The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-24
THE BENEFIT OF THE
 DOUBT.
BY KrNNErT HAKnTs.


 BY KENNETT HAKHT9 l Copyright. lsof. by Daily Story Pub. Col ! IL was a highly injudicious procee6in1
 on the part of De Froome; but then Ho<i.
 ersiey was great deAi to blame fer fl himself. Hockersiey pfofessed a great contempt for burglars. He said. rather
 boastfuily, when his wife declared that
 she lived in a perpetual state of nervous
 apprehension. that 1t was all nonsensa
 and that burglar would leave the house h a greater hurry than he entered # if i he. Hockersley. got after him, and that
 he would leave the front door open if he
 chose, instead of merely leaving 1t un- 1 locked
 Why not tack notice on the door: 1 Burglars cordially invited Front door unlatched. Walk in and help your selves7'" suegested De Froome. who was dining with them. It may be mentioned that De Froorne was great deal around the place at that time. Some people said that 1t was because he was hard up and dinner was q dinner: others that 1t
 was on account of Mrs. Hockersley. who was very charTning woman. though not always as discfest as che might Dc. But this is an uncharitable world and there are always people ready to put the worst possible construction on things. There was really no reason why De Froome should not entertain real friendship for Hockersley, even If he had the ap- pearance of an undefsi2ed gorilla. De
 Froome was a good looking sort of chap himself. and we know that there Is often
 q great attraction in opposites-even
 among men. These two seemed to like each other.
 Mrs. Hockersley looked at De Froome
 with grateful smile. Why not, in-
 deed " she said.
 "Ail right" said Hockersley. l"Tns do it."
 When HockersIey announced an inten- ton he usually carried 1t out. A day later there was placard attached to his front door. and the piacard bore the leg
 end that De Froome had suggested. 1t remained there for two nights and the
 front door was duly left unlocked, as per
 announcement. If any gentlemen of the
 housebreaiing profession noticed 1t they
 did not avail themselves if the invita-
 ton. Perhaps they suspected that Hook
 ersley was person of inventive tastes who had recently perfected some aiabol-
 icai apparatus that he was anxious to
 test at their expense. But 1t was risky
 nevertheless, for there was great deal nf valuable plate in the house and Mrs
 Hockersley had some rather fine dia-
 monds.
 Certainly Hockersiey deserved to be
 punished for his bull-headedness and |foolhardiness. De Froome made up his mind that he would teach him a friendly
 lesson. In pursuance of a plan that he
 had formed to this end he visited Knucks
 Magruder's place of business and asked
 Knuclxn if he knew two men who would help him to break into a friends house just by way of a joke They must be re- spectacle and trustworthy men, he ex-
 plained, necessarily men of muscle. too as the joke demanded the tying of the master of the house. who might or might not show fight. It was De Froome's idea to tie Hockersley. take a few valuables and depart, sending the spoons. or what
 aver he took. back again the next day
 with derisive note. Tn that way he hop- ed to cure him of his fooiishness and 1 save Mrs. Hockersley future anxiety on account of the door.
 Mfr. Knuclxs Magruder. who De Froome
 had been told was highly respectable himself, said that he knew two "gents'' of sterling character and bulgIng mus cles who would undertake the job for the fun of the thing and ''ive-spot' apiece. He produced the men almost instantly.
 They were decidedly muscular. but not q