Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-02-15
A Benevolent
Burglar
~
By Ruth Alden Hayes
BY Ruth Alden Hayes

Noiselessly the man with a bent wire
opened the gate of a rear court, cau-
tiously he crossed the stone-payed yard.
He glanced up at the handsome man
sion looming before him. 1t was dark
and deserted looking. The intruder
fumbled for a tool in his pocket, pushed
back d door and was within the house.
Burglar Bill Dorsey, if you please
reformed. 1t did not look that way,
but, while the old crafty tricks were
brought into force and professional
skill exerted Il the utmost, he was in
nocent as a child as to the notion and
purpose in view IN thus breaking into
the house of rich Seth Payne.
Bill CROPPED his way without a mis-
step, down a corridor and up a flight
of stairs, for he had pursued that
course only a week agone-and had
got away with the swag In his pocket
at the present moment lay that same
plumber, a diamond-jeweled wrist
watch, a pearl necklace, two valuable
rings. He could see a light coming
through a keyhole.
Thunder ~ Bill expressed voiceless-
ly. Then he took another peep. He
could have guffawed, for the man with
in his view, kneeling in front of a safe,
had on the floor beside him a hammer,
a chisel and a screw driver. Bill could
not refrain a chuckle at the sight of
this kit.
"a rival" he muttered-"but an anna
teur. Being sincerely reformed, it is
my duty to lead this novice out of the
downward path. Hello, pail"
With the hearty salutation, Bill
pressed open the door and stepped into
the room. The other, a young, hand
some man of perhaps twenty-five,
made a dive for a coat pocket. Bill
STRANGE.
Don't draw a gun, pardner," he sub
mitted, Tn a yegg, too"
But I am not" declared the other.
"What are you doing here, then?'
Intercepted Bill %pointedly.
81 am trying to get into that safe"
81 see-but you won't, with those
carpenters TOOLS"
"Can your pressed the other.
Rather" asserted Bill promptly.
"That's nothing but a cheap old box. /
can open it on the combination alone
"Do ii and I will pay you any price
you ask" urged the young man.
do you belong here?" asked Bill.
"Not at ALL"
"Broke in, like I1yself?"
"Yes-there was an open window, so
you might say that
Sorry said Bill, shaking his head
slowly, 'but, as I told you, I've re-
formed. I've promised Kate, the
sweetest girl in the world, to never
turn a trick again and 1 mean to keep
my promise"
'Then what are you doing here
now?' amazedly inquired the other,
who was Arthur Ridgely, and a re-
spectacle member of society, and an
honest man, and free from guile as a
child, but he did not tell Bill this-yet.
"Well," exclaimed Bill bluntly, 81
came here to return what l took away
u W0Ch dSO, dlA n6 6AlllDllCu LlC
packet. ut was my last raid. Kate
said she'd never marry me unless l
put it back where [ found it, We'll say
as evidence Of M good faith in re-
forming"
ST see, I see murmured young
Ridgely slowly, as if struck by the
oddly of the situation. "You are a
GOOD 1,a1 a,al 7 roo 41A I,,1 - H..
tiny in my thus meeting you. I came
here like a thief in the night, | made
myself ,amenable to the penalty for
housebreaking, but influenced by a
pure and holy motive"
81 hope So" said Bill obviously.
"Can you prove it?"
Eyes, I can. IF you will open that
safe, in the left-nand ~pigeonhole of
the upper row you will find a green
envelope. 1t is of no value, but i'm
mensely harmful to innocent, suffer
ing victims. To get that paper means
the freedom, perhaps the life of a rep
utable citizen, the happiness of an in
nocent, beautiful girl just budding into
womanhood. Man, glOrify the refor-
nation you boast of, by doing a deed
that will bring you blessings your
whole life through"
"Why, you talk like a story book
said Bill. "Say, I'm interested. A
regular romance"
"And a tragedy-unless I get that
paper"
"All right" nodded Bill definitely,
after a moment of thought. "I1l help
you out. Here's the bargain. 1 open
that safe. I take ont a green envelope,
nothing more. You are not to touch a
single thing. We leave here and you
convince me that you need that enve-
lope for a good purpose before I part
with~ft.'
"Agreed-oh, gladly! gladly ~ spoke
the young man with eagerness.
"Stand aside and Ixoan nuiet - and