The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-09


I've seen you look sometimes. said the
retired burglar. according TO the New
York sun, lat this finger" and as he
spoke he held up his right hand, from
which the first joint of the second finger
was missing. Il lost that" he went on.
in just the slickest and quickest way you
can imagine. 1t was one of those things
that are likely to happen to any Of Us any
time, and that are all over before you
know 1t.
Il was opening a door in house that
had a stout spring on lt-something very
unusual for bed room door. 1 don't
know as I ever saw another like it. l had
my bag and jimmy in my left hand, and
had opened this door with my right. AS
l stood in the hail. facing it, the knob was
at the left Having my bag and jimmy in
my left hand, when had turned the knob
and started the door 1 shifted my right
hand from the knob to the door itself, so
as to make sure of getting the bag and
jimmy past the door jamb easily without
touching il, and then 1 began pushing the
door open by pressing it back with my
hand I discovered the presence of the
spring the minute 1 started the door, but
didn't know how strong it was.
Il had got the door open maybe a quar-
ter or a third of the way, pressing light
" on il, and going slow, when the power
ful spring began TO get in its work some
how don't know just how, and before l
knew IL my hand was sliding along the
smooth fiat counterpart of the door be-
tween the upper and lower panels, the door
shutting to all the time and my hand slid
ing along until il reached the edge of the
door on the right hand side, and then that
finger Tapped over it and was canght be
tween the edge and the door jamb, when
the door closed.
Then l stood there, you understand, in
a dark hall, with this door shut in my face
holding a gripsack and a jimmy in my
left hand and with the middle finger of the
right held fast in the jamb of the door.
u was very unpleasant situation for va
rious reasons, but unexpected as it all was
had never said boo, but when the door
closed on my finger I had involuntarily
thrown my left hand forward enough 10
whack the jimmy that I'd been trying so
hard to keep from hitting anything against
the door
Il backed away from the door a little,
swinging on the finger that 1 had in the
jamb, and set my bag and jimmy down on
the floor. l was going to open the door
with my left hand and release my finger,
but before could reach the knob the door
began to open and my right hand was SET
free. Instinctiyely. 1 suppose, / raised it
up to look at it, and, as I did So the door
swung back and l saw big man standing
In the doorway. He had turned up the
light and we could see each other easy
and plain. He saw me standing looking at
him and holding up my right hand, with
blood trcknng down it, my hand staying
right where 1 had raised it, my attention
diverted to him. He sized 1t all up in a
minute.
Hello he says. You've pinched your
finger, haven't you? You come right in and
| I'll fix that up SO quick and easy that you
won't know there's anything the matter
with It
And 1 stopped down and picked up my
bag and jimmy, and, holding my right
hand up just the same as had at first
when he saw it, only holding it up now
| TO keep the blood from dripping on the
| floor, followed him in. knew it was all
right, read his sign on the front of the
| house the day before.
HE was jolly sort of a big fellow.
| young, but he certainly did make good job
| of it, and when he'd got it all bandaged
up, and had hung my hand in sling
around my neck, he says: Now, I'll let you
OUT myself. because you can't use that
hand very well just now. But you come in
tomorrow and let me dress 1t for you. And
| don't be shy of coming, for it shan't cost
you a cent.
"Of course. I knew what that meant
well enough. it was clear and straight as
string, but didn't go back. I'd have felt
| kind o sheepish to go back to him, any
way and then. safe as he was, couldn't
| tell what would happen if 1 hung around
| the town, and so on general principles 1
| thought it was better to get out"