Evening journal., 1899-08-18
yolfder where I've droppea from.

hand and his evening cape over ono
arm.
The room was erather dark, so it did
not strike Thompson that none of the
furniture or decorations were familiar.
And he had very little time TO notice
anything.
"Elizal" he heard. sounding in a mas
culine voice from the next landing.
"Elizai"
Amanda Carson had no male rela-
tives in her family except her fathep
aad that was not old CSrrsoA'svoice.
"Eliza's gone out, Henry" said fe-
male voice. Il sent her TO mail a let
ter."
"Then 1 wish she wouldn'tleave the
front door open," said the first voice.
"Hellol Its closed now. Shemusthave
come in. Elizal"
No answer.
Then the man growled;i TITS very
strange. That door didn't tblow TO, CT
would have heard it bangR'
OF course, by this time, T homPson re-
allied that, after all, IL wasnot IS that
he should have gone TO, buti53.
He picked up his hat and cape and
moved quickly toward the, door Of the
front room, intending to make an ex-
PLANTATION and an escaqe-both as rapid
as possible.
mo, you don't" said that same mas
culine voise. "Yon stop right Where
you are or III shodn."
The good man of she house, hayAg,
as he supposed, grnspad the fact that
burglar had snbaload in at the front
door while ELIAS bac k was turned, now
stood, with something made of'steel in
his outstretched right hand, hallway
down the stairs.
my name is Thompson" the inno-
cent intruder began.
81 daresay tbs. Stay right whore you
are, Thompson"
1t was a painful sit nation. Nothing
could induce that grim householder to
believe that Thomps, IN was himself,
and not particularlytcunning and en-
terprisimg early-eyening burglar. who
worked the dress suit racket"
You Mr.. Cyril Thompson, eh? Well,
Mr.. Cyril Thompson had beard when
l heard him sing II Milo Teroro. fCan
you singg
Under. the circumstances Thompson
could not. sing. Fancy warbling: "I
Mo Teroro" in such h predicaInontl
The end of'it was. that Eliza camo
in aud Immediately went out again 10
get apohceman.
Thompson mad nO better luck viii,
the policeman than. with Mr.. Cameron
that was the hruseholder's name
The policeman refused to look at
/ rhompson,s handkerchief, On which
he would have found the'intitials: &C.
IT, elegantly embroidered. Neither
would he examine. any OF Thompson's
underwear. Even if he had, he would
have found only the initials, and &c
T." may stand for ~Charles Tomplrirh'
just as we'll as for "'Cyrl Thompson"
At the station house the mihiops Of
thelaw followed thesameobjectignabli
course, believing nothing that T'bonf,
son said about himself, and laughing "a
scorn what they called "that old gag"
"You say you are Mr.. Cyril Thomp.
son." said the Inspector. "Then what
were you doing in afR. Cameron's house
without ringing the bell? You don't
know anybody there, do you2"
That really sealed poor Tbompson's
lips. He did not want to tell this police
inspector all about his innocent little
plan for surprising Amanda Carson.
However, that part Of his agony did
not last overnight. A note to a friend
brought relief-and bail. And when
Thompson's lawyer, came the police
cautiously began to believe something
of the story of the lost beard. But the
irate Cameron, by that time, had gone
home and to bed; so there was nobody
at hand to withdraw the charge, and
the magistrate who was called up al
that late hour made the bail heavy.
Cameron did finally yield-though
not until poor Thompson had spent a
sleepless night, followed by a very un-
pleasant morning in the pence court.
But, after all this, and after Thomp.
son had neglectedto shave his newly-re-
vealed face, hoping that that beard
would quickly reappear-the worst was
yet to come. 1t came all through an
energetic and discerning reporter who
saw in Thompson's account Of himself
chance for good story" This is
; how the good story" met Thompson s
haggard eyes when he looked at the
paper that morning Of his appearance
in the police court:
> ONE ON CYRIL
SLICK BURGLAR CABGHT IN THE
ACT. SAYS HE is "MR. THOMP-
SON."
THOUGH BEARDLESS, HE WOULI
IAIPERSONATE HIE HLRsUTESsO
CIETY TENOR.
"Now, what is a man to do in q cass
like this?" Thompson piteousiy aske5
! his friend who had bailed him out.
II guess you'd better let it go at that
, old man." said his friend. If yor
don't keep quiet they may come ouf
/ with another scare head The Bur
! glar Was Thompson, After All. Wha-
, Was He Doing in That Houseg Say
nothing and let your beard grow
That's my advice"
: Thompson stayed at home for two
7 weeks. Then he called on Amanda and