Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-29

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silver left! Oh. wurra. wurrav'
Norah wrHng her hands as she quickly
| examined the sideboard. Not q piece OF
Mrs. Morton's beautiful silver was to be
not a sign Of the solid silver. The silver
basket with all Its contents was gone, too
from the drawer!
| "Snake-thieves" walled Norah. IAN al
me fault!" Winding a shawl about hel
head. she dashed over to the Browns
house for help. In couple of minutes
she came back with DR.. Brown and his
| wife and brother.
Clean gone. that's certain" said DR.
Brown.
much Of her silver" said his wife.
Lets see If things are disturbed up
| stairs" suggested the brother.
Up they filed. Everything was undis
j. turbed in Mrs. Morton's room. Billy Dick
was sleeping peacefully.
Don't wake him." said Mrs. Brown. Sc
they all tiptoed past the door and started
| down the back stairs, when Norah discov'
cred the door of the little back room open
| just a crack.
"shure, that dure amt niver ben oper
| this WHITTIER" she exclaimed. That's
where she got in-from the kitchen shed!
DR.. Brown pushed the door open.
There on the table was the silver basket
and the teaset and the water pitcher. and
the tramp asleep on the bed. with Flop
| sy at his feet!
| OF course Flopsy was awake in an in
slant. and the Browns did not let the
tramp sleep long. then such hubbub as
there was. Norah cried with joy.
You scoundrel. your said DR.. Brown
pulling him off the bed by the collar
We've caught you In the act and you'll
suffer for it!'
you haven't caught me in any act but
| sleeping" said the tramp.
Il call 1t stealing" said DR.. Brown. "Do
you usually sleep in somebody else's house
| surrounded by somebody else's silver you
| have walked Off WITH"
| The thief really looked quite handsome
as he stood there and faced the others. 81
| am guest here" he said. And as there
seemed to be no one else to take care OF
things. did it as my mother used to-"
DR.. Brown laughed scornfully. "Your
were used to living in style. wen show
you what a stylish jail we have in town.
Come along out of here
"W-wh- what's the matter?" came a
sleepy voice from the doorway. There
Am I a-awake?" he asked. What has
happened?"
"Ah.' said the thief, there's my host
These people here think I'm a burglar" he
added to Billy Dick. Just because / car
ried your silver upstairs for safe keeping
Hes not a burglar!" cried Billy Dick
defiantly. Hes poor, sick man, who
! almost had pewmony and l asked him to
stay all night And I came upstairs to fix
things, and I tried to keep awake for
Norah-and that's all 1 remember
"The little chap fell asleep" said the
burglar gently. with very tired. but
kindly smile, land 1 covered him-and
I'm that weak" his voice failed him
and he had to sit down.
Il believe he's telling the truth" whis-
pered Mrs. Brown.
Truthful or not, he needs attention -
said the doctor, and he went off for his
medicine case.
The thief never saw what a stylish jail
they had. for he spent the rest OF the
night in the same room, after taking
some OF DIR. Browns medicine: and DR..
Browns brother spent the night in the
house. too, to keep watch.
In the morning the burglar was very
carefully moved to the hospital in the
ambulance.
"His name is John Carretson," said the
doctor to his brother.
'..Why-why. used to go to school with
a boy by that name long ago." said Mrs.
Brown. ''Where does he come from?"
"Springfield,'' said the doctor. 1.-THE
poor fellow has had hard luck. He's PROB
ably the same one you used to know.
And so he turned out to be-without a
penny to his name and almost starving.
Once he had been a rich mans son.
I'VE will help him get his strength
back" said good Mrs. Brown.
AS Billy watched the ambulance go
away. he said solemnly to Flopsy:
"Flops, you and l must remember what
DR.. Brown said. If we want to be worthy
of our grandfather's name instead of Billy
Dick for short. He said 1t was a very
dangerous thing for boys like us to do
there was only one chance In ten thou
sand that he was an honest sneak thief.
I was sure you'd know whether he was a
trustable burglar or not. and you seemed
to like him-even better than me-" Flopsy
Whined Understandings.