The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-16
/! mr.. GQdbQtter's Strange Vacation.
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see it's soap. OF all incredible things"
IF I might explain
Don't explain. It's sure to be lie,
and there's no time for expianatIl4pns
What was | going to ask you? All! Have
you any mateS?
I'm few minutes, if you"
Have you any mates, damn you II
you start any soapy palayer III shoot
Have you any mateS?
No said Mr. Ledbetter.
suppose Rt yon nav NE for aaif th is Why
the devil didn't you floor me when l came
upstairs? You won't get chance to,
now, anyhow"
II don't see how could prove an alibi,'
remarked Mr.. Ledbetter. trying to show
by his conversation that he was an edu-
Gated man.
That's all right said the fat man.
but what to do with you L don't ex-
actly know"
II know my position is ambiguous"
Lord" said the man. Ambiguous;
And goes about with his own soap, and
wears a laundering great clerical collar!
You are, a blooming burglar you are
If ever there was onei
TO be strictly accurate" said Mr.. Led
better-and suddenly his glasses slipped
off and clattered against his vest buttons,
The fat man changed countenanee, a
flash of savage resolution crossed his
face, and something in the revoiver
clicked He put his other hand to the
Weapon. And then he looked at Mr..
Ledbetter. and his eye went down to the
dropped pince-nez.
COCK
man after a pause and his breath seemed
TO catch But I'll tell you, you've never
been so near death before. Lordl I'm al
most glad If it hadn't been that the re-
volyer wasn't cooked you De lying
dead there now -.
MT. Iedbetter said nothing, but he felt
that the room was o swaying. mile It's
lucky for both of US, wasn't it? Lord"
he blew noisily. -
ha++ xtrif n al
Oe .sThere's only one thing to do. If I
call in the police, I'm bust A httie
game I'VE zig goe o On m IS and o9s leave Vou again
the thing may be out tomorrow. To-
morrow's Sunday and Mondays bank
holiday-Tve counted on, three clear
davis Shooting yous murder-and hang
ing-and besides, it will bust the whole
blooming bernooze. I'm hanged If l can
think what to do-Pm hanged II can
"Will you permit me
You gas as much as if you We're a
real parson. I'm blessed II you q 3au I;
Mol won't permit you There isn't
time If you start off jawing again III
shoot you in your stomach. See BUT Ut
going to do first. my man. IS an examine ma,
ton for concealed arms. And look here.
off at a gable; do it brisk.
And with many elaborate precautions
and always pointing the pistol at Mr.;
Ledbetter's head, the stout man stood
''Why, you are a burglar!' he said.
you're perfect amateur. You haven
even a pistol pocket in the back of your,
breeches No, you don't shut up now.
So soon as this issue was decided the
short man made Mr.. Ledbetter take OF
his coat and roll up his shirt sleeves, ana
with the revolver at one ear, proceed with
the packing his appearance had inter.
rupted. From the short mans point or
ment. for If ne had packed he would
have had TO put down his revolver. So
that even the gold on the table was
handled by Mr.. Ledbetter. This noctur-
nal packing was peculiar. The stout
mans idea was evidently to distribute
the weight of the gold as unostentatious-
ly as possible through ms 1oSSas2e era hie
was by 1 no means an lnGoasiGe eaps
altogether nearly SIS 600 In gold Eci, IN the
also many little rolls of e5 bank notes.
Each rouieau of e25 was wrapped by Mr..
then put neatly in cigar boxes and dis
tributed between travelling. trunk; q
Gladstone bag and hatbox About t6O0
went in a tobacco tin in a dressing bag.
Ten pounds in gold and a number of so
notes the stout man pocketed. Occasion
ally he objurgated Mr.: Ledbetter s clum-
siness and urged him to hurry, and seve-
raj times he appealed to Mr.. Ledbetters
watch for information.
He appeared to be now in a less ag-
pressiye mood, and, having watched MT
Iedbetter for some time, he offered few
re .1a;rnx5 ,,orr accent Judge YOU are a.
Ing q cigar. mo, don't begin that ex-
PLANTATION of yours. I know it will be
iong-winded from your face. and I'm
other mems lying. You are, 1 say,
person of education"
II am a curate,P said Mr.. Ledbetter,
you are trying to be. I know. But
YOU didn't ought to burgle. You are not
the man to burgle. You are-t may
CO.. n the thing will have been pointed
out to you before-a coward"