The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1903-04-16

It'll get up a test case" he remarked
to himself, 'sthe outsiders versus Mix
ley, and see what comes of it."
One night at dusk the Waterman was
skimming noiselessly along in over
shoes, when a large, burly figure dart
ed out of the shadow and laid it's hand
on Mixley's arm. MiNley turned quick
as a wink, and turned his light upon
the mans face.
"Lordy, Gully" said the man, "don't
do that. 1 want to see youse. I'm a
new n to you. You're Mixley, amt
you?"
Mixley smiled and nodded. yep"
he replied, easily, whats up?"
The other man shuff1ed around a bit
uneasily. Say, here" he blurted. out,
what's it goin' to cost me to do a turn
here an there in this neighborhood?
I'm a quiet sort of party and they
won't never catch me, and they won't
ever know you put me on. You put
up half a dozen good houses, and I'll
go whacks with you, fair and square
better'n the other fellows. What'ye
you got that amt OF your list?'
Mixley smiled again. "Well, 1 don't
Know he returned. 81 like your
looks, and if you're on the square,
why But say, see here,'' he contin-
ued' Il don't write nothing down. You
keep the places in your head, see? And
you Whack up every time, see? If you
don't, you know what comes. It'll be
MlXley after you good an strong, don't
you forget The other nodded uneas-
ny U reassuringly. "Ill play you
fair" he returned.
well, them said Mixley, "I'n give
EN- to you one at a time. Take this
Hallowel! place on the corner-it's
a good haul, lots O. stuff, and Hal
lowell hisself is a great big coward.
You'll have no end of an easy. time.
And for the next"
"Yes," responded the burglar,
eagerly, 'the next"
"Humph," responded Mixley, "that's
enough-one at a time. You tackle
Hallowelrs, and tackle it tonight,
and you whack up, an then we'll see,
an not before. Underestimate"
circumstances favored the bur-
glar. Everybody in the Hallowell
house went out that night, except a
servant girl, way up in the peak of
the roof. She didn't count. The
house was as dark as pitch. A big,
burly figure, which until now had
been merely a part and parcel of the
darkness, now. crept warily across
the lawn. It was the burglar. He
reached the basement window, and
there was a slight clink of metal as
he pulled forth a jimmy which was
so bran new that it twinkled as he
used it. He seemed to be an anna
teur, for he fumbled at the window
for some time.
Blame these things" he said, II
thought it, would be easy work.
Finally there was a snap, and the
window was raised, and the man
started to crawl in.
At that moment a firm hand was
laid upon his shoulder, and he turned
fearfully and hastily around. There
stood Mixley with a revolver leyeled
at him. $50 no, my buck" said Mix.
ley, this is a new one on me-" The
man uttered an exclamation and
turned incontinently to run. Mixley
let him run across the lawn, and then
fired-in the air. Don't shoot-don't
shoot" exclaimed the man., weakly,
Il won't run away" He didn't.
A crowd came running up, among
them a policeman. Mixley and the
cop secured their man and marched
him through the town down to the
station. The burglar made no at
tempt to escape, but attempted all
sorts of explanations to account for
his predicament. Mixley and the COP
merely laughed at them.
That's all right, old man. said
Mixley, getting a good straight hold
on the prisoner, "that sort of stuff
don't go down with Mixley-he's too
old a bird"
"Here he is, cap" said Mixley, tri-
umphantly, when they reached their
destination. Hes new one, /
guess. I never saw him afore." AS
he said it, nevertheless, he took a
tight hold on himself and silently
chuckled.
And then it all came out. The
big, hurly ruffian abjectly removed
his hat and a big wig and wiped the
dirt off his face, and stood before
them in his true character-as Hal
lowell, the u%nbeliever in private
watchmen, the doubter of P. Mix.
ley.
Halloween, explained-he didn't do
it very well. He cut a sorry figure.
Mixley explained. Mixley did it well
for a reporter was present to take
down all that he said. Mixley felt
very sore, he said, in his ~oracuIa1
way. that any of the residents Of
the town should doubt him. He sale
he proposed to make an example, OF
Mr.. Hallowell-he said, also, that he
ought to have shot him on sight
Next time he would. At this juno
ture Hallowell made overtures. He
employed P. Mixley as private watch.
man at ten dollars a month. He
purchased a champagne supper fol
the captain and the whole force. He
has been treating everybody every
where, v e since-Mixley most Of
all. So Hallowell's test ended salts
factorily for everyone but Hallowell
Tho noyt niobt tho rae;Jonoa.T -