The sun., 1897-10-03
THE RETIRED BURGL4R.
He Encounters n Victim OF insomnia Who
Welcomes Him "a n Guest.


Il found the dining room OF a house that
was looking owe. one night" said tho retired
burglar. filled with glow OF light from i
bright hard-coal fire burning in a crate at ono
end OF the room. There was just a little bit of
gas burn ng from one burner. but it only
made a little yellow tip in the redder glow
from the fire. About half tho table was
covered with n folded white table cloth.
clean and thick and with tho crcases still
in il. On this cloth there were a plate and a
plate OF bread ami some butter and vinegar
and catsup and things like that; and on tho
other end of the table that wasn't covered. tho
end nearest tn" fire, there was an OIL fashioned
sgunrct II tray with the IapannirE pretty much
nl worn OF. Look ing down by the tirc, saw
ON one side of the hcnrth n hnlf-buShcl basket
pretty near ful OF big selected oysters, pretty
uniform IN size. and laid in carefully with the
round shell down.
II, was a winter night. colder n Greenland
oul side, and this room was Just as comfortable
as could be. and that layout did look inviting,
and couldn't even guess who il was for. be-
causc the house was shut up tigh hter n drum
evidently nobody expected and nobody settin
over il heard door open-the one next TO tho
one Ia come in at-nnd IN comes man that
looks sr, a. me for n minute and says:
And says ii is 10 me, too. looking at him Mt
the sane time, and srcin man, may be a little
capable and able 10 take care of himself
-, But sit down. he says, and cat something
thc lefi;hand side, OF, the iRht.l,nd drawer Of
that sd"bOnrd right back OF you.' And there it
was. and when turned around again the man
was putting oysters on the fire in tho CRATE.
Five minutes later he was picking EN- m with a
PniToi tonss and layin' 'cm carGfmly, round
Just help yourself Z he .nys.,,
g, You do MS very often lsayS,
do it AT ali il III could help it; but j snifcr from
insomnia. and find that when can't sleep. a lit
tie snack of something eat makes me sleep, |
surl oil tn th., iitrnt q
when nnt goin' TO sl"op. and such nighs |
have 'rm tiN up something for to eat in case ]
II. like this. And catin' something sort o. tran
puIlizcS my mind, ana 20 back to he'd and
lie pushed Inc top shell of an oyster in front
of hin Over onto tho tray and put mn" ht of
II scrap Of butter on the oyster and looked at 1t
dissolve n minute. and then he put on Just one
drop of pepper sauce, turned the oyster over in
the deep shell so as 10 get the dry top side I'M a
Vie oyster Juice and melted butter, and then ne
ate ii. Then he dipped little hunk Of bread into
the juiccin The deep shell and ate that, and then
trny and took another oyster Off the fire with
the tnnEs and began on that.
DarnCd i ! could see how nan Tint en-,
about. anything. but ne did, all the same, that
was plan, or he wouldn't have been there.
suffer from V insomnia. and II You did it wouidn't
mako amy difference, because you want to be
he seemed to think this wGs q, pretty slick little
sort of joke. Then told him how came tC
go into the business; that when whse young
man had been great sufferer from insomnia
myself; thai in those days there were not ncarlS
| so III my night occupnt ou5 to choose from us
! now, aud that my choice was limited; thar
had not followed burglary from inclination. hui
I thpt was compelled to do something for n lv
| ing. and burg Try was the Ouly night work
could get nj the time ana that : how came t.
| take II M ~ u business,
80 You don't mean ~! he says. Put on thc
| blower and start up the fire niue! If I'd ha
| known you were coming I'd had another
| basket
| "Wcll we finished 'cIn M and says to him
| What do You think; think YOU can sleep now I
| Ana he said h thought hc could And no lei
: me- out he front GOor and went 10 bed, sup
/ pose. know went home myself feeling com
| Portable. | hadn't made u cent, but it's a goOC
| thing to take rest now and then, and always
did like roast oysters.