The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-04-11

cautiously upon his feet. ''Wot err yeI
goin' to do with cove"
THAT depends entirely upon your be-
hayior. For reasons which you wouldn't
understand, it has become necessary for
me to know personally u gentleman of
your profession. If you will be tracta-
Bile and quiet and tell me what l want
to know. | propose to entertain you as
my guest for a day or two, after which
you may go your way without reference
to your object in coming here tonight"
An wot if | kick on all that?'
.'You will be shocked first and turned
over to the police afterward. But yon
will be reasonable. I'm sure. This house
is simply a deathtrap for any one W so
doesn't know it. You couldn't get out
of it alive in broad daylight without my
help or Il pair of wings. It's getting
late: which will you do?
20. I'll come off de perch. f course.
amt no blooming buffer wen it comes
to de show down.
Il thought you'd be sensible. Now
give me your weapons, and we'll go up
stairs.
But the burglar had no weapon and,
what seemed still more singular, no.
tools Leonard marvelcd greatly there
ait. but his guest explained:
Il was jist gittin' de lay f de land, d
We see! No use bringin' dcswhole ma
chine shop f der wasn't goin' to be no
chance ter use il"
But do You usually 20 unarmed|'
Course we does" replied the burg
lar. with fine irony. us coves amt
no bloody sluggers; wot we wants is de
Swag-see|'
Leonard promptly made a note of the
first fact in his diagnosis, and sent
Helen the fourth and last signal.
Now. then. Mr.. - Bits" said the
burglar-"Mr. Bits come with me, and
well take a few notes tonight if You
don't mind
Leonard led the way to his study and
wheeled out IN easy chair for the burg
lar. sit down and make yourself COM
Portable he said DO you smoke?
Mr.. Bits admitted the fact, and Leon
ard passed the cigar stand and settled
himself at his writing table. Then and
there began an inquest into criminal
methods and motives the like of which
no court room has ever witnessed. and
through il all the burglar reclined laZily
in the easy chair. smoking contentedly
and talking as freely as any investigator.
however, curious, could wish
For an hour Leonard's pen kept even
pace with his queries; but after that the
talk became less inveStigative on the
part of the host, and slightly more in
quistive on that of the guest
As IN unlettered craftsman of the
guild felonious. knowing less than moth
ing OF things literary, Bits was natural
~ curious to acquaint himself somewhat
with the doings of the strange world
into which he had stumbled; and his
ignorance was So naive that Leonard.
enthusiastic ~ the lips ON the subject
of his calling. was at some pains to ex-
plain his work. its methods, its difficult
ties and its achievements.
1t was positively refreshing to pour
such stream of information into a
perfectly vacuous mind, with the assur-
ance that it could never find it's way
out again, and Leonard, warming to his
work. went into details with the minute
ness which his auditors powers of COM
prehension seemed to demand
Bits listened as Il dull man might,
with apparent interest when he could
understand and with respectful atten-
ton when the matter grew abstruse,
but his questions were always fruitful
and Leonard encouraged them as giving
him still deeper insight into the char
actPr of the type burglarious.
Hence. what with acute enthusiasm
on one hand. and patient. if somewhat
ungrasping, attention on the other the
hall clock struck l before Leonard real
lied that what he desired to accomplish
needed not to be wrought out in single
sitting. Wherefore he arose and made
amends.
by Jove, That's / O'Clock owe You
an apology for keeping you up so late.
though | presume in your profession
you're used to bad hours. Come with me
and I'll show You where YOU are to
Sleep
He led Bits to bedroom at the end
of the corridor, touching electric pushes
for additional light as he went along.
You'll find everything comfortable
and eozy, | think, Mr.. Bits: you see,
we've been expecting you for several
days. Make yourself quite at home, and
consider yourself for the time being Il |
member of the family. Only don't try
to get away. | sha'nt lock the door, !
and, as you see, the windows are pro-
tected only by fly screens, but l assure
You you could never get out of here !
alive without my help Good night. |
Touch this button when you want to put !
out the lights
The guest said Good night" and |
Leonard thought he surprised the stimuli
acrum of satirical grin on the mans
face as he closed the door In u minute
later he was giving Helen Il circum-
stantial account of what had befallen.
at worked like charm brom begin
ming to end" he concluded, with par
donable pride. mo bitches, no danger,
no violence; though l did have to give
him a mild shock, just to illustrate the
of the thing
ION, Harvey! you didn't hurt him,
did your
"Of course not; he's too fine a speci-
men to be spoiled in the taking
and what arrangements did you
make with him?"
Just what we planned. We've had