Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-01-31

what want to know, ! propose 10 en-
I.tertain you a. my guest for day OF
two, after which you may 60 your way
without reference 10 your object In
coming here tonight"
"And wot " I kick ON al thatg''
"You will be shocked first and turn.
ed over TO the police afterward, but you
will be reasonable, I'm sure. This
house is simply deathtrap for any one
who doesn't know It. You couldn't get
out Of II alive in broad daylight with
ont my help or pair Of wings. It's
getting late. Which will you do."
"Oh. I'll come Of de perch. I course.
amt no bloomin buffer wen IL
comes to de show down."
81 thought you'd be sensible. Now
give me your weapons and we'll go up
stairs. !"
But the burglar had no weapons, and,
what seemed still more singular, no
tools. Leonard marveled greatly there
at, but his guest explained:
IL was jist gittin de lay 4 d. land,
l.d'ye seer No use bringin do whole ma.
chine shop T der wasn't goin to be no
chance to use IT,
"But do you usually 60 unarmedi"
"Course we does. replied the bur-
glar, with fine irony. ''Us coves amt
no bloody sluggen. Wot We wants 10
de sway. See:"
Leonard promptly made note Of the
first fact in his diagnosis and sent Hell.
en- the fourth aud last signal.
"Now, then. Mr.
Bits" said the burglar.
"Mr. Bits. come with me, and
well take few notes tonight, il you
don't mind"
Leonard led the way TO. his study
and wheeled ont an easy chair for the
burglar. "Sit down and make your.
self comfortable, hs said. "Do you
smoker"
Mr.. Bits admitted the fact, and
Leonard passed the cigar stand and set
tied himself ut his writing table. Then
and there began an inquest into Grim
| inal methods and motives the like OF
which no courtroom has ever witness
ed, and through II all the burglar re-
clinsd lazily In the easy chair, smoking
contcntedly hnd talking NJ freely as any
investigator, however curious, could
wish.
For an hour Leonard's pen kept even
pace with his queries. but after that
/ the talk became less investigative ON
the part OF the host aud slightly more
inquisitive on that Of the guest.
As an unlettered craftsman Of the
guild felonious. knowing less than moth
ing Of things literary. Bits was nat.
urally curious to acquaint himself some.
what with the doings OF the strange
world into which he had stumbled, and
bis ignorance was 10 naive that Leon
ard, enthusiastic to the lips OH the
subject Of his calling, was mt some pains
to explain his work, its methods. its
difficulties and its achievements.
| IL was positively refreshing to pour
such u stream Of information into per.
fectly vacuons mind. with the assurance
that II could never find Its way out
again. and Leonard, warming to his
work, went into details with the mi.
nuteness which his auditors powers OF
comprehension seemed to demand.
Bits listened az dull man might.
with apparent interest when he could
understand and with respectful atten'
tion when the matter grew abstruse,
but his questions were always fruitful,
and Leonard encouraged them ~ giving
him still deeper insight into the char
acter Of the type burglarious.
Hence, what with acute enthusiasm
ON one hand and patient, II somewhat
ungrasping. attention on the other, the
hall clock struck before Leonard real
ized that what he desired to accomplish
needed not to be- wrought out in a
single sitting. Wherefore he arose and
made amends.
"By Jove! That's o'clock. l owe
you an apology for keeping you up 20
late, though presume in your profes-