The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-26
THE RETIRED BURGLAR.
Interrupted while at Work by q Lively Party
OF Masaueraderr.

Masquerade balls ! never attended," said
the retired burglar. but I once had a part OF
n one come TO me. II may seem singular, but 1t
was really as simple as rolling off a log. ! was
looking around In a house one night, or rather
one morning, about . o'clock. picking out what
portable articles | could find that / thought /
could make useful, when | heard carriages up
the street. That was before the days
OF rubber tires and asphalt streets. and
at that hour In the morning. when
everything was quiet. the wheels sounded
very sharp and clear. ! judged there must be
about three OF EN-. and l sort OF felt 1t in my
bones that they were coming to my house. l
couldn't have got out then without attracting
attention from the drivers, and there was moth
ing for me TO do but to wait and See. I waited.
looking out into tho street fr m "A basement
window. and by snakes and alligators! they did
stop there.
"The first man out OF the first carriage was a
man in a long black gown like a great loose
coat that reached down to his feet, and he had
on a blue mask and n beaver hat. I wanted TO
laugh q little at that costume. and ! did. TO my.
self. He helped ont OF the carriage a lady who
was gorgeously dressed. and then another m m
same carriage. Then that carriage pulled ahead
and let the next one come w.
My man In the blue mask and the beaver hat
was evidently the boss OF the ranch. He pranced
upthe steps and IN q minute heard him twist
ing a key in the loe;. That was a pleasant
sound becau.e it me-nt that there were no ser.
wants up: they were going to look out for them:
selves; and that meant good Tor me. for they'd
he all together. and 1t would he easy to avoid
EN-. There was just n dozen OF en-. elk men
and six women. all in fancy dress. They had been
to have a bite with the old man with The beaver
and the blue mask.
They all piled into the house and threw off
into tho nar'or, laushin' and chntterin'. ami i've
minutes later heard en- in the dining room;
corks poppin' and I knew the snack had been
set ont there and was wni;in' for EN-. hadn't
been into that room yet myself.
Jolly lot they were. and when they'd got
toLer'ble well settled down 10 eatin' and IrinEin'
thought Il WAS ahont time for me to lie look.
ing around. went up the stairs to the hall on
the parlor floor. where they'd left the light
burning, bright. and the first thing my eyes fcll
on was the old mans black gown. blue mask. and
beaver hat, and ! put EN- on right away. with.
ont any delay, and made for the lo0r. ! had to
shut the door after me; because the doors
open and they'd have felt the druught and come
out 10 see what was the matter before I'd had
The three carriages were standing there, the
last ono in front Of he house and the other two
just uheRd, the one the old man had come In the
head one. I walked down to that carriage and
stood on the walk and looked mp at the driver.
] was taking some chances here. but the. man
that never took no chances never won anything
He was a strange driver. He didn't know the
old man. but he knew the black gown and the
blue mask and the brown hat. 49,.
"'Yom know the Goglinton building I says.
South First and Piner
"'Sessir. he says.
"'How long will it take to drive down thore
and back 4 | says.
"'Ahout twenty minutes. sir he says. and |
opens the door. VIII you get there ms soon as
you can = ] says as / gets In, and he says Yes.
sir
II knew tho Goclinton building well, a big
Office building. standing on IL gore. shaped piece
OF ground between two streets, that came to-
gether round the point OF the building; there
was a hall through he thick part of the building
from one street to the other.
mot long | says to the driver in front Of the
building. and then ! shed the black gown and
blue u ask and the brown hat along the hall and
went out the other door,"