Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-11-14

son began dropping in about nine, so as to be the last man to go. On two evenings he detained me till ten o'clock telling stories, and. as [ began to get suspicious of his intentions, l sought advice of Mir. Baker.
 On the afternoon of the 30th Mr. Thompson dropped in and passed jokes with Alr Baker for half an hour. and we heard a great deal of laughing in the private office. At eight o'clock in the evening the postmaster had about $2 900 in our safe and the amount al- together was about S22 000 1t was a dark and rainy evening, and there were so few customers in the store that I let the clerks go home At nine o'clock. as I expected and counted on, Mr. Thomp- son arrived. It was a walk of five blocks from his hotel, and he would not have come out in the rain, except that he was expecting important letters. He got none, and the post office closed after his inquiry As he came through the store [ was all alone, and there was no doubt in my mind that he was pleased to find things thus. He took seat on the counter and began smoking and asking me to guess various eonundrums, and at haIf-past nine o'clock the streets were quiet and the hour had arrived for him to show his hand. I sat in a chair facing him and only a few feet away. Of a sudden, and while he was smiling and laughing, he put his hands on the counter and leaped forwards and landed full upon me. was carried backwards to the focr and he had his hand on my throat and his knee on my breast before I could put out finger.
 Be quiet and sensible, now!" he eau toned. q am MT Thompson. Some times l am funny-sometime not. There is no funny business about this. If you keep quiet, 1 shan't hurt you If you don't, I'll use you mighty roughl"
 had no idea of struggling with him. He took from his pocket pieces of rope and bound my arms and my ankles, and when he had finished. said:
 I'm after the money in tAe safe, of course, and of course ] shall get it. It viii save time and trouble, however. if you will give me the word If you are obstinate about it l may have to hold a lighted match under your nose.
 Irefased him any answer, and after a minute he passed into Che private office and began working at the safe | could hear but not see him. He saw that all the doors were locked before he left me, and on such a night as that had lit- tle fear of being disturbed. He took the list of 20 words l had given him and started in on the combination. He had tried eight of them, when dr. Baker and two policemen suddenly rose up from behind screen, each with pistol in hand, and MT. Baker called out, in great good nature:
 "Ah, there, you funny Mr. Thompson, but this is an unexpected pleasurel I was just dying to hear one of your fun ny stories but 1 hardly thought you'd call at such a late bouF!''
 Mr. Thompson was struck dumb for moment, but he was man of cheek as well as of humor and. after catch ing his breath, he answered:
 That you, Baker-ha! ha! ha! Did you ever hear the story of the man who dreamed he was a horse 2''
 No, never did. If you are feeling well tomorrow, come around and tell it. l know it must be funny-ha! ha! hal Were you trying to work that com bination ?''
 @Hhy, yes, was trying, but have had no luck. You seem to have expected me here tonight"
 "Yes. ha! ha! hal Say Thompson, doesn't the situation strike you as rath- CT funny" ?"
 "Yes, deyilish funny-ha! hal hap
 Same here. I shall miss you more than l can tell If you have time be- fore you go to state prison, wish you would write me out few of your best jokes. The one you were telling me yes terday was a regular eorker-haI ha! ha!,'
 And for quarter of an hour more the two continued to joke each other, while one of the policemen came out into the store and released me I didn't feel very mirthful over the affair, but Mir. Baker slapped me on the back and ex, claimed;
 Charles, my boy, you mustn't hold any spite against Mr. Thompson. He's a very funny man, and if he could only stay in Greendale for few weeks long Ter I'd get fat laughing over his jokes Ina! ha! ha! Say, Thompson, tell him the story of the old maid and the gob- lin-ha! ha! hal"
 II don't feel as funny as usual, for some reason, replied Thompson. "The fact is, I think I've got myself boxed up"
 The funny Mir. Thompson took his dose like man. He had played his hand and lost, and he was not the man to kick about it. He attempted no de fense, but said he was probably walk ing in his sleep. He received a sentence of seven years, and before he was taken away Mr. Baker went to the jail to see him and say:
 Well, Thompson. any new jokes or conundrums before you are otf2
 Nothing today" was the reply. Say, we used to swap some mighty