The Washington times., 1910-03-21


when I DO d thi-s Storme.' he
would say. Il do H. and don't you for
get Il"
Storme had many admirers. Dred-
ellington Of an those was the most
ardent. He did the things and said the
things that Storme did and said.
Storme, to him, was the essence OK
all that was chic and dashing and eX-
CluSlVcly fashionable.
Some weeks now had elapsed since
the great trial Of the people versus H.
Stanleigh Storme.
No one was more enthusiastic over
the outcome than DreddlingtOn himself.
II supplied him with an ali engross-
ing topic of conversation, and IL fur
nished him with a mighty inspiration.
He would give a dinner or the most
magnificent scale. StOrme should be
the EUest Of honor. II would be the
talk Of the town.
H consulted Storma about #. Storrne
acuuIesCed with delight
He was appreciauva. and became en-
thUsiastic abnut the thing. He even
suggested some of ne details of the
affair
n was % he freak dinner on
breaNuecl scale. and move than an,
dinner commemorative Of the great
trial
The invitations. which Of course came
out two weeks aEcsd of time, were
freaks I'm tEcmseIvg- They were i'm
the shape of subpoenas 90 testify. with
big red seals, and even i1" genuine
signature of the county CLERK
The sheriff "a personal friend oi Hplil
Of the men. volunteered the services OF
one Of his deputies 90 serve the invita-
tions personally ON the invited guests.
Tho idea. as may Doe guessed from the
weak siCkly hWmor 10 involved, was lhe
idea of DrCddluEt0u.
The ucupapcrs. when they finished
roasting the police department took up
the freak dinner for AN IL was worth
They IauHrd 70 Co the Ornament
los a I-
tOUs and also or the mouu which had
been designed i'm advance by Canon.
the Caricaturist Canon was member
Of the club. ntverthrle-- he sent lu his
little bill TO DTeddiuEJOU. and Dred-
ellington paid IL on the spot
Canon fixed mp highly Illuminated
copies Of the Indictment. and the YER
dict Of the jury. and the meuu-the
whole iuCIOscd i'm q MAGNIFICENT cover
representing on the front the prisoner.
SJ0Tme. i'm the act of breaking into
bank IN a fun dress suit, and on the
hack striking likeness OF the same
gentleman in prison garb ruefully con-
templaunE the outlines Of nearby
pCuiteUtiaTy.
The dinner cost Dreddincton Sl.G10 4
cover and there were hf-y covers. The
whole thing was stupid and boyish
enough but the ueWSpa pers considered
81 rNCruCiatuEly funny.
The town laughed at il and talked
about IT, and watched for it, To cap the
climax, the host invited every man on
the jury panel 90 attend-and every
man attended.
The judge also was invited. These
were StorIue's sUEEeStiOus-and he had
good reasons for them.
The thing began at 10 O'Clock Every
body was on hand but Storme He
turned up five minutes late
He had had an enga cement. he eN-
planned, and had had 90 hurry He
seemed breathleSs and out of sorts The
ERr q T-- ..r
You're looking pretty pale tonight.
Storme,' remarked the sheriff in the
middle Of course Are YOU iII| You
look as pale as you did that night the
bank was robbed, when YOU lost that
five hundred 10 the Judge"
StorUe smiled and shook his head.
I'm al right ne said. I'm tired
tonight-thats ALL
well you're most awful pale" re-
peated the sheriff. And so YOU were
that night"
There were few speeches. The guests
being ali sorts and conditions Of men.
were inclined 20 be a bi- bOisterouS.
The sheriff, who didn't enjoy speech
making, rose from his chair and walked
up and down the room. The dinner. OF
course, was about over.
Storme was called upon. He rose.
and as he did so his face grew paIer
than before.
"GentIemen.' he began IN a hesita-
ting voice. there's something I have
import II have been. in a measure,
sailing under false cOlOss. l.
He stopped, FOR the jurymen A. the
other end Of the table were squahbIinE
among themselves and he could not
make himself heard.
'Go on Go on somebody cried
Bully for Storme"'
They had not comprehended the I'm
port Of HIS words, or what he meant.
They took n for the start Of one Of
Storne's usually witty speeches
Gentlemen" he resumed, T.
He stopped The sheriff. rowing rest
lessIy around, had strolled over TO the
ticker He held the tape listlessly in
his hand for a short space OF time
Suddenly the instrument began to tick
away like mad.
Hold on there Storne. say. Won feI-
lows listen here. The First National
was cracked tonight and four hundred
and dftv thousand taken from the
vaults That's a facf-look here II you
don't believe II Wait n minute"
He spranC 10 the telephone and called
IN headGuartcrs
'sTel1 us about IT," he said to the mar
at the other end 90 the line. IT'S tho
sheriff talking 20 YOU.
TITS that man Burke" he explained
TO the crowd. with his hand on the
rnouthnioce. the receiver at his ear.
ives. toll MS about IT. Burke"
well" said Burke At tho other end
Of the line. 'it was done the same as
down ~ MordauntS. Bars sawed clean
off window pane cut Combination
beat-an' four hundred and fifty thous-
and gone Tho coin was lviE' there 10
be sent ont tomorrow And @0v---
eco on" roeDonded the she~iF
''Sav." continued Burke. "Tve got
the man that did 81 clean to rights. this
time sheriff. let me tell YOU that"
'Have you actually got him. yelled
the sheriff
No" said Burke 'T haven't actu-
.,rv got him. understand. but I saw
hiin az work All right He got aWay
this time. toO-how he did il is more
than know-but there's no mistake
about the man. all right al right-and
there wasn't any mistake before. either
Ter me tell yOu.
And the man, queried the sheriff
well" responded Burke. IF il amt
this time-if II amt the devil. it's n
StanleiEh Storme
The sheriff winked upon the crowd
who had not heard word Good for
you. Burke" he replied. "and 1 hope
you Jug him. too"
The sheriff rang off
Gentlemen he exclaimed 10 the