Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-11-06
My Experience
as a Burglar -
BY r.. l.. BLACK.

| WAS only an awkward country
| boy Of II. / had never been to
a city and rarely beyond the limits
Of our little SLEEPY Hollow COM
munity. My glimpse of the outside
world was through the medium of
the tabooed dime novell"--a thor
oughly distorted view, 90 be sure
but appearing in the rare and beau
tiful colors of vivid reality TO my un-
trained mental vision. Farm life be-
came too prosaic, so ! resolved to
change my fortunes.
One night, after father and mother
had retired, / dressed in my Sunday
clothes, and after having steathily
transferred five dollars of fathers
money to my own pocket, crept
noiselessly out the back way, and
with palpitating heart was soon
Fastening along the highway, my
destination a great city some 10
miles away.
BY morning fully 20 miles of the
distance had been covered, and, being
hungry and tired, l stopped at a
farm house and paid % cents for a
breakfast, of which ! partook with
great relish. Pushing along, by night
was within 20 miles of the city. |
again stopped at a farmhouse, went
to bed early and slept soundly. After
an early breakfast next morning /
paid the good old people for my fare
and was again on my way.
BY noon / was within few miles
of the city Two hours later I was
in the suburbs, and my heart began
to sink. In that great city ] felt
that ] would be but an atom, to
drift about upon the winds Of cir
cumstance.
Soon | was where massive struc-
lures doomed up on either side. l
wandered aimlessly amid the hurry
ing throng, with the electric cars
rushing by and the draymen's carts
rumbling along until | became wor-
ried.
Finally stopped on a street cor
q
talking, and while looking listlessly
around, heard certain remarks that
caused me to listen intently.
Capital" said one. It's an old
game, but it will work out in the
country all right. Who wouldn't
sympathize sufficiently there to al
low a corpse TO remain in the house
while we camp near by? 1t sure
beats getting your head shot off
while you are trying to raise a win
dow, but ] am disguised with you all
for being too cowardly to become
corpse. Hello, Greene. How would
1t suit you to Join us in an enter
prise where there is everything to
gain and nothing to lose?"
Don't call me GREENE. or I'll dis
figure your face worse than that
cock-eye," said I, angrily.
mo harm meant, partner: but how
would our little game suit you?" he
persisted, and began TO repeat his
remarks, when l told him l had al
ready heard his plans.
Wei, how viii it suit your" he
again questioned
/ reflected for a moment, and as 7
was eager for adventure and indiffer-
ent as to the result, ! told him it
suited me first-elass. The plan was
to hire a wagon and secure a coffin
from an undertaken, then follow il
up as already outlined.
As I had less than four dollars
and therefore not my proportionate
share of the expenses, it fell to nv
lot to personify the corpse. Really
that part suited me, as / was eager
TO be in the thick Of the fight.
The next morning, after having Sc
cured the grewsome equipage. we de-
parted from the city, taking a direc-
ton opposite TO my home. All dsv
we travelled through the country and
had a merry time. After sunset we
stopped on a lonely road. the coffin
lid was raised, and with some little
hesitation / stepped in and lay down.
As the lid was closed and the
wagon proceeded 7 felt creepy. for a
colin Is an nncanny resting place for
the living. How heartIess were nv
pals! How merrily they ratified
along over the rough roadsi
Finally they stopped. and after
some parley the people consented 70
allow the corpse 90 70 remain in
the house, the travellers 10 camn