El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-19

and several times he appealed to Mr..
I.edbetter's watch for information.
Mr.. Ledbetter strapped the trunk
and bag and returned the stout man
the key. 1t was then II 90, and until
| the stroke of midnight the stout man
made him sit on the Gladstone bag,
while he sat at a reasonably safe dis
| lance on the trunk and held the re-
volver handy and waited.
| He appeared to be now in less ag
gressive mood, and having watched
Mr.. Ledbetter for some time he offer
ed few remarks.
! ''FrOm your accent, L judge you are
| a man of some education" he said,
| lighting a cigar. mo, don't begin that
explanation of yours. 1 know it will
be long winded from your face, and
I'm much too old liar to be interest
ed in other mems lying. You are,
say. person of education. You do
! we'll to dress as a curate. Even among
| educated people you might pass as
curate"-
81 am a curate,' said Mr.. Ledbetter,
cor, at least
You are trying to be. 1 know. But
you didn't ought to burgle. You are
not the man to burgle. You are, if /
| may say 1.-THE thing will have been
pointed out to you before-a coward"
s'Do you know" said Mr.. Ledbetter,
| trying to get a fresh opening, sit was
that very question:
| The stout man waved him into 81
lence. "You waste your education in
burglary. You should do one Of two
things-either you should forge or you
should embezzle. For my own part,
embezzle. Yes-I embezzle. All! What
do you think a man could be doing
| with all this gold but that? Listen!
Midnight Ten. Eleven. Twelve.
There is something very impressive to
me in that slow beating of the hours.
Time-space; what mysteries they
are, What mysteries! It's time for us
to be moving. Stand up?'
And then kindly but firmly he in
duced Mr. Ledbetter to sling the dress
ing bag over his back by a string
across his chest, to shoulder the trunk
and, overruling gasping protest, TO
take the Gladstone bag in his olsen
gagged hand. So incumbered, Mr. Led
better struggled perilously down stairs.
The stout gentleman followed with an
overcoat, the hatboX and the revolver,
making derogatory remarks about MI.
Ledbetter's strength and assisting him
at the turnings of the stairs.
1.-THE back door," he directed, and MI.
Ledbetter staggered through a conser-
vatory, leaving a wake Of smashed flow
erpots behind him. Never mind the
crockery," said the stout man; its
good for trade We wait here until
quarter past. You can put those things
down. You have! Mr.. Ledbetter col
k1,1 q CT
night" he gasped II was asleep in my
little room. and no more dreamed"-
There's no need for you to incrimi-
nate yourself" said the stout gentle
man, looking at the lock Of the revolv-
er. He began to hum. Mr.. Ledbetter
made to speak and thought better of it.
There presently came the sound of
bell, and Mr. Ledbetter was taken to
the back door and instructed to open 1t.
A fair haired man in yachting costume
entered. AT the sight of Mr.. Ledbetter
he started violently and clapped his
hand behind him. Then he saw the
stout man. "Binghamv' he cried.
"Who's this?"
"Only little philanthropic do Of
mine-burglar I'm trying to reform.
Caught him under my bed just now.
He's all right. He's a frightful ass!
He'll be useful to carry some of our
things"
The newcomer seemed inclined to re-
sent Mr.. Ledbetter'S presence a. first,
but the stout man treasured him.
"He's quite alone. There's not a gang
in the world would own him. No; don't
start talking, for goodness sake"
They went out into the darkness Of the
garden, with the trunk still bowling Mr..
Ledbetter's shoulders. The man In
yachting costume walked in front with
the Gladstone bag and a pistol; then
came Mr.. Ledbetter like Atlas; Mr..
Bingham followed with the hatbox,
coat and revolver, as before. The
house was one of those that have their
gardens right up to the cliff. At the
cliff was a steep wooden stairway de-
scending TO a bathing tent dimly visi-
bic on the beach. Below was q boat
pulled up. and silent little man with
a black face stood beside it. "A few
moments explanation" said Mr.. Led
better. l can assure you Some
body kicked him, and he said no more.
They made him wade to the boat
carrying the trunk; they pulled him
aboard by the shoulders and hair; they
called him no better name than "scoun-
dreP' and burglar" all that night. But
they spoke in undertones SO that the
general public was happily unaware
of his ignominy. They hauled him
aboard yacht manned by strange, I'M
sympathetic orientals, and partly they
thrust him and partly he fell down a
gangway into noisome. dark place,
where he was to remain many days
how many he does not know, because
he lost count among other things when