Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-07-27

profession occasionally are), and hav- ing heard about Paul's little fad, thought he'd have joke as well as a burgle, you must decide for yourselves. All can tell you is that every single article that the thief of thieves took away belonged to poor Paul-his new great-coat, his boots, his umbrella, his clean linen just home from the laun- dry, his slippers and his stick, yea, everything that was his. Of course, he got no sympathy. The landlord, though very upset about such an un- heard of thing happening at his house, could scarcely refrain from smiling; the servants giggled whenever they passed Paul on the landing, and the other 1odgers chaffed him unmerci- fully. The only person who looked solemn was our friend the constable, who came down at once when Paul sent word to the station. Paul is always afraid of the powers that be. Official ism overawes him, and when the pompous policeman fixed sternly of ficial eye upon the poor little chap and put two or three searching questions, my friend got so confused and self conscious that he afterwards confided to me he more than fancied that the officer suspected him of being the thief himself. However, he did his best to conciliate the representative of the law by inviting him very respectfully l into the sitting-room, where he pulled forward his suggest chair, brought out his best Scotch, and placing a <<f oroG h@>xy r,F fro ox1f Havanas upon the table, invited MT. 1 Policeman to help himself.' This the l legal sleuthhound condescended to do pretty literally, too-and while Paul l in his apologetic way particularized his losses, the Marlborough luminary sat { with knitted brows and pursed lips, ! looking as learned as judge. Find l ing the cigars so good and the whisky so much to his liking, he expressed 8 i wish--when he had heard Paul out that the officer next above him should be consulted. The maid was duly dis l patched to request the presence of the ] official in question, to whom on his arr < rival his colleague passed the cigars and whisky, with the request that Paul 1 would run over the details again
 'The newcorffer, after some consid- eration, was convinced that nothing could be done without Sergt Davis 1 Once more the housemaid was put into requisttion, once more Paul told his story once emore the cheering cup went round, and once more the sooth- ing weed was kindled. The sergeant l made a very serious business both of the whisky and of the robbery He ] shook his head solemnly at the de- canter as each detail was related, and 1 declared, after hearing Paul to the end, that the matter was too serious ] for him to deal with, and that the sl- l perintendent must at once be sent for. I Well, to make a long story short, poor Paul had the entire staff of the I station at his place, where they stayed knocking their heads together and pun ishing his whisky and his weeds until the decanter was empty and the fire place was strewn with cigar stumps.
 Then the superintendent took Paul I aside with the air of cabinet minister communicating state secret and told him not to be uneasy, for, though he wasn't, for official reasons, at liberty to go into particulars just then, he might tell Paul in confidence that they'd got their eye upon some one; but as they did not get any other DOT ton of their anatomy upon the thief for detaining purposes, poor Paul never saw his property again.
 And all the time the thief, as might have been supposed. was living in the same house. He turned out afterwards to be a humorous rascal of an Irish man-an impecunious devil who rented room on the third floor, and had come l to Tarborough to give singing lessons
 The police did search his room, it is l true, but, of course, they found noth- ing, for after securing the stolen goods the fellow had opened a ground-fooi ] window, to give the place the appear 1 ance of having been burgled, and had then carried his booty to his bedroom where he made it into parcel, which l he dropped out of the window into the garden below, whence it was carried away by an accomplice. Of course, the
 police found footmarks on the flower.
 bed next morning, and this confirmed the burglar theory. Hence no further suspicion attached to the other lodgers
 circumstance of which the Irishmar took advantage by wearing openly tht
 only stolen article he had retained i pair of brown boots, which he blacket
 over. When he disappeared sooI
 after, he left them-worn to the up
 pers-behfnd him, with short not.
 to Paul complaining of the quality Q
 the leather. He sent his love to tn
 police, and advised Paul if ever h.
 found himself getting shabby abou
 the feet to borrow somebody's browl
 boots and Try Day & Martins black
 ing!
 That's the story, gentlemen. I
 wasn't worth the telling, except fo
 the welcome assurance it gives vol
 that we have nothing to fear from tn
 Tarborough police. And now, witt
 your permission, we'll come to bus
 iness.s'
 Gro Be Continued.)