The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1899-07-18

many a pleasant hour have 1 spent in
his company, listening to his interest
ing recitals.
- The queerest job 1 ever did, gov
ernor?' he repeated, on one occasion,
in answer to my question. "Well, /
could hardly say, for I've done a good
many queer jobs in my time, one sort
and another; but | reckon a little bit
OF business as 1 did at Pilborough
years ago about takes the cake; and
rs ] know you won't split on me, 1
don't mind telling you.
It'll be nearly twenty years since
now, and getting towards winter.
Things in my line had been very slack
In fact, | hadn't cracked a decent crib
for three months or more, so funds
was getting low, you see.
Il nearly always worked by myself,
tor If a chaps at all smart it's safer
and altogether more profitable. Well.
as l said, I'd had no luck, so 1 packed
up my traps and started for Pill
borough, in the hopes of finding some
thing to my advantage.
81 looked about me the first dav or
two, for I knew nothing about the
place; but at last | spotted crib--a
likely one, 1 thought. 1t was nice
big house standing by itself, with a
good, long garden dividing it from the
road, aud q mile or so ont from the
town. Here's n chance, thinks I: so
carefully took stock of the place. so
rs l should know my way about bet
ter. l made inquiries, and found it
was the house of n Mr.. Alton, man
ager Of the branch bank of Pilborough.
so 1t would be good haul most likely.
There was, | learned, only the man.
ager, his houaekeeper, aud two ser
wants, so that was lucky.
Il kept quiet for few days to find
ont all | could, and to settle my plans.
The papers were full Of accounts
OF burglaries in the district, and from
the reports, | concluded it was jim
Kelly, one of the first hands.
Jim aud me had been pals in our
early days; but somehow he got on
better than most of us, and went his
way. But he was known to all the
professlon-and the police, too, for
that matter-as a swell craftsman
full of daring and pluck and unusually
=. ',
bless you I've known Jimmy crack a
crib night after night in the same
neighborhood without being nabbed.
aud then, when he'd made nice lit
tie pile, quietly slope OF and do the
grand as large as duke. Many OF
us would have been glad of 2 helping
hand from jim: but he always worked
alone.
Now, thinks I, when | read of his
luck, I'd better make tracks and get
out OF this, or else I'll be taken in
stead Of Jimmy.
LAS luck would have it, the man
ager always went regularly once n
month to Dalthorpe, the headquar-
tiers Of tue bank, to settle all accounts
and store the deposits. Now was my
chance.
u kept carefully out OF sight of the
police all day, and. when night came.
started out with full supply of all I
required lin my pockets. BY eleven
O'Clock all was quiet, the lights in the
windows one by one disappeared. and
as the noyelists say, silence reigned.
Cautiously creeping from nv hid
ing place under a hedge. / lifted the
latch Of the gate. and entered the gar.
den. TIE dry leaves on the Gravel
path crunched alarminglv as ti9-toe1
up to the house And more than once
+ stopped-in fear lest sbonld he
discovered.
"The library window stood unsI,ut-
tered invitincIv before me. 7 c,rsfrII,,
tried the catch: it was unfastenel. +
was in luck. aud in less time than II
takes TO tell il. I was i'm the room
Careless servants. verv.' I ,nt.
tered. as 7 closed the window ofter
me, but I'm much oblired to ,em ali
the same. Now for it, 7 looked round
1t was fair-sized. lofty room. we'll
lined with bookcases. but books wore
not what I'd come for-fo5d for the
minds we'll enough. daresav. bpt
money for the pockets better How
ever. I soon spiei a little iron safe Iet
into corner Of the wall. and ] lost no
time in getting To- work. The orna.
ments on the mauteipiece seemed pref.
~ valuable. 1T was we'll worth com.
ing for ] soliloquised. rs / filed awov.
j was very troublesome. one of those
new tangled locks that nobody know I
anything about. Atlagf.wifb "a wrench
the door flew open beuf forward
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