~ Haif for n Dollar
aud n Quarter withont Searching the
Pockets F1rst for TSyofty-Doiiar Billie.
LUCKY Tom Burke they call me In Bayard
street. an sometimes Honest Tom Burke an
q few OF the youngsters Old Tom Burke It's
twenty years I been dom q secondhand clo'os
business in the street, buyin' cheap an sellin'
fair, but I amt so old yet but what I'll be older
before I 90 out o. my little room feet first an
hope I'll know more. I need IL. Honest I am,
an it's no boast, as them as had dealin's with
me knows; but luekyl may the devil fly away
with that adjective. My luck is on the four
winds o. heaven. Goin' every direction but
mine. I'm the uniuckiest divil Twin, an that's
no lie, either. Here's how 1t was:
"Hc come snoopin' mp Bayard street this very
afternoon, not two hours gone, an 1t didn't take
NO Thermometers to tell he was ould. Me bein'
apityin' sort o man. I holds out q pea jacket
toards him an SaysI
r'1t's cheap l says.
It'd hnf to be dam cheap Tho word Is not
mine. l only swear when I'm fair worked upl-
it'd hat to be dam cheap, Tom Burke says he.
that l could pay for it,
you've called the name says /. Dam
cheap it ls; but the word is yours, not mine
"'An' a good word for a man in my berth,
Tom Burke he says. for I'm Hoin' close to the
wind. an n crool. cold wind It Is
"'That's truo for YOU says /; but do / know
you. you sailorman. that has my name 30 easy
on your tongue2' knew him for q sailorman
BY the cut OF his lib, mo havin' dcalin's with
npct this many year.
"'Unless your toplights 10 burnln' dim you'd
awter. Tom says he; for you sold me a hve-
dollar coat for eight dollars no longer than two
weeks ago. says he. I'm Ben Layton. an hon
est sailor, hove to ut Senbright,' say he.
"'Tnen. Ben layton says l, honest or dis
h,paat 7 giya WIN hact vour word an v0u're n
dam liar when you say It about the coat; but
SAYS I. the word is yours an not mine. Anil
you are not. where is the coatT
"'Stole.' says he. an $50 good money stole
with 1t. l have been,' says he. worry sollum.
through the Bowery. an the Bowery has been
through me: tn How f. ", much InoS D for the coat to "
As | have said l.. / am a pityin, man. an Ben
layton was shivsrin, most nnsomfortable; May
man So for the jacket. It was worth two an o
half easy. but through all my cSndisrin' could
like a man playin' a tune on the bonesss.
al have but three dollars to my name an
meditations. Them feliers that went through
my clo'es The misnamed the thieves worse nor
fellers that went through my %clo'es." he ,says,
forgot ny watch pocket after Esstin, the
bechune me an a pauper's grave he says.
We'll, the end of it WAS that 1 sold him that
pea jacket worth four dollars of any mans
money, for a dollar,n q quarter. an him mis-
named the thieves. for that 1 would not stand
without lGhtin'. old as l nm-for it's 5ein'
s .a9 a aG ilr' s besides =" sei ns sinful Infui inc worn Oe'n n'
lis II lined with brown paper ? says he,
S Bnr ! n It so o9 or w a pea "a orAG bse :, s sEan he, lo 1H
al me suspicious, an he reaches down into q
pocket with , the SoI lip pI1, tor, ,,r,r cI It an an N ni e. s tie;
Hsre it is.' says he; ! got it and he pulls
.'That's ,ll,rachooer.' says ]. 4 throw in
litrachooer free with every coat
There's somcthln,. into IT. says he. No.
there Hint: ei HssE; S Ses,i there s,I is: too +, E IsT,s
bein' what you might call a pro-fane man. Its
bill as ever this nation printed.
1.-The literachooer goes with the coat. doesn't
Gtnratin' bechune my nose an my eyesight.
You spoke a true word Of the coat. Tom
my fist: nor is that iitsraehooef: IFS specify
"9spesehy or ii iiteraehooer.' says the sailor
man. steppin' back. Its mine, paid for with
PAID for say. l.. Dye think a dollar'n a
quarter pays for twenty dollar: an a coat
cali myself an. fiigbtin' mad to have any other
man call me TO do business so. an that's a-but
/ am not n swearin' man. l Gays.
Nor a smart one says he. or you'd a-over-
hauled this garment before sellin' it,
:, by this time ne, l T rs a a6 bo IL, , furnace Of wrath
it better to try him another way. workin' on his
Have you no feelin's for n poor man that
con! for a dollar m a quarter asst HIM: .,.,
9f him for HE word; but 1 have atwenty-doi-
Then says / very gruff. tryln' to scare
him. l will q~uotate a magnum OF the law for
"'what is that says be, moyin' back a step.
for | was edgin' up close
are filed with, l says. an half OF one is enough
to send you TO the jug for your. lifetime an more
di Says' is , no aT, nne is Many # mit' a" GOOD 1Sl'1 m"n has nA b ssl1
:ent up the river r, on on, that maenum'' l says
III amt no sea lawyer says the sailor man.
lookin' q bit scared. an that bein' what l was
A' g'H. At; t anasb n,% n nss,n; ou, o, tn. sam.
bunoh,' / says. Il disremember the original
Greek that It's gently spoke in | says, but
don't go in this. court"
..1 remember one of them magnums my
an nigh fallin' over the gutter Il was prayin'
for it. but the good man gets left sometimes.
law says he: but It's enough, any way Wow"
That was because / jumped for him. Old
no fool like = OLD fool. Only for bein' SO old I'd
a got out Of bein' a fool all right. for I'll a had
t I'VE bill ont q him beforeI ia ever Il a
let go. But he was 100 spry. an he went saiiin'
the corner he turns round an yells back most
insultin'.
Dam cheap he says. The word 10 mine
he saws, an it's n good one
You're a dam thief | yells after him. an
the word Is mine for / was fair worked up. an
! doubt that's all the satisfaction I'm like To be
gettin' for the loss of q $50 bill an sellin' "A coat
worth two dollars any day for n dollar n a quar-
ter, out % bein' u pltyin' idj!-ot. Lucky, Tom
Burke, II It? Leave me see the man thatll
name that adjec-tyye to my face! Leave mo
see him; that's all"
Mrs LEHELRYR