Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-08-15

out my arms over the desk and hid my face.
 Caught! Nancy Olden. with her hands dripping, and not lie in her smart mouth!
 He picked up the bills had dropped. counted them and put them in his pocket. Then he unlocked tele- phone and lifted the stand from his desk.
 Hello! Spring 31oo-please. Hello! Chiefs office? This is Obermuller, Standard theater I want an officer to take charge of thief I've caught in my apartments here at the Bronsonla. Yes, right on the corner. Hold him till you come? Well-rather!"
 He put down the phone. I pulled the pearl studs out of my pocket. You might as we'll take these, too" 1 l said
 50 thoughtful of you, seeing that you'd be searched. But I'll take 'em, anyway You intended them for him? You didn't get anything else?' shook my head as I lay there Hum" It was half laugh. and half a sheer. hated him for it. as he sat leaning back on the back legs of his chair his thumb in his arm holes. I felt his eyes-those smart, keen eyes. burning into my miserable head. I thought of the lawyer and the deal he'd give poor Tom, and all at once
 You'd have snif1ed yourself Mag Monahan. There I was-caught. The cop'd be after me in five minutes With Tom jugged and me in stripes it wasn't very jolly, and lost my nerve.
 "Ashamed-huh ?" he said, lightly.
 nodded. I was ashamed
 "Pity you didn't get ashamed before you broke in here"
 What the devil was there to be ashamed .of?"
 The Sting in his voice had cured me. never was a weeper. I sat up, my face blazing. and stared at him. He'd got me to hand over to the cop, but he hadn't got me to sheer at. l saw by the look he gave me that he hadn't really seen me till then.
 Well" he answered, what the devil is there to he ashamed of now?"
 "Of being caught-that's what"
 "Oh!"
 He tilted back again on his chair and laughed softly.
 "Then you're not ashamed of your profession?"
 Are you of yours?" "Well-there's a slight difference
 sNot much. whatever it may be. It's your graft-it's everybody's-to take all he can get. and keep out of Jail. That's mine. too"
 But you see keep out of jail"
 T see you're not there-yet.'
 "Oh. think you needn't worry about that I'll keep out. thank you; : imprisonment for debt don't go nowa- days"
 "Debt?"
 "I'm a theatrical manager. my girl, and I'm not on the inside-which is another way of saying that a man who can't swim has fallen overheard"
 And when you do go down"
 "A little less exultation. my dear. or I might suppose you'd be glad when I do.' '' .'''
 Well. when you know yourself going down for the last time. do you mean to tell me you won't grasp al a straw like-like this?" I nodded toward the open window. and the desk with all its papers tumbling out
 Not much" He shook his head. and bit the end of a cigar with sharp. white teeth. "It's fool graft I'm self-respecting. And I don't admire fools" He lit his cigar and puffed minute. taking out his watch to look at it. as cold-bloodedly as though VIC were waiting. he and l. 10 go 10 sup per together. Oh. how I hated him
 Honesty isn't the best policy" he went on; its the only one. The vain fool that gets it into his head-or shall say her head? No? Well. no of fense. I assure you-his head. then. that he's smarter than world full of experience. ought to be put in jail flor his own protection: he's too big a jay 10 he left out of doors. For 5000 years. more or less. the world has been putting people like him be- hind bars. where they cant make asses of themselves. Yet each year, and every day and every hour. new ninny Is born who fanSies he's cleverer than all his predecessors put together. Talk about suckers, Why. they're giants of intellect compared to the mentally lopside. that 5000 years of experience can't teach When the criminsl-clown's turn comes. he hops. skips and jumps into the ring with the old. old gag He thinks it's new. because he himself is so fresh and green. Here I am again he yells. the fellow that'l do you up. Others have tried it They're dead. in jail or under iail-ysrds- But ne-just watch mel We do. and after little we put him with his mates and keeper in a barred Kindergarten where fools that can't learn. little moral crip- ples of both sexes. my dear. belong. Bah," He pulled on, the smoke throwing his head back. in q cloud toward the ceiling.
 sprsng from my seat and faced him was tingiirE sil through. didn't care rap what became of me c. s,,s. that vrf-ns-a ga-~o+ sb1a4s