The Topeka state journal., 1908-02-01
THE TIME THIEF.

he is known among his acQuaint
ances-and about everybody knows him
las the time thief says the Kansas
City Star. Not that he relieves his
friends OF their watches; that wouldn't
be so bad, because watches can be re-
placed. but the time thief takes what
can never be recovered or duplicated
minutes and hours. and days and weeks
which do not belong to him. Unlike
the ordinary thief who steals from
those who have the most of what he
coverts, the time thief steals the golden
moments from those who have the few
est to spare.
THE time thief is not ordinarily a
bad sort of fellow. But for his per-
nicious habit Of taking what does not
belong to him he might be good citI-
zen and an ornament to society. The
modus operandi Of this foe to industry
constitutes the peculiar enormity of
his offense, for he carries on his ne
farious business openly and cheerfully,
fully persuaded that he is an angel
OF beneacence to his fellow men,
He blows breezily into the office Of
his victim at the busiest hour of the
day and this is what takes place:
" 'Hullo, old chap says the time thief,
slapping his victim on the back There
you are with your nose at the grind
stone again You'll peg out one of these
days and never know you've been
alive
How are your returns the victim
| with forced politeness, for Of course it
| is impossible to kick the time thief
You'll excuse me If finish what I'm
at here-awfully busy this afternoon
BUSY nothing says the time thief
| jovially. You only think you're busy
| Nothing but habit, old man, nothing at
all but habit. If didn't drop in every
| day or two to Jar you out of your rut
I don't know what would become of
| you. Now, just chuck that pen while
| I'm here and put your feet up On the
desk. Got little story I want to tell
| you
But the victim, who has been through
all this before. laughs as politely as pos
sible, and keeps On with his work. If
the time thief didn't have a hide as
| thick as an alligator he'd take the hint
and ramble out. But such a course
never occurs to him. Being a time
thief he won't go until he has obtained
enough plunder to make it worth his
down in g. chair, puts his feet on the
desk and tells his little story. The tele-
| phone rings, visitors arrive to transact
| business with the victim, the office boy
comes in with papers for him to sign.
| These are very annoying Interruptions
for the time thief, but they do not dis
| courage him to the point Of giving up
his attack. He always begins again at
| 10 nfyf ,hA- ~ 1aP% 1HF
/ his story through to the end-and be-
gins another.
1.-THE time thief never has any bust
ness Of his own, and never can see why
anybody else should have any.
Look at me- he says boastfuIIy. I
look twenty years younger than you do
| now, and I'll live that much longer
than you. All because I know how to
live. Well, 50 long for now; I'll drop an
again tomorrow and cheer you up
again.
Although the time thief boasts that
he knows how to take things easy, it
would be worth while to have him tack
led by another time thief. The chances
are that he would see things in a diff
ferent light for once. But the effect
would only be temporary and he would
pounce on his victim with all the more
delight at the next opportunity. In all
probability the time thief will last while
| time lasts.''