The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-10
.IIH2lS]l;IlQl3

raising It 20 a to admit you. YOU would
have got your bread and butter. TO say
nothing of the turkey. II You went on
long In this way you'd bring the profess
sion of burglar into universal contempt.
why. don't suppose that there's bur-
glar worth his salt who would not regard
you as disgrace to the calling. Where
do you liver
He named q street In quarter of the
town where I had never been.
''Six months ago had as neat q house
as you'd wish to see." said he. Now
there's not a stick In Il; the very beds
were sold to keep us alive. Curse that
strike! Curse that strike! was opposed
to 1t from the first. Why shouldn't be?
l never drew less than two pounds ten
q week. What was 1t to us In Dunbor-
ough that platter on the Tyne was dis
missed without the leave OF the society,""
what, indeed? And 80 you're all starv-
ing: the secretaries OF the societies. they
are starving. too. OF courser'
He laughed grimly.
The secretaries-starving?-n mucn.
Whoever may starve II isn't the secretar-
les. They talk on the platform or the
masters slavery. Well. It may have been
bad enough, though / never felt It to be
so calling, but compared to the slavery or
the trades unions It was as velvet Is to
+
some bread to my children. sir. I'll give
you my word that I'll return"
"You take rather comical view OF the
situation my man. said I. do you fancy
that the promise Of burglar to return to
the house that he has tried to rob tends
to make the owner of the house take
lenient view OF his crime?"
My God. sir, have you ever known what
1t is to hear your child cry to you for
bread when you had no bread to offer it.
ana at this season-this merry Christmas
season. said the man. Have you ever
known what It Is to walk the streets with
bent head In the hope Of finding a crust
in the gutter to bring home to your chill
drenf"
How long Is II since you ate anything
yourself?" asked. as he stretched out his
big lean hands. Il don't think that piece
of bread-a sandwich, say-a turkey sand
witch and glass Of beer would do you any
harm at the present moment. How long Is
1t since you tasted meat?"
Meat? Meat? don't remember any,
thing about the meat, but it's three days
since swallowed a biscuit,
For Gods sake pick up that turkey
and I'll get you a knife and plate. cried.
I was afraid that the man would die In my
house. Nothing could. / knew, be more
inconvenient than such q contretemps.
should have to attend the inquest. The
thought appalled, me.
/ was going into the kitchen when he
held up his hand. There was In his eyes
a ferceness that was altogether terrible.
you needn't do that" he said. MAY
! know worse than has befallen me IL
let bite or SUP into my mouth until my
wife and children have been satisfied. Not
a bite-not bite! But you'll let me take
them something. sir--something at once?
What am / waiting for? BY my soul, I'll
take them something. and no man liv-
ing shall stand between me and my pur-
pose. Don't YOU try 1t. sir: I'm a danger
GUS man. I've tarried here too long al
ready. My Godl 1t may be that one OF
them-that's Meg. she's the youngest-it
may be that she has died while I've been
talking here. II she has you're her muir
derer! Do you hear that2-you're her muir
derer / say"
The ruffan actually stood UP, shaking
his fist at me and glazing at me with
those fierce eyes of his. This would
have been the time for me to shoot him.
What a fool l was to leave my trusty
revolver on the stairs! 1t was just my
luck.
Your mind Is really warped. my good
fellow" said l. in conciliatory tone
Shall admit that was rather frighten-
ed at the attitude of the fellow? I felt
that man who is foolish enough to part
with his revolver does well to speak In
conciliatory tone to a man a good deal
bigger than himself Yes, think you
take a very prejudiced view Of"
"Oh. stand out of my way and keep
your speeches for a platform" cried the
man. He forthwith began stuffng the
bread which he had picked up from the
carpet into his pockets. He positively
slckened me when he pushed the butter
into his breast pocket, but as he tore
for all the world like very savage
the legs off the carcass of the turkey
and forced them into one of his side pock-
cts, I could not avoid a certain thrill of
satisfaction. II there Is one thing that
detest more than another 1t is the cold
leg OF turkey. The sinews have way
of getting between the teeth. However,
the qualities of the turkey from high
dietetic point of view. though well worthy
of careful consideration, have no init
mate connection with the story of the
robbers rudeness-I might almost call 1t
his madness. He filled his pockets, quite
disregarding my proximity to him, and
/ could only stand and watch him.
How on earth could have been idiotic
enough to lay that revolver down on the
stairs?
He filled his pockets and strobe past me
to the hall door, He coolly drew back
the bolt and let down the chain, while I
stood paralyzed at his impudence He
was in the act of stepping out when
heard cry at the top of the stairs.
THE wine--the port wine!' came the
voice of my wife. Don't let him 60
without the port wine.'
l made a rush for the man. but failed
to catch him. heard his feet on the
road. and knew that 1t would be ridicu-
| lous to make the attempt to overtake
| him; he was running for dear life.
My wife appeared In her dressing gown.
| Her face was wet with tears.
1.-THE poor fellow! The poor fellow!
she cried.
Poor fellow, indeed! Your poor fellow
| is poor burglar. that's what he is"
| ! said, emphatically. He should get
eighteen months hard labor. But women
are nothing more than bundle of senti-
| ments,"
And we don't want to be anything
MORE" she said. Poor fellow! to be
compelled to break into a house to get
| food for his starving children! And you
| forgot the jelly and the port wine! You
| let him go away with nothing better