The Washington herald., 1920-05-09

freight which slows UP a little
at the town; and of OF 1t drops
a black bundle that rolls for
twenty yards in a cloud of dust
and then gets up and begins to
spit soft coal and interjections.
I see II Is a young man broad
across the face. dressed more
for PulImans than freights. and
with a cheerful kind OF smile in
spite of It all that made Phoebe
SHOWS job look like q chimney
sweeps.
Fall off?" says 1.
"'Nunk,' says he. Got off. Ar
rived at my destination. What
town is this?
Haven't looked II up on the
map yet says /. I got in about
Ave minutes before you did. How
does 1t strike your
Hard says he. twisting one
of his arms around. I believe
that shoulder-no, it's all right
'Ho stOops over to brush the
dust off his clothes. when out
of his pocket drops a fine, nine
inch burglars steel jimmy. lie
picks il up and looks at me
sharp, and then grins and holds
out hts hand.
Brother says he, greetings.
Didn't see you in southern
Missouri last summer selling col
ored sand at halt-a-dollar a tea
spoonful to put into lamps to
keep the oil from exploding?'
"'Oil.' says /, never explodes.
It's the gas that forms that ex-
plodes.' But l shakes hands with
him1 anyway.
MY names Bill Bassett.' says
he to me. and il you'll call 1t
professional pride instead of con-
eeit. I'll inform you that you
have the pleasure of meeting the
best burglar that ever set a
gum-shoe on ground drained by
the Mississippi river
We'll. me and this Bill Bassett
sits on the ties and exchanges
brags as artists in kindred lines
will do. II seems he didn't have
a cent, either. and we went into
close caucus. He explained why
an able burglar sometimes had
to travel on freights by telling
me that a servant girl had play
ed him false in Little Rock. and
he was making a quick getaway.
Its part of my business
says Bill Bassett. to play up to
the ruffles when I want to make
a rifle as Raffles. 'Tis loves
that makes the bit go round.
Show me a house with the swag
in it and a pretty parlor-maid.
and you might as we'll call the
silver melted down and sold, and
me spilling truffles and that
Chateau stuff on the napkin un-
der my chin, while the police are
calling it an inside job just be-
cause the old lady's nephew
teaches a Bible class. first
make an impression on the girl.
says Bill. and when she let's
me inside. 1 make an i'm
preston on the locks. But this
one in Little Rock done me- says
he. She saw me taking a trolley
ride with another girl. and when
1 came round on the night she
was to leave the door open for
me it was fast. And 1 had keys
made for the doors upstairs. But.
no. sir. She had sure cut off
my locks. She was q Delilah.
says Bill Bassett-
1T seems that Bill tried to
break in anyhow with his jimmy.
but the girl emitted a success
sion of bravura noises like the
top-riders of a tally-ho. and Bill
had to take all the hurdles be-
tween there and the depot. As
he had no baggage they tried
hard to check his departure. but
pulling out.
"'Well.' says Bill Bassett. when
we had exchanged memoirs OF
our dead lives. L could eat This
town don't look like it was kept
under a Yale lock. Suppose we
commit some mild atrocity that
will bring in temporary expense
money. l don't suppose you've
brought along any hair tonic oil
rolled gold watch chains. or simi.
lar law-defying swindles that you
could sell on the plaza to tho
pikers of the paretic populace
have you?
No says l. I left an elegant
line of Patagonian diamond ear.
rings and rainy-day sunburst.
in my valise at Peavine. But
they're to stay there till some oi
them black-gum trees begin t
glut the market with yellow
clings and Japanese plums.
reckon we can't count on then
unless we take Luther BurbanI
in for a partner
Very WE'LL says Bassett
we'll do the best we can. Mayb,
after dark I'll borrow a hairpir
from some lady and open tn,
Farmers and Drovers Marin,
Bank with it.
while we were talking, vi
pulls a passenger train to tn
depot near by. A person in
high hat gets off on the wron,
side of the train and comes trip
ping down the track toward
US. He was a little. fat man will
q big nose and rats eyes, bu
dressed expensive, and carrying
a hand-satchel careful. as IL /
had eggs or railroad bonds In il
He passes by us and keeps OF
down the track, not appearing t
notice the town.
Come on says Bill Basset
to me, starting after HIM
Where? 1 asks.
Iordy! says Bill. had yo
forgot you was in the desert
Didn't you see Colonel Mann
drop down right before you
eyes? Don't you hear the rust
ling of General Ravens wings
I'm surprised at you. Elijah
I'VE OyertoOk fha Stranoar 4