The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-15
A Burglar and His Booty.

son, the humorist.
Yes I replied. looking at the building
Y we were approaching. but strange po-
sition-away from the high road, and sur
rounded by Villas"
"A very strange position We will rest
r in the public-house, and I will tell you
! how it came to be built in such very
strange position
; The story begins" he said presently.
with burglary committed by certain
Bill Jones one night long ago.
Bill was young member of his pro-
fession. Hitherto he had not attempted
anything very big, but continued success
in small things had made him bold On
this night he broke into the country house
OF weu-kpown actress, in the hope Of
carrying off her jewels.
He succeeded in getting the jeweH and
was leaving with them when he found
that the slight noise ne had made had at
tracted attention. A servant met him
at turn Of the stairway and began
to shrek. He rushed by her and TO the
window through which he had entered AS
he passed through II again he heard doors
being opened, and knew that the house
was fully aroused"
Il understand" I said. "Biu escaped.
The actress employed detective The
detective built this public house in an
out-of-theway place, hoping that Bill,
as an out-of-the-way young man. would
call in one day for drink. Curiouss
| enough. Bill did"
Blanco Watson frCwned
This is an intellectual story" he said:
cit does not depend on condolences
| Il will continue. Bill avoided the first
! pursuit by long run across the country
and then walked toward his home. not dar
| ing to use the railway. He kept to the
| by-roads as much as possible, and at the
| close Of the inext day had reached the
neighborhood of London
! "A spade lying inside a field gate eug-
| gested to him the advisability OF hiding
the jewels until he had arranged for their
| sale. After making sure that he was not
! observed, he entered the field and picked
! up the spade. A tree of peculiar growth
stood just beyond him. In the manner
of fiction, he counted twenty steps due
north from the tree, and then dug a
deep hole, placed the Jewels in it, and
filed it up again.
He arrived home safely that night,
but was arrested in the morning The
| servant girl had given an accurate de-
scriptlon OF him 10 the police and they
had recognized It
In due course he was tried. The evil
dence against him was very strong. The
servant girl swore that he was the man
she met on the stairs; some Of the villagers
swore that they had seen him near the
house previously to the burglary. He was
found guilty and sentenced TO seven years
penal servitude.
Bill behaved very well in prison, and
at the end of five years was released on
a ticket-of-leave He decided to wait |
until the ticket had expired, and then TO |
set the jewels and leave the country. But !
a day or two after his release he walked |
out to look at the field.
There was no field During the five |
years he had been in prison the estate |
of which the field was part had been |
built upon. He wandered about the |
houses in despair But, as he turned a |
corner, he saw something which sug-
gested hope. Behind some ratings was a
tree Of curious growth.
ut was the tree twenty steps due north
Of which he had buried the Jewels. He rec
ognized 1t Immediately, and ran toward
it. Again he was in despair. yard or
two north of the tree was a chapel, and
the jewels Were under the chapel. He
leaned against the ratings, covering his
face with his hands.
1T happened presently that the head
deacon of the chapel, a kindly old man,
came down the road. He saw Bill stand
ing like one in trouble and stopped and
asked what was the matter and whether
he could help.
He took Bill home with him; he was
a bachelor. and there was no one to re-
strain his benevolence. They had sup
per and talked together. The deacon
found Bill intelligent and fairly educated,
and offered him employment. He was q
builder in the neighborhoOd, he explain
ed, and had vacancy in the works. Bill
gratefully accepted the offer, and began
his new career on the following Monday
Months passed. Bill had changed Won
derfully. He had forgotten his old habits
and learned new ones. The deacon was
delighted. Not only was Bill the best of
his workmen. but he was the most regular
attendant at the chapel.
Bill longed for the jewels, and he work.
ed hard because he knew that money
would help him to get them. He attended
The chapel because while there he was
near the jewels. the seat ne had taken be-
ng just twenty steps due north from the
rec. At first he had meditated digging
Down through the floor one night, but
he chances for detection were great and
lie had given up the idea.
Years passed. The deacon had become
IN invalid, and Bill practically managed
lis business. He was an important man
Ii the chapel too, and was often en-
rusted with a collection box. One day
he deacon died. Soon afterward II was I
,nown that having no near relatives. he q
lad left his property TO his friend. WILL s
am Jones.
"Bill was Bill no longer. He had be-
ONE man OF wealth. At the next cleo '
lon Of deacons he was one OF the sue :
essful candidates In future we must =
efer to him as Mr.. Jones, and not as
Sill o
Mr.. Jones was a most energetic dea-
on. He introduced new members and he ,
ersuaded old ones TO attend more regu-
ar!y. He started a young mans literary l.
ociety and a series Of Saturday enter '
ailments He made the chapel the most
opular in the district: and then, at a
lew Years business meeting, he struck L
Oddly for the jewels, a
The chapel was too small. he said in
he course Of an eloquent speech They a
uSt erect another on 4 larger site. There ! &
as but one such size in the ueighborhood.
hey must secure II before others did. He
mself would undertake the building op-
atoms charging only what they cost &c
M He would also purchase the old cI
lapel The net expenditure need not be a.
Try great. N
The necessary funds were subscribed pc
guaranteed, Contracts were made with IA
T. Jones. In the spring Of that year the D
aiding operations were commenced. and be
: the autumn they were finished The bl
~ er-r Il - &.