Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-11-19

the point-ten days ago I stole a mat
ter of $500 from the safe over there.
I've been in a fearful state OF remorse
and terror ever since. and tonight I'm
replacing the money. seer"
l grunted again. l don't know
what to make Of It.
Constable, in a case Of this kind
you wouldn't be hard on a chappie.
I've got a wife and child and-some-
thing of a reputation. My career Is
clear henceforward the very moment
| get off these premises"
''Repented, have your" I asked sus
piciously.
"Repented!" He threw out his
hands. That's too hippant a word,
constable. I've simply been In agony.
| know what it is to have the worst
horrors Of the Internal regions about
my bed by night, and the awful dread
of suspicious eyes around my desk ev-
cry hour of the day. l was beginning
to see the blessed light again-a few
more minutes and l should have done
it.--1ight and ease and JOY and free
QOTl were OIL LILO NSAJ CoLoAN.
You've mistaken your profession,
sir" 1 laughed. You ought to have
been a preacher
perhaps shall be, presently. The
impulse is strong in me to go about
warning all other DOR tempted fell
lows. Say, constable, you've got a
child or two of your own, eh?"
~ -~~ wa ~ fuyN 90 yyNHS q -
"One Of ems called Polly, l bet?"
Good guess. Her name happens to
be Mary, but it's near enough"
well I've got a Mary When I've
handed you 25, constable. as a sort Of
memento Of this incident, we'll clear
up the mess and get of home again,
Ell? My Mary is waiting for me now;
she'll be in a terrible fright till I get
back
The Pollies and Marys of this world
have been guilty Of melting mems
hearts before now, and the mans talk
about his Mary softened me. He was
cute enough to count out Eve sover-
eigns and hand them to me before the
clearing-up operations began. After
which 1 helped him with a will, and
was very civil and obliging while do
ing it. He kept on talking about his
remorse and his hopes for the future,
In a way that nearly made me weep;
1 told him I had never before been
in the company of a genuine penitent,
and was glad Of the experience.
I felt so kindly toward him, indeed,
and was so pleased to think he was
out of the wood, that I volunteered to
carry his bag on leaving. After I had
put on my boots we crept out through
the back yard. and at the end OF the
alley behind he relieved me Of the bag
and left me with a final word Of graft
tude.
l watched him out of sight. Then l
grew sensible-by degrees. Why had
the man carried a heavy bag in de-
parting? While 1 had been clearing
up" he had been slowing things into
1t with startling celebrity. Why had
he used chisel and hammer?-a bank
manager would have been In posses
sion Of keys!
1 grew hot n cold in turn; by the
time l was relieved by the sergeant I
had made up my mind to say nothing
about the matter. But the five pounds
seemed to be burning a hole in my
pocket
1t turned out that the burglar vas
one Of tho most expert and resourceful
bank thieves Of that time. his story
was a clever ruse that put me OF the
scent, and even pressed me into his
service. He got clear away with prac-
tically the entire contents OF the bank
coffers-with the exception Of the one
solitary safe at which he was work
ing when 1 disturbed him-and I had
helped him to carry the plumber the
first hundred yards. 1 was q raw be
ginner then. and doubtless came with
In an ace Of disgrace and dismissal.
but the experience Of that night
proved a tremendous spur to my wits
which il perhaps n reason Why 70