The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1901-06-22
A Stroke of Luck.
BY JOHN J. ARMSTRONG.

T UCK. Hoppy! Why, it's all luck!
- Ev'ry phase o. life, ev'ry incl
dent in it, is governed by charnce.
Altar me to inform yer that wot we
mortal grarsshoppers call "luck" is
one o. the natural laws that rules ex-
istence. Talk like a bloomin' pictur'
book, do I? Well, I'll spin yer lit
tie yarn jest for the pleasure o. con-
vincin' yer.
Five yeer ago come Bank 'Oliday
myself and Dock English wus down
at Birmingham on little business
trip. e wus the smartest crook I've
ever worked wiz. 1t nearly broke my
cart when card ed chucked the le-
gitimate, an wus workin' the some
fink-for-nuffink gime in the pipers.
Well, one day we wus aht pros
pectin' in the residential quarter
when, as luck would ave it, we
charmed ter parss post orfice. "One
moment, Ike" ses the Dock, ~ wish
to purchase starmp." And e van
ishes into the orfice.
Perrin over the half-frosted win
der / could see a gel inside engaged
in takin' dahn telegram. Annuvver
femile served i'm wiz lis starmp, an
then, instead o. comm strife aht, I
sees i'm ferretin' abart in is pocket.
Drawn forth an envelope e slides
into a corner and busies 'imself pre-
soomably wiv writin' the address.
Mar, l knew is letter was already ad-
dressed, an consequently 1 gazed at
i'm wiz some serprise. Presently
see the gel get up from the instru-
ment, and a second or two afterwards
the Dock wus at my side. Lookin'
into is fee, / twigged that ed got
old O. somefink promisin'.
II showed a scrap o. piper into my
and, an wiz grin e said: Read
that"
me bedroom tonight. Arrive New Street
twelve o'clock.-Smuts.
read alahd: "Why, that's q copy
of telegram"
Exactly" e said; "the message
the hoperator was takin' as entered
the orfce. Probably you are not
aware that it is possible for one who
has acquired the art to read tele.
gram by the sound. But it is. / was
telegraph clerk myself before / re.
tired from public life"
Jolly cute!" said, ''but wot good
is that information to us?"
1T should be good for cool fifty
at the lowest estimate" e returned
smilin'. ''Look ere, Ike, you're a
KNOWN card, but you lack hintuitive
perspicacity." He was reg'lar
Cinkevalli wiv the dictionary. "Now
If you'd observed the posters on the
walls, you would have seen that Herr
SHUTS is billed to give recital at the
grand concert in the Town hall this
very evening"
"Wot, SHUTS, the celebrated Ger.
man pianner thumper?" exclaimed.
"The same" e said cas- ordinary
looking an individual as you'd meet
in days walk, but he's a pinaoforte'
playing marvel. Now, what's to pre-
vent two enterprisin' gentlemen kid
napin' i'm on his arrival and making
i'm pay handsomely for the privilege
of appearing at this concert?"
"That sounds all right-oh," said
"but 'ow dyer propose ter work it?"
"It's now few minutes after ten,'
he said, shortly. "If we hurry we
can secure Charley Bing and his grow
Ter. We can procure a hotel porter's
fit-out from that marine store / no
ticed on the way up"
"It's cert" 1 said, as 1 slipped
into the porter's rig shortly after
wards. "We'll be all over that
Dutchy. But old ard min
ute, boss. 'Ow abart the tin? It,
'ardly likely the professor will ave
much on i'm"
"Ive thought o. that, Ike" said the
Dock, "but it's pony to modest
brown he'll have his cheque bool
with him. Immediately he puts hi
signature on the form rush off tt
get the 1920, which arrives at Pad
dington just in time for me to ge'
acrorss to the bank before closing
time. You will take care of him un
til the clock strikes four. BY ther
It will be all serene, and you can fol
low me as soon as convenient"
Five minutes later we were rollin
forwards the stition in Charley
growler. The Dock 'ad given me ,
description of the German, an
guessed should ave no difficulty II
spottin' i'm.
Droppin' orr 100 yards or SO away
from the entrance, made for the ar
rival platform and Joined the waiting
crard just as the train wus signalled
AS II slowly glided by twigged I
little clean-shaven gent, in fur-linet
coat an a SLOUGH hat. leanin' back II
. FIRST smoker. AZ the train came Il