Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-07-27

1--WE didn't believe her, OF course.
We went back into their room and
there was no one there. But the rings
were gone While they were looking
at the dresser l remembered that
| forgot to lock the dungeon door where
we keep the money and the silverware
and l ran downstairs and slammed the
door and locked it and went back up.
didn't hear sound downstairs
Mr.. Allan laughed heartily. well,
your burglar was in that closet after
the money, no doubt, and he didn't
hear you coming and got locked in.
Did you make any noise coming down
the stairs?" "
mo. was in my bare feet and
tried to be quiet because If there was
any one in the house. did not want
him coming at me in the dark. I ran
back upstairs and we looked in faith
er's room I thought father had for
gotten to take his watch with him but
it wasn't there.-Do you really think
it was Sunday he forgot it, Fairy?"
NO" said Fairy, ut was there this
afternoon The burglars got in, the
dungeon with him, of course just
said it was Sunday to keep from scar
ing the twins" 81.
| In a few minutes they heard foot
steps around the house and knew the
officers had arrived. Mr.. Allan let
them into the house, four Of them, and
led them out to the hall. There could
be no doubt whatever that the burg
lar was In the dungeon. He had been
busy with his knife and the lock was
nearly removed If the officers had
been two minutes later, the dungeon
would have been empty. The girls
were sent upstairs at once, with the
Allan boy as guard-as guard, without
regard for the fact that he was prob
ably more frightened than any one of
them.
The chief officer raped briskly on
the dungeon door. Then he clicked
his revolver.
There are enough Of us to overpow-
er three Of YOU" he said CURLY. "And
we have men outside the house, too.
If you make any disturbance, we shall
all fire the instant the door is opened.
If you put your firearms on the floor
and hold both hands over your head,
you'll be well treated. If your hands
are not up, we fire on sight. Get your
revolvers ready, boys"
Then the officer opened the door.
Evidently the burglar was wise
enough to appreciate the futility OF
fighting against odds. Perhaps he did
not wish to add the charge Of man
slaughter to that Of robbery. Certain
ly, he did not feel himself called to
sudden death. At any rate. his hands
were above his head, and in less than
a second he was securely manacled.
The chief officer had been eying him
closely. SAY" he exclaimed Aren't
you Limber-Limb Grant?' The burg
lar grinned, but did not answer. by
jove!" shouted the officer. 1T Is! Call
the girls down here" he ordered, and
when they appeared, gazing at the
burglar with mingled admiration pity
and fear, he congratulated them with
considerable excitement.
cts Limber-Limb Grant" he ex-
planned. There's reward of five
hundred dollars, for him. You'll get
the money as sure as you're born"
Then he turned again to the burglar
Say, Grant, what's fellow like you
doing a fifth rate job as this? A Metho-
dist parsonage. is not Just in your line,
is it," 9"'- s'
Limber-Limb laughed sheepishly
We'll he explained good naturedly
Chicago got too hot for me. had
to get out in a hurry and l couldn't
get my hands on any money l had
a fine lot of jewels but was so pushed
couldn't use them. came here and
loafed around town for while, be.
cause folks said Mount Mark was so
fast asleep it did not even wake up
long enough to read the daily papers,
heard about this parsonage bunch
and knew the old man had gone off to
get more religion. This afternoon at
the station l saw detective from Chi
cago get off the train, and I knew what
that meant But l needed some cash
and SO I wasn't above a little job on
the side. | never dreamed of getting
done up by bunch of preachers kids
went upstairs to get those family
jewels I've heard about, and one Of
the little ones gave the alarm. I al
ready had some of them, so I came
down at once. I stopped in the dun
geon to get that money and first thing
knew the door banged shut. That's
all. You're welcome to the five hun.
dred dollars, ladies. Some one was
bound to get it sooner or later and I'm
partial to the ladies' every time"
Limber-Limb Grant was a modern
thief Of the new class. At that mo-
ment, in Chicago, he had in storage a
hundred thousand dollars worth of
jewels, which he could not dispose Of
on the pressure of the moment. The
law was crowding him close, and he
was obliged to choose between meet