El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-05-16
Reforming a Burglar
By Paul villiers.
AN oU are an awful fool Lou"
little countess Amelie ex-
=. claims with conviction.

one IN the mouse priNliSSSu 10 SoA1 ~
literary hostess Lou but Anelie is
very fond of abrevfations. She says
life is too short and too exciting to
waste time in calling ones friends by
their full Christian names. She, at
least. has no time to do SO, while the
rest of US say that it is just because
she is lazy.
Nine. Louise d'Artoui1 looked at
Anelie with motheriy smile. smile
that would have bewitched me, but
Amelie merely shrugged her pretty
shoulders,
you are an awful fool Lou" she
repeated. Here you have the most ex-
ouisite necklace of black pearls to be
found in all Europe, and still you re-
fuse to send it to your vault In uhe
bank. You just leave it lying about.
and
This time it was Louise's time to
shrug her shoulders
Excuse me-" she said with a SMILE
ct do not leave it lying about. but keep
it in there
She pointed to a safe. which was
built into the wall and so well hldden
by the dressing table that 1T was I'M
possible to discover it without moving
the latter.
what Is THIS dSAeu iiiS'As,
pointed to a red parcel lying in the
safe
.sThat is the manuscript Of my new
plav.p Louise answered. 81 am to read
it aloud tomorrow
.If were you / should put the
pearls into the safe and leave the man.
uscript on the dressing table SAID
Amelie.
Il must go now" said Louise. turn
ing to me. 1--WE shall be late as II IS
Too bad you can't come too. Amelie."
AmeIie tried to look sad, but did not
succeed very well.
81 have such an awful cold. she
said. Il should have loved to hear the
lecture. but"
She winked her eye at me, while
belped Louise to put on her cloak. and
for once I wished I were as stubborn
and diplomatic as Amelie. Or was II
nerhaps mere carelessness with her.
did not care for the lecture at all,
but I did not like to invent colo as
p protest to stay away [ was now I'M
ooininp Amelie sitting in front or the
COSY fireplace with a box OF candy and
a novel. but later events showed l
Was mistaken To be sure she hao
been sitting at the fire. but tola ne
afterwards. not for very long sAsn.
noise in the next room startled ner anu
her heart went up into her tnroat
whom She remembered that the COOK
and both the footmen were d" aS.
There was nobody in the house out
suzanne. the parler maid, and she was
almost deaf
She happened to remember, teo, tnal
J.o,,ise,s black pearls were still ivlhs
on her dressing table and that they
had been described and praised in the
newspapers a few days before
she sneaked out of the door Lou
;Se,s bedroom door was a1ar, the hghl
was turned on, and, after hesltatih Z
for a. moment, Arnelie decided 10 walk
in It was Just as she had reared - nc
dressing table had been pusheo asiue'
the safe had been opened ana man
80 s+onainp in front of it looking
into it. ,,a
AmeIie tell what happened next. Sne
believes she screamed and that TINS
scared the man. so that he ran MS
head against a corner of the steer door
of the safe Anyway he turned as paie
as a sheet. fell into chair and looked
as If he had tainted.
what a fool,'p she cried and the idea
struck her that perhaps she Woulo
now be able to manage him alohe
until she could get hold or ponce
man. Across the bed was SILK scarf
Louise had used that afternoon ana
with this she tied his arms to the
chair. She was just about to run out
and send Suzanne for a policeman,
when she saw the cord on a dressing
Gown. and with this she tied his feet
too.
She had just finished, when the man
came to and stared at her in a dazeo
way.
: .sWhere am u" he asked family
sYou will be in Jail in little
while said Amelie when / came III
Won were about to rob the safe, and
hurt your head will put bandage
on while I'VE are waiting for the po-
lice"
81 thank you very much" he SAID,
when she had stopped the flow OF
h1ood and. tied I'D his wound Then he
looked at his tied feet-and smlleo-
ssYou have taken good care l should
not get away"
eyes. indeed. 1t was very fortunate
YOU tainted. Otherwise I suppose you
would have run off with the whole
business"
lust then sAmelie discovered that the
black pearls were still lying on the
dressing table and she turned in sur
prise to get a better look at her pris-
oner. He was very young. very hand-
some and did not look the least like
burglar. 10,
what made you turn a criminal
she asked. Surely you are no ordl-
mary BURGLAR"
He smiled-very gaily for burglar
caught in the act. Amelie thought
IT lust had to do it, he replied.
~But won't you please unite my rect,
1t is a very uncomfortable position
81 am sorry" Ameiie replied, but
surely you don't think / am such fool
as to give you a chance to run away
I "Oh, do let me go" he pleaded.
promise 1 shall never do it again.
Amelie felt rather emparrassso
Then she had new idea.
How In the world did you get IN
she asked "You must have an accom-
plice.
He nodded his head and Analief dis
covered that the key was in the door
of the safe.
Are you Suzanne's svrcetheart! she
81