The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-11
HIS BOGUS BURGLAR.
A Ris ne Young Author and
His Study from Life.
BY FRANCIS LYNpE.

paratus by means OF which he could, without
leaving his desk, see and hear everything that
vent on.in the sitting room below. Leonard is
n novelist, and bis hobby Is n study OF lie
from models.
What do YOU think of.thnt for a schome7'
he snid. II call I my automatic human anal
yLsr. Its Helen's idea. and it's a brilliant
ono. When ! want to study any particular
Brankvills tyne she tolls The subject to the
house to n tea.fRht or a sewing circle. or some
thing Of that sort, and | ran sit here and dis.
sect II ct my leisure. Isn't 1t Grest?'
ut is the mott inGeniouslY abominable thing
I ever heard Of" ! vcnturel to say.
II don't denv that" replied Leonard. but
necessity knots no law. I've got to have mod
oils II I have to spend the last shre: Of self.
respect. In tho family buying them. But Just
now I'm In a fix. I've come to n ci apter In the
new novel where an insight into the personal
ity OF n burglar is n sheer necessity, and 1 don't
know what to do. Burglars are not kept on
draft in BraEkvIlle. and Helen can't help me
with a tea party"
why don't you go to Sing Sing and study
them en- bloc
You don't understand: that wouldn't do at
all A burglar ceases to be a burglar when
he becomes . convict. I've got to have the
chemically pure article for my purpose."
Then 20 TO the city and investigate him in
his native lair"
Leonard shrugged his shoulders. not without
CONTEMPT Suggestion isn't your forte. l
nigh: ~ we'll Study q lot Of lay figures In n cy-
clorama with policeman for a lecturer. No:
I've got TO get a specimen and analyze II. and I'll
be hanged II I know how to do It."
laughed. WHY don't you put an 'ad' in the
papers: Wanted. a burglar. to spend q short va
cation In q country house at Brankville.on-the.
Hudson while he IS being taken apart and put
toxether again. Mus: bc an adept in his pro-
toss!on. Terms liberal"
With his usual obtuseness. Leonard did not
seom to see anything humorous in the suRges-
ton. On the contrary. Le appea red 70 take 1t
seriously: and when his wife called us to dinner
q few minutes later he said thoughtfully:
Say. Tom. you're not SO confoundedly stu
p'd an you look. Let's 90 down and eat on
that asst idea OF yours
A week later I had a telegram from Leonard.
Come up," he said 1.-The b problem is solved.
and I want you to interview me-"
/ went on the afternoon train. wiring him
that I must return at onoe. and he met me at
the station.
Good boy" he said, shaking hands. Pinch
cd for timer"
l nodded
A right: you can do tin fifteen min
utes and catch the next tra.n.to the city. If you
havs to-"
do WHAT"
why. interview me. OF course. Didn't
you read my messaGe?"
In view Of the fact that Leonard hal Kept up
a running fight with the interviewers ever since
the early dawn OF his little day of popularity
as a novelist. the request vas quito In keeping
VII l:b other eccentricities. and l knew The
Daily Monograph would be glad to have him
make his first exception in its favor.
Go ahead" said J.. with pencil suspended.
What shall I say?'
Anything or nothing about my work. but
you must pile it on thick Ehcn ii comes to tho
personalities. Make me out the biggest fool
Of o crank you can invent. and wind up with
a paragraph on my abnormal fear OF losing the
million or so dollars nv book ha. earned. Say
that I'm too idiot!cally caution. to invest it:
say It's reported that I keep it in a burglar
proof safe in my bedroom"
But you don't do anything OF the sort" l
protested. whereupon he cut in impatiently:
hit " .isS a c nssseR Cant n Soa see 90 w {1a f i'm d iG Se
ing at? You ought tots your own suGges-
ton; with q LITTLE necessary revision. 49,,
he read 1t after the down train had whistled.
That will bring me my burglar. il .nythins
Will, ne said; returning the notebook. Don't
80! hope. it will. And ! also hope that Mr..
Whatever lis name may Chance 10 be-. viii
scare the foolishness out Of you on the n,oIcl
a%"seTi' hanf ;sF { bat stTfiff's snn na1e any sympathy to
for ~beSr.rrizzIy hear, At that" said Leonard.
BY, il you happen TO think Of ANYTHING that
will make it stronger. put II in"
view. save a combined attack of other inter
viewers upon the cutworks OF Castle Freakley.
in Brankyille. In the mean time. iowever. the
Brank Williams began to wonder why their &c
sentris genius did not use the arc light which
ali when the house vas already arlow nightly
hut by this time I.eonard's vasaries. which
were many, were beginning TO 90 unQuestioned.
Vile remarked, was that Helen Leonard wa,
growing singularly nervous and distrais. and
The truth Of this matter was that Leonard
had taken his, wife into his conf
a asnce :, a psff Ssr con IN see w SiIn no, OF oui the . ourTls ar
oh. Harvey. Ies US give: 1T up and run
nense is too hideously terrifying to live with.
asine all sorts of dreadful things happening
in your rooni."
II toid y sSn s go q { Better %a at a ss;s 'r But lf f'9s sd;
to sit It out and catch my man; I can't write
forlorn-hope fortitude. II. shouldn't mind il
so much II he'd only come quickly and have IL
over with: itR the Suspense that's 30 trying on
ones nerves. Are you sure the apparatus will
work when the time comes?"
Leonard smiled primly. I'D bo sorry to
ha 20 to use IL: I'd lose my specimen. and I'm
afraid we'd ave 4 cornss TO dispose Of"
Horrors said Helen: 'it's fairly gruesome
To hear you talk ABOUT IL. Must You go on?
Can! you get what You want out Of the books
for this oncef'
Yer. can read up and paraphra.e what
some other luckier fellow has said, | suppose.
hut tina, wouldn't be art. No; I've got to have
my model, and tho sooner he turns up the bet.
ter for oil concerned. Now that you speak Of
a., though. the suspense is a bit irving
II was about this time that Macarthur ~ the
Sunday Rtnm asked me how had managed 10
screw an interview out OF Leonard, a direct
question which I evad"d by saying that thu
rising author was n ,rersonal friend OF mine,
THAT'S too old" said Macarthur. but III
forgive YOU II you'll tell me how I can get a
chance at him for the Rfnm, You have had
Your SCOOP out of him, and You ought TO be
neIghborly."
Go and see him. as ] did"
Then IL wasn't n fn;e'"
The Hdilv Monograph doesn't print fakes, !"
mo. | suppose not. But do you mean to tel
me that all that claptraD about his money mat