The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-06-13

eAAG N>ANCA(A NoOAS soaS HOdA0 OSAOA>
the treasures saved from loss by hi
courageous attack upon the thief.
From this picture, his mind wen
back to some private theatrica1s il
which he had once taken part, where
he had played the role-not of house
holder, but of burglar. From private
theatricals, by a natural sequence, hi:
mind turned to the theatrical exhibi
tions he and his boy friends used tc
| give in the barn at home, the admis
sion to which was certain number
of pins. So for the moment, having
forgotten Clarkson and the urgent
necessity for keeping awake, Kenne.
dy fell asleep.
About twelve O'Clock that night
there happened to be passing along
the narrow street that ran in the real
of the Kennedy residence an individ-
ual known in police circles as Slippery
Jim. His portrait adorned the rogue's S
gallery of numerous cities, and he had
done time" in not a few states.
That he was just at present enjoying
freedom apd the pleasure of mid
night stroll, was not due to any mark
ed change in his moral nature, but to
an unfortunate miscarriage of justice.
Slippery Jim happened to glance in
the direction of the Kennedy kitchen,
and stopped abruptly. An open win
dow had an irresistible attraction for
him. A moment later he was cau-
tiously peering in beneath the up
raised sash. His eye caught the
CLINT of silver in the dim light, and
leaping in lightly over the sill, he
reached the table without sound.
Gathering the four corners of the
table-cloth in one hand, Slippery Jim
and the Kennedy silver passed noise
lessly out in the night, never to be
heard of more.
At ten minutes of one, Mr.. Clark
son of the Morning /ou,naIapproach-
ed the open window. "Well, now,
that was thoughtful in Kennedy to
leave the window open," he said.
I'll vault over the sill and bring the
master of the house down." How
ever good at vaulting Mr.. Clarkson
may have been in his younger days,
his present attempt, it must be said,
was not success. He landed on the
kitchen floor upon "all fours,' with
a jar that shook the house.
Kennedy was a heavy sleeper,
whom nothing short of persistently
repeated earthquake could awake him
from his slumbers Not not so with
his wife, however. The commotion
below stairs aroused her instantly.
With accurate feminine intuition she
diagnosed the case as a Man in the
Basement. Supporting herself upon
one elbow, she listened intently for
further, sounds. Presently came
was falling over the coal i1od- she
jumped lightly out of bed, slipped
on a wrapper, and stole softly down
to the floor below, leaving her hus-
band to sleep the sleep of the just in
his bed.
"No use waking Nick" she cried
to herself. "He'd go under the
bed p'
Listening moment at the head of
the basement stairway, Mrs. Kennedy
assured herself that there certainly
was some one prowling about in the
kitchen. Without a sound she slip
ped into the library and softly closed
the door behind her. Ten seconds
later she was talking over the tele-
phone with police headquarters.
"There's burglar in the kitchen
of No. 246 Pendexter street," she an
nounced. "Send All officer at once !"
1t happened that just at this instant
the policeman whose "beat" crossed
Pendexter street was making his
hourly report to headquarters from
his call box. The sergeant on duty
at headquarters repeated Mrs. Kenne-
dy's message to this policeman, who
started on a run for the kitchen of
246 Pendexter street. Thus it hap
pened that within two minutes Of the
time when Mrs. Kennedy stepped to
the telephone, Clarkson in the kitch-
en-, having become disgusted at the
non-appearance of Kennedy, and hav-
ng kicked the coal hodcle across the
kitchen floor as further announce
ment of his arrival, looked up and
beheld the helmeted head of Officer
Flynn looking in at the window; also
something bright shining leveled at
the end of his outstretched arm.
"Now, sthep roight out av that
wild ye," said the policeman.
Clarkson's s hand was on the door
knob of the dining room door, which
he was on the point of gently slam
ming, as sort of "hurry-up call'' to
Kennedy above, when the vision Of
the policeman startled him. He gave
one Mortified look at the Majesty of
the Law in the window opening
then bolted through the door. This
was an unfortunate move, for it was
confession of his guilt, and sadly
prejudiced his case when, moment
later, he was writhing in the police
mans grasp and trying to explain
that it was all a joke-that the mas
ter of the house knew he was there ;
that he had, in fact, made an appoint
ment with him for that very place
and hour Mr.. Flynn's heart was
unmoved by these explanations. He
had, i'll truth, heard explanations be-
fore.
Come along to the polls station
wild ye, an be sphry about it,, was
the rejoinder.
Then Clarkson lost his head. He
was in no mood to be hauled before
the police authorities, who might be
as skeptical as his captor. AS for as
sistance from Kennedy-that gentle
man appeared to be dead, or, con-
found him perhaps he was leaving
his friend thus in the lurch as prac.
tical Joke. With such thoughts ra