The Falls City tribune., 1909-07-09
THE FORK
in the ROAD
BY H. A. HELMHOLTZ
Copyright. by Daily story Pub. Coz

I D@S o0AAAs Ih@iA II VI
beer they discussed the weeks net
profits. Business had been more than
ordinarily good. Not enc of the six,
engaged in the genteel art of burgla ~,
had run thele chance of being hauled
n the dragnet of the police unless it
were Jimmy. For a moment they held
their breaths. No, Jimmy was too
smooth to fall into any trap. Why,
their leader was the best "house-lift.
err in the business! A quiet smile
wreathed the faces of the five as a low,
familiar knock was heard. Jake Col.
Inns was the first to reach the door, and
as their leader stole softly in, each nod.
ded a silent welcome.
What makes you so late, Jimmy?
None of yer plain-clothes friends tag.
ging yer, was there?" Jake asked, with
a smile of confidence in his chief.
NO; that wasn't it," slowly re-
sponded Jimmy. 81 just sat down after
my feed to think over me experience
OF last night. It was the FUNNIEST go
l ever struck in me life, and I've had
several, yo' know, boys"
Spiel the tale, Jimmy; 1t must be
a good one. Well talk biz after
wards" Jake urged, eagerly.
We'll il youse boys wait until me
suds gets here, I'll spiel it. It's a
hummer" he added, as he reached for
the drink set down before him. Eyer
see, it was this way" he began be-
tween his gulps. Last night there was
nothing framed up for the bunch,
seeing that we are laying a little low
just at present, so | thought that |
would do a little job that was ripe.
The guy belonging TO the place was
out of the city; l made sure of that;
besides, the servants ball was on that
night, SO yer can see how the layout
sized up. Pretty soft, hey? The base
ment window was a cinch. l reaches
the main floor and made for the
library, knowing just about where
it ought to be situated, and hold
ing me glim in one. hand. l makes
the grand .entree where the safe
stays when it's at home. / flashes the
bull around and rocks right into the
muzzle of a SO! Up against it? Well,
l was for fair! Who would have ex-
pected it? 1t proves the old saying,
boys: Always be on the job
"'Weli, boss says I, you got it over
me all right! What yer going to do?'
oven fix that later he shoots
back. L expected you; that is, maybe
not precisely you, but some one of
your profession, SO I just stayed
around here for the excitement
with that he turns ON the glim, and
/ notices we were in a little room
mex to the library. Say, you could
have knocked me down when he sticks
out his nit and says, real friendly
like: "Shake, old mani" And then he
asks my name. | wasn't wise to the
game so | handed him me NIT and tells
him the first installment of me name
is Jim.
FIN he says, says he, sit down
over there and we'll have a nice pleas
ant chat. l suppose you are wonder
ing what kind of a game | am playing
on you, but I'll inform you right here
that | am square. | have something |
would like to tell you about myself; it
will be interesting to you, and I'll pay
you for your trouble listening to it.
Will you trust me?'
about all | could do was to nod my
head, though I'd given anything if 1
could have beat it about that time.
"'Nell, then, you wait right here I'M
til I get a couple CT bottles. Now,
don't go away, will your he says,
rather anxious like.
by that time | was getting interest
ed in the game and so | made up my
mind to stick and see it out. Pretty
soon he comes back with four quart
bottles of beer and a box of cigars.
Have one, Jim,' say he, and l
didn't wait for the second call.
tJiln,' he goes on, TIL bet YOU
won't believe what l am going to tell
you, but it's the whole truth, every
bit. Just IL years ago tonight l was
in the same circumstances you are in.
l was just out of college then, and
came to Chicago looking for a job. Day
after day l hunted for n until at
last / was almost willing to give it up
as a bad business. Then my money
gave out and l was up against it right,
as the boys say. But at last | got a
job as a freighter in a wholesale house,
packing trucks, but | was glad of even
that. / tell you, a square meal was
about the only ambition just then. AfterI
had worked about two weeks, l got
into a row with one of the men, and
he gave me a beautiful beating. But
that wasn't all; l lost my job. The fell
lows at the warehouse all told the boss
l was to blame. Well, in a few days
l was more badly off than before. The
worst of it was, l couldn't find a posi-
ton anywhere.
Zone night when l was wandering
around looking in the windows and
wishing I had the price of a beer lunch,
a fellow tapped me on the shoulder
and said: "Want to make a good
L19I