Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-02-24
STOLEN GOODS
toririnaLl

i aliZe on their plumber th2t t.1s act 50
stupidity. INit stupidity or have they a
difficult problem to solve! I've been
| there" myself and know something
about it.
One day saw a bundle lying on the
| sidewalk In front of my house. picked
it up and was fipgering 1t TO discover
| what was inside when / saw police
man looking at me. / didn't wish TO
turn over my find 10 him, and even If /
| did 50 he might accuse me Of stealing
| Ii. Assuming a careless air, | walked
on past my house and around the block.
When reached my door as / took out
my key l glanced down the street.
| There was the policeman eying me
| with very suspicious look on his face.
Once inside opened the package. 1t
| contained a piece of silk. some hand.
| kerchiefs and stockings. At first | sup
| posed some one had bought the arti-
| Giles. but on second thought concluded
| that "shoplifter' had stolen them
| and, finding 1t dangerous to have them
In his or her keeping, had dropped
| them.
felt very uncomfortable at my posi-
ton. Indeed | became much alarmed.
l must get rid of the parcel as soon as
possible.
Mind you. was not facing a prob
| lem OF securing their value All |
| cared to do was TO get them out Of my
possession. My first thought was TO
burn them. Unfortunately 1t is very
difficult to burn such fabrics without
creating an unpleasant odor, and
could not tell when the policeman who
Ind followed me might enter the house.
The next expedient | conceived was TO
hide them. That would never do. IL
the house were searched 1t would be
searched thoroughly. These plans were
abandoned as soon as conceived.
tied up the bundle and. going up
stairs to my WIFE was about to tell
her what had happened when she
showed me that matters were even
worse than had supposed by exclaim-
ing:
Heavens, how white you are, What's
the matter;"
Then I knew that II found with the
goods on my hands my appearance
would be strong proof against me.
told her the story. and she was AT once
thrown into the same state OF anxiety
as /. We hurriedly talked over differ
ent plans OF action and finally decided
that was TO make an effort to get the
goods out of the house.
Ours was separate from other houses,
standing in yard by itself. The four
sides of its sloping roof eliminated In
a platform. from which one could see
In every direction. My wife went mp
| on to this platform. and when the coast
was clear. SO far as uniformed officers
OF the law We're concerned. she called TO
| me, and | dashed out with the bundle
| through the back door and into an al
ley
Tn 10 the moment of finding myself
free from my own premises without in
terruptiou had supposed that the rest
would be very easy. l did not find II
so. To drop the bundle In the alley in
the rear Of my own house would be u
bad giyeaway. | must reappear with
II on the street. Fortunately | was
| able TO get on an avenue where |
would not be liable TO encounter the
man who had suspected me. Summon
Ing what GOODNESS there was left in me,
I emerged upon this avenue and en-
| tered the throng.
could not have regained much OF
my equanlmity. for my telltale appear
ance caused people ! met to glance at
me This made matters worse. and the
| farther | walked the more | was no.
| ticed. / turned into a recess between
several buildings and was about to
! drop my bundle when a door opened
| and a woman came out. | dashed out
\ of the place and made no further effort
| till l had gained the outskirts of the
| city. Coming to bridge. | tied stone
to the bundle with view to dropping
1t In the water. Just as / was about to
do so who should drive by but my
friend Charley Reeves.
| Hello, Tompkins," he said. refining
up. What are you doing away out
| here?'
/ stammered out something incoher-
ent, and Reeves, looking at me search
ingly, made up his mind that was Ill
and 'out OF my head" He forced me
into his wagon and drove me home
By this time l had given up in despair
and concluded to go back without re-
sistance and submit TO arrest. entered
my house, expecting to find the police
there waiting for me. | was relieved
that they were not and had not been
there. My wife made me lie down and
bathed my temples with cold water.
The bundle lay on the table, and /
could not compose myself till she had
put it where l couldn't see it. l was
getting quoted down when there came
sharp ring at the door bell.
Now, keep up. dear" said my wife,
"for my sake" Then she went down
stairs and opened the door. l listened