Las Vegas optic., 1914-11-14

Icumstances,s / said.
He smiled thoughtfully,
They could be worse He stud
led the end Of his cigar. 1T strikes
me, my friend. you're somewhat green
at your business he observed as he
blew out the first pua Of smoke I'm
inclined to believe an old hand would
not have stopped to enjoy himself az
you did, but would have made to safer
grounds, just as soon as he got every
thing available"
You're right agreed Il surely
am greenie at the game. And now
I'm satisfied I'm a rank failure at
the business I've proved it by my
foolish conduct this very night.
He knocked the ashes off his cigar
and looked over at me-
did you ever stop and think what
kind of work you're engaged inn" he
questioned seriously Really, did
you ever stop and Think"
mo, / guess never did, an
swered.
Il thought SO, my friend. Well, you
want to stop and you want to think,
and think hard, too. 1t may be a
good thing for you. You may come to
realize you're in the most dangerous
business in the whole world, and the
one that pays you least, when you
oo,,,o ~ arnsfdaw all thin Uu XOu'ra
going about with your life in your
hands, and on every job you tackle
you're inviting bull, a regular, or q
watchman to try his aim at you. And
besides. states prison is staring you
in the face. Take tonight, for in
stance, couldn't I have plugged you
full OF lead just as we'll as not, and
done so before you'd have time to
say boo? Just as easily as rolling on
log. And let me tell you right
now, there's good many, If they d
been in my place, would have done SO,
too They'd not have taken any
chances They wouldn't have given
you a show to pull first. But somehow
felt you were different. | sized you
up quite a while before spoke. 1
felt you wouldn't kill a man unless
you had to-"
Il wouldn't kill under any circum-
stances said. I'D submit to cap
ture every time first" And then /
began the story I'd been waiting from
the first to get going, that raised good.
fell-through-some ebody-else's-fault and
forced to turn burglar because OF no
open legitimate paths, that mother-at-
home game. and the promise to turn.
over-and-do-better, If let go, all Of it,
just the hash we have slowed away
in our noodles to pull for sympathy
on such occasions.
When I'd finished he family smiled
and slowly pulled on his cigar.
And your mothers iying?" he
asked.
Yes, sir, and belongs to very
prominent family in Boston.
He turned around and looked
straight across at me.
Have people been in the habit of
using you kindly7@ he asked Have
they been using you as you'd like to
be usedg"
shrugged nay shoulders and smiled
IT'S been SO long since a kind act
fell my way that I've forgotten all
about it," I said. "The rough part OF
the world has always been mine and
always will be, suppose"
For the most part you may deserve
it, he said. You may not be the
kindliest on earth yourself One thing
sure, you cannot expect to find kind
ness and encouragement when you
follow what you're at now. But sup
pose now, | should do you kind
turn, would you benefit by it? Fol
instance, all I've got to do is to take
up that transmitter over there on the
table and call in the police and have
you dragged Off to jail But suppose
/ don't do it. but instead let you go
would you call that a kind act? You
asked me a little while ago who
am. | said | might be the chief ol
police. Well, I'm not. and 1t strikes
me, If you'd done little thinking Of
your own, you'd have come to the
conclusion that Mr.. White wouldn't &c
away and leave such beautiful home
after him as this without somebody
on guard. You wouldn't yourself Ant
he didn't. He left me here, an I'm 6
plain, everyday watchman. And nov
I'm going to let you go. So now
we'll have another drink together, ant
then make yourself scarce! You can
tell what might happen
OF course, was delighted to ge
away, and | told myself I'd pay hin
back If had to wait till / was dy
ing and remember him in my will
It was daylight when got into ths
city.
| And being yet broke, the two dol
lars that Jim the Turk, had loaned mt
/ going for car fare, went up to Rcsen
baum's, the pawnbroker, to make |
borrow. He had loaned me some. ans
was over in a corner Of the store
reading the paper. The door Opened