The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1912-11-21

4.
know about the law nobody else does.
Experience is Il wonderful teacher. He
comes by is name rightly. he does
Artful Dick. I've larfed myself sick
many time listening to 'ow he lifted
things Once he actually took fel-
ler's pocl:etbook out of is inside west
cut pocket, removed the bills, signed n
little receipt for EN- and then returned
the leather to the gents westcut. Lat
er on he card the chap was going to
use the money to pay off morgidge
and that he 'ad sick wife. Wot did
Dick do but unit him up again and
put the money back, removing the re-
ceipt and substituting fifty dollar
bill he'd filched from q wise guy In
bank, all wrapped up In little note
telling the chap to give 1t to is wife
with the compliments of Old Nick.
I've larfed myself to sleep wondering
wot the feller thought when he found
the note"
Eve never seen any one Just like
him. Hes 4 very odd person." said
David. II think I should like him In
spite Of what he Is"
Everybody likes him He's 90 light
'sartsd he almost bursts with Joy.
Hes followed us for two seasons, and
I've never knowsd I'm 10 do q mean
or dishonorable thins." said joey with
perfect complaesncy. And yet Joey
Noakes was the soul Of integrity Da-
vid could not help laughing. Where
upon the clown hastened TO add, "Ex-
eept 10 steal"
.rm sorry he's tAat kind" dsplored
David.
"Hs's about twenty-one," said Joey,
q interpretive light in his eye. "Hs
drst Joined us ~ Q sleight-o'-hand man
In the side show. That cussed little
brother Of II got q job taking tickets.
Dick I'D been In Jail q couple Of times,
and hs decided to turn over q new
isaf. He'd "a been all night n 1t 'ad
nj besn for Ernie. Ernie didn't think
b was making enough money BY BE-
ING honest, 70 hs Just naturally drove
I'm to picking again That boy II q
little devil. You seA the trouble With
poor Dick y that he's sat 'imself up to
protsct and provide for Ernie all u
life. II seems that he's rssponsibls for
the deformity. When Ernie was nve
years old Dick, whs 'ad 4 very disa-
grseabls temper IN them days, Kicked
he little cuss downstairs. The kid
was laid Up for mootha. and hs came
out Of II all twisted up-5ust a. you
ses I'm now. We'll Dick never got
mad at anybody afts1 that He very
properly swors he'd take care Of Ernie
and Try to mako up for wot he'd done
to i'm. He said he'd beg or steal or
kill II he 'ad TO to provide for i'm.
He's never 'ad to beg or kill. I'm
thankful to say. 30. you see, he amt
altogether to blame for IL occupation.
Ernie's a miser. He wouldn't be salts
fed with 'nrf Of q decent mans wages
If Dick minded t, go to honest work;
he must have 'arf Of all Dick can
steal, and he sets up 'orrfble rumpus
II Dick don't make some good pulls.
Ernie's excuse for is greediness is
this: He says he wants to ave plenty
to fall back on II Dick 'appens to get
long term In the PEI. Who's going to
support I'm, says he, while Dick's do
ing time! Wot do you think Of that
for brotherly lover"
Its unbelievable
"He curses Dick in one breath and
sweeties i'm in the next" went on
Joey. "Wheedles i'm, don't you see
Once Dick was in the jug for two
months. Ernie wanted to kill i'm afore
he got out he was that enraged at i'm
for being so inconsidcrate as to get
caught. They say Ernie has several
thousand dollars in a bank in New
York. every nickel Of which Dick stole
for i'm. Dick spends rs own share
freely or gives it away for charity or
-ahem!-lends it to needy persons as
'appens to know i'm"
Poor fellow! What life! What is
to become Of him? cried David, genu-
inely concerned.
"Oh. he's got all that set down in is
he's going to be 'anged some day He's
lust as sure of 1t as he's sure he's
alive"
Just a morbid notion"
"Well, it's his antecedents, MS the fel-
Ter would say In the family. so to
sneak. His father was 'anged for muir
der when Dick was eleven years old
l dare say it's got on is mind, poor
lad"
His father was hanGed?" cried Da-
vid in lowered tone.
"Ie was" said Joey, refillins his pipe
and preparing to scratch sulphur
match on his handy leg. And good
iob.it was too. He was ousebreaker.
and he 'ad very gentle wife who
prayed for i'm every night and tried to
get i'm to give up the life on account
of the children. One night he got
drunk and shot perfectly elpless old
man whose 'ouse he was rohbinG.
That's wot they swung i'm for. l dare
say that's why Dick as never took TO