Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1908-02-29
ALL KNOW THIS MAN
THE TIME-STEALER ONE OF THE
EVERLASTING NUIsANcES.
Minutes, Hours, Days and Weeks Are
His PIunder-Foe to Industry with
Whom II Is Very Hard
to Deal.

He is known among his acQua1nt-
ances-and about everybody knows
him-as the time thief. Not that he
relieves his friends of their watches;
that wouldn't be so bad, because
watches can be replaced, but the time
thief takes what can never be recov-
cred or Observation-Disclosures anc
hours, and days and weeks, which dc
not belong to him. Unlike the ordi-
nary thief who steals from those who
have the most of what he covets, the
time thief steals the golden moments
from those who have the fewest tic
spare.
The time thief is not ordinarily 3
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 indus
try constitutes the peculiar enormity
of his offense, for he carries on his ne
farious business openly and cheerfully.
persuaded that he is an angel of benefi-
cence to his fellow men,
He blows" breezily into the Of
fee of his victim at the busiest hour
of the day and this is what takes
place:
thief, slapping his victim on the back.
There you are with your nose at the
grindstone 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 1 finish
what I'm at here-awfully busy this
afternoon
Busy, nothing says the time thief.
jovial1y. You only think you're busy.
Nothing but habit, old man, nothing at
all but habit If l didn't drop in every
day or two to jar you out of your rut
l 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 a little story 1 want
to tell you
But the victim, who has been
through all this before, laughs as pc
litely as possible, and keeps on with
| his work. If the time thief didn't have
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 plumber to
| make it worth his while. Accordingly
| he planks himself down in a chair
puts his feet on the desk, and tells his
| little story. The telephone rings, Wis
| ltors arrive to transact business with
! the victim, the office boy comes il
| with papers for him to sign. These
| are very annoying Interruptions fol-
| the time thief but they do not dis
| courage him to the point of giving III
| his attack. He always begins AGAR
at the point where he left off an6
carries his story through to the end
| and begins another.
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 boastfu1ly
| Il look 20 years younger than you dc
how, and I'll live that much longer
than you. All because 1 know how te
| live Well, so long for now; II
| drop in again tomorrow and cheer
you up again.
Although the time thief boasts thai
he knows how to take things easy
it would be worth while to have hin
| tackled by another time thief. The
chances are that he would see things
in different light at once. But the
effect would only be temporary, ant
he would pounce on his victim with
all the more delight at the next op
portunity. In all probability the time
| thief viii last while time lasts