The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-25
A rICKrocKET FOR FUN.
Rv 81 Withersnnnn


Six seventy-one, six seventy-six. six
nine cents in small change; niclxles, dimes.
a few halves and quarters. I was SLOUGH
ing in the shadow of a dark corner. In a
lonely suburban street; / had just picked
a mans pocket!
l laughed. 1t was so easily done. He
was a street car conductor. The car was
crowded with holiday shoppers. The con-
ductor had been caught in the push l
had slipped my hand in the pocket of his
coat and relieved him of just six dollars
and seventy-nine cents of his change; all
in a twinkling! 1 laughed again to think
of my cleverness.
l walked slowly down the street, keep
ing in the shadows with the stolen money
grasped tightly in my, hand.
I'd always known there was no difficulty
in picking a mans pocket I'd often
thought of trying it just for an expert
meut, but somehow l had never had such
an opportunity before.
But now | was getting nearer in town.
The lights were more numerous and
. seemed to burn brighter than / had ever
seen them before. l could not evade their
glare. They seemed to be shining through
me.
There stood a policeman on the corner!
w uN Oiu lie stare 50. 1 wondered II he
could see the money in my hand. thrust
deep in my trousers pocket
He was moving. Perhaps he was com
ing across to arrest mel / looked for some
place of concealment. None was visible.
Nonsense the policeman had turned up a
side street. l laughed at my foolish
alarm.
But what should I do with the money?
l didn't need IL; l merely took it as an
experiment; just to see if could; just for
fun!
The stuff was sweating in my hand. il
was literally burning me. but l could not
release it.
All! there was a sewer, why not drop ID
in there and be rid of It?
The very idea! l approached cautiously
and leaned over the curbing.
Hark, what was that? a man coming
slowly across the street He looked like
a detective, too. l must escape before he
spoke to me.
But confound it, what was l to do with
that detestable money? Ii sweated all the
more. I dropped it slowly to the bottom
of my pocket one coin a a time There!
it was out of my hands anyway.
dirty little boot black brushed against
me. I had an idea of giving him the en-
tire sum for brushing my shoes. but that
would never do. Every street urchin
would KNOW II IN an hOur. lie would
point me out 20 them every time / passed
him on the street. 1 abandoned the idea.
The money was getting heavier!
My trousers felt as if they were being
pulled up on one side and down on the
other l knew everybody was noticing the
difference in the length of the legs.
A mendicant was grinding a doleful tune
! from an Internal machine at the corner
Why not drop the money IN his cup and
move swiftly away? Too many people
standing around, and they all had their
| eyes fastened on me-
/ felt like telling them the whole truth.
/ was a thief. had picked q mans pock-
| Ct ! wanted 70 unburdcn But they
seemed 10 know all about H. Their ewes
seemed 20 say that they knew exactly
what ] had done, they knew lust how
much ] had stolen. they turned snoorine-
ly away. Watt I would vindicate nv
self. / would tell them 1 was no criminal.
IL Was only an experiment. just "a lifte
diversion But they wouldntt believe my.
they were 100 well satisfied
A drunken woman was staring 90 my
trousers. ! moved bastly away before
sine cogid remark upon che difference ip
the ieuath of thrir lces
wHikri ou 80 Oh. The money Bsirh-
80 con. How could : aei "a of ltG
] IAe rondseigE 4 DoalefeQ how Dc haa