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

| It abundantly clear to him that he was
the FUNNIEST burglar they had ever set
eyes on. They said as much again and
again. The fair man was of a taciturn
! disposition and irascible at play, but
Mr.. Bingham, now that the evident aDx-
iety of his departure was assuaged
displayed a vein of genial philosophy
He enlarged upon the mystery of space
and time, and quoted Kant and Hegel
or at least he said he did. Several
times Mr.. Ledbetter got as far as MY
position under your bed. You know
but then he always had to cut or pass
the whisky or do some such interven-
ing thing. After his third failure the
fair man got quite to look for this
opening, and whenever Mr.. .dhcttcr
began after that he would H-r with
laughter and hit him violently on the
back. Same old start: same old story;
good old burglar the fair haired man
would say.
So Mr.. Iedbetter Jared for many
days, 20 perhaps. and one evening he,
together with some timed provisions,
was taken over the side and put ashore
on a rocky little island with spring.
Mr.. Bingham came in the boat with
him, giving him good advice all the
way and waving his last attempts at
an explanation aside.
Il am really not burglar" said Mr..
Ledbetter.
"You never will be- said Mr.. Bipg-
ham. You'll never make Il burglar.
I'm glad you're beginning to see 1T. In
choosing a profession man must
study temperament. If you don't,
sooner or later you will fail. Compare
myself, for example. All my life
have been in banks-I have got on in
banks. 1 have even been a bank man.
ager. But was I happy? No. Why
wasn't 1 happy? Because it did not
suit my temperament. I am too adven-
turous too versatile. Practically l
have thrown it over. I do not suppose
I shall ever manage a bank again.
They would be glad to get me, no
doubt, but I have learned the lesson of
my tempera mental last. No; shall
never manage a bank again.
"Now, your temperament units you
for crime-just as mine units me for
responsibility. I know you better than
l did, and now 1 do not even recon-
mend forgery. Go back to respectable
courses, my man. Your lay is the phil
anthropic lay; that is your lay. With
that voice The Association For the
Promotion of Sniveling Among the
Young-something in that line. You
think it over.
"The island we are approaching has
no name apparently-at least there is
none on the chart. You might think
out a name for 1t while you are there
while you are thinking about all these
things. 1t has quite drinkable water,
/ understand. 1t is one of the Grena-
dines-one of the Windward Islands.
Yonder-dim and blue-are other Of the
Grenadines. I have often wondered
what these islands are for-now, you
see, am wiser. This one, at least, is
for you. Sooner or later some simple
native will come along ana take you
off. Say what you like about US then
abuse us If you like; we shall not
mind. And here-here is half a sOver-
eign's worth of silver. Do not waste
that in foolish dissipation when you re-
turn to civilization. Properly used, 1T
may give you a fresh start in life. And
do not-don't beach her, you beggars;
he can wade-do not waste the pre-
cious solitude before you in foolish
thoughts. Properly used. it may be
turning point in your career. Waste
neither money nor time. You will die
rich. I'm sorry, but l must ask you
to carry your tucker to land in your
arms. No, it's not deep. Dash that
explanation of yours! There's not
time. No. no, no; won't listen. Over
board you go!'
And the falling night found Mr.. Led
better, the Mr.. Ledbetter who had COM
planned that adventure was dead, sit
ting beside his cans Of food, his chin
resting upon his drawn up knees. star
ing through his glasses in dismal mild
ness over the shining, vacant sea. He
was picked up in the course Of three
days by a negro fisherman and taken to
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