Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-12-12

sell on the plaza to the pikers of the
Iaretic populace, have your
NO, says !, I left an elegant line
of Patagonian diamond earrings and
rainy day sunbursts in my valise at
Peavine. But they're to stay there till
some of them blackgum trees begin to
glut the market with yellow clings
and Japanese plums. | reckon we
can't count on them unless we take
Luther Burbank in for a partner
Very WE'LL says Bassett, 'we'll do
the best we can. Maybe after dark
I'll borrow hairpin from some lady,
and open the Farmers & Drovers Ma
rine bank with it,
while we was talking, up pulls a
passenger train to the depot nearby.
A person in a high hat gets off on the
wrong side of the train and comes
tripping down the track towards us.
nose and rats eyes. but dressed ex-
pensive, and carrying a hand-satchel
careful, as If it had eggs or railroad
bonds in it. He passes by us and
keeps on down the track, not appear
ing to notice the town.
"'Come on says Bill Bassett to me,
starting after him.
'Where?' | asks.
"Lordy! says Bill, had you for
got you was in the desert? Didn't you
see Col. Mamma drop down right be-
fore your eyes? Don't you hear the
rustling of Gen. Ravens wings? I'm
surprised at you, Elijah
1--WE overlook the stranger in the
edge of some woods, and, as it was
after sundown and in quiet place,
nobody saw us stop him. Bill takes
the silk hat off his head and brushes
it with his sleeve and puts it back.
What does this mean, sir?' says
the man.
when | wore one of these says
Bill, and felt embarrassed, / always
done that. Not having one now |
had to use yours. | hardly know how
ness with you, but l guess Wen try
your pockets first
"Bill Bassett felt in all of them, and
looked disgusted.
"'Not even a watch says he.
Amt you ashamed of yourself, you
whited sculpture? Going about dressed
like a head-waiter and financed like
count. You haven't even got carfare.
What did you do with your transfer?'
The man speaks up and says he
has no assets or valuables of any sort.
But Bassett takes his hand-satchel
and opens it. Out comes some collars
and socks and half page of a news
paper clipped out. Bill reads the clip
pings careful, and holds out his hand
to the heldup party.
Brother says he, greetings!
Accept the apologies of friends. | am
Bill Bassett, the burglar. Mr.. Peters,
you must make the acquaintance of
Mr. Alfred +. Kicks. Shake hands.
Mr.. Peters, says Bill, stands about
halfway between me and you, Mr..
Kicks, in the line of havoc and cor
ruptiOn. He always gives something
for the money he gets. I'm glad to
meet you, Mr. Ricks-you and Mr.
Peters. This is the first time | ever
attended a full gathering of the ma
tional synod of sharks-housebreak-
ing, swindling and financiering all rep
resented. Please examine Mr. Kicks
credentials, Mr.. Peters,
The piece of newspaper that Bill
Bassett handed me had a good picture
Of this Ricks on it. 1t was Chicago
paper, and it had obloques of Kicks
in every paragraph. By reading it
over ! harvested the intelligence that
said alleged Kicks had laid off all that
portion of the state of Florida that
lies under water into town lots and
sold EN- to alleged innocent investors
from his magnificently furnished of
fees IN Chicago. After he had taken
in a hundred thousand or so dollars
one of these fussy purchasers that are
always making trouble Gve had 'em
EN- with acid took cheap excursion
down to the land where it is always
just before supper to look at his lot
and see if it didn't need a new paling
or two on the fence, and market a
few lemons in time for the Christmas
present trade. He hires a surveyor to
find his lot for him. They run the
line out and find the flourishing town
of Paradise Hollow, so advertised, to
be about 40 rods and 16 poles s., 81
degrees E. of the middle of Lake
Okecchobee. This mans lot was ur-
der Sc feet of water, and, besides, had
been preempted so long by the all-
gators and gars that his title looked
fshy.
Naturally, the man goes back to
Chicago and makes it as hot for AL
fred E. Ricks as the morning after
prediction of snow by the weather
bureau. Ricks defied the allegation,
but he couldn't deny the alligators.
One morning the papers come out
with column about it, and Rtcks
comes out by the fire-escape. 1t seems