The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-24

| why, OF course, says anes tho cl0TgymAn
that was a-goin' 70 marret us' -
| Then, saysI. you've plenty Of time; get the
gospel sharp 10 identify him. and II the chief amt
satisfied, let him polish him of with few
choice Greek and Lating remarks He'll know
then II amt me, beg parding. Smithers'
We'll Kunnel. in jifIy, I'd picked up her
| satchcl, and wallet and shawl strap. and hustled
her in cab; and of she went TO be happy ever
arterward And that's ALL except in tho hurry
clean forgot TO give her her purse, and II was
we'll lined too. but Of course didn't dare TO take
| no steps to return IT,"
The Colonel looked at Bill Dalton, tho burglar
Nov. Mr. Dalton" he said politely. and the burly
burglar began his story hurting out crisp sen
fences In way which, like every other pocul-
| arity Of his, indicated reserve Of strength
There was rich old Californy widow" he said
| who got stuck q youngish man, not at all
| we'll known. and married him The pair came
East and lived in house up by tho Park. Tho
papers were full OF the diamonds the old thing
sported at the opery. and made UP my mind to
investigate. I had no trouble in ripping off the
| grill from back-cellar window one night and get
ting In. Up in the buffers pantry found moth
ing worth keeping so on went TO the second story
| front. The door was chained, not locked, and
had of the staple in jify. In went, my dark
lantern In one hand, my gun in the other. Some
| one was snoring TO beat the baud in tho alcove
| SO turned my attention to tho desk in corner
! handsome. inlaid. with a steel compartment at
one side. My tools were we'll oiled and worked
| noiselessly: but all Of sudden fash went tho
electric lights l sprang to the foot Of the bed
There lay man grinning az ifit had been mighty
clever to press the button alongside
I'D have given him something on the other
side Of his mouth TO grin about when, 'Hullo
Bill Dalton he said. you're Just tho man I'm
| looking Pillow hut 7 vrr,r> h>,,
| looked again. II was an Australian chap had
worked with once. q man fond Of rings scents
lie and hair dye and Just the 10 get tho blind
| side of silly old dame So tumbled.
Where's your wife? asked
| She's away. dammer, said he, and she's
| got tho sparkers with her and thorc 8 nothing In
the house worth melting
| YOU'RE right there said /; I wouldn't play
| quoits with that plated stuff
| 1ve.been bilked Bill said he The old cat
has kept me on short allowance from tho first
| Let me have dollar before you go, will you?
She shut of on grog and cut up nasty about vim
men. Now she gone for good reckon, for she 8
taken out her divorce papers Her lawyer has got
bill OF sale OF the furniture; tho house is adver
tised for sale: pawned the last spoon Saturday
| night, and I've been living on Jam for two days;
| SO Ill have to get out. sure Now there's them
| diamonds l know she's got them with her for
| she's as vain as a petted parrot The house whore
| she's staying up In the country Is as open as a
sieve and those Of the servants that amt deaf
get blind after sunset on old ale III steer you up
there tomorrow night and watch outside: then
| we'll divide and skip Como 70 think Of II was
| never cut out for family man.
why don't you do IL yourself?' I asked
"'She's light sleeper said he; and do you
know couldn't choke her'
All right agreed: here's your bono, II
| you're as hard up as all that. and I'll meet you
fair tomorrow night
We'll, gents, the next night we drove twenty
miles My pal refined up in the lane, and then
pointed out the guest chamber looking out on the
garden on the side l never cracked crib so dead
easy. All had to do was to shin up a tree creep
along the veranda roof and cut out light OF
glass The moon shone bright as sprang lightly
into the room. and there lay the old lady with
her arm around tin iapanned box No fly
could have entered more noiselessly, but as
tiptoed closer and closer she opened her eyes
That was the jewel box all right gents; mover
seen prettier sight than the way the gems danced
and flashed as broke of the cover and held them
up filled both pockets and passed out the roof
not bothering to close the window. The draft
could do the lady no harm. Through the trees
could make out faint shadow which knew was
our horse and wagon. l stopped short and asked
myself why should whack up with man who
would go back on his lawful welded wife After
moments reflection, the nays had it; so I shifted
a short iron rod, wound with rubber from my hip
pocket to my right sleeve, and went on down
| the post and through the orchard until came to
| the lane
Have you got H.: whispered my pal and his
| voice trembled more than the diamonds had in
the moonlight
Sure answered did you think was max.
ing social CALF
| Then give IL TO me-. he cried dropping the
reins and leaning ont with clutching hands
| Il did give il To him, gents and for fair right
| In the back Of the neck; not a 1nsher, you know,
but a mild persuader that made him topple gu,
and curl up on the ground, with no more interest
in the subsequent proceedings than the chap
had in Bret Hartes pome Away ! drove and
got rid of the stuff to fence before sunrise A.
for him, he came to- believe, Just about the time
the alarm was given and when the men from
the house grabbed him. Doubtless he gave a
satisfactory explanation of his presence bu,
l didn't wait long enough in town to find out
As Bill Dalton, in his abrupt logged way,
concluded his narration. the Colonel gave little
gasp and seemed to forget his self assumed task
OF interlocutor. Jake. the hospital steward.
however, was not the one to fancy a slight In
sinuating as the serpent he began at once:
Il presume. Colonel" he said. you would like
me to give my evidence in support OF Smithers's
proposition While I glad indeed 10 add
my little to while away the tedium, you mus
bear in mind that have allus played a minol
part l haven't Bill Dalton's nerve, nor the gay
sort OF gall that seems to keep Smithers when
he amt being kept; so I'm content to pick uT
an old sucker on the shore. without venturng
beyond my depths into the mighty ocean Of fortune
that stretches boundless before all
There's New York lawyer, Simons by name
a slick practitioner who can steer his craft fou,
points to a conviction. without getting it OF
hissef either. for that matter into irons. One
day he sent for me 10 como down to his ONCE
After passing the time Of day, sparring for il
you know. he came up 10 the scratch by saying
Jake, I've got job for you
"Whst does II begin with asked; g b?
"Oh. no. he said impatiently; there's no golt
brick game about it: this is simple business
transaction
"Then you've got 10 come down good. 70