New-York tribune., 1921-02-13


alias Billy the Grasshop-
per, alias The Hopper, paused for
breath and peered out of fence
corner at roadster whose. tail light
advertised its presence on a sub
srban highway.
The Hopper was blowing from a
sprint of two miles over rough coun-
try, and the proximity of the motor
pleased him. He was not so young
as in the days when his agility and
genius for effecting a quick get
away earned him his familiar
sobriquet. The last time his Bertil-
Ion measurements were checked Gt
was in Omaha during the fall car
nival three years ago) official note
had been taken of the fact that his
hair, long carried in the records as
black, was rapidly whitening.
At forty-eight a crook, even so re-
sourceful and versatile member of
the fraternity as The Hopper, begins
to distrust himself. His last ex-
perience of involuntary servitude had
been under the auspices of the State
of Oregon for .trifing indiscretion
in the way of safeblowing, and hav-
ing done his time The Hopper skill
fully effaced himself by a years
siesta on pineapple plantation in
Hawaii. After a series of character
lstic hops, skips and jumps across
the continent he lifted $4,000
singlehanded from an express safe
IN Maine and hid himself for six
months in New York. Then, ami
mated by worthy desire to lead
an honest life, he purchased a chick
en- farm twelve miles as the crow
flies from the steeple of Center
Church, New Haven, and opened a
bank account in his newly adopted
name of Charles S. Stevens. He
married lady somewhat his Junior.
shoplifter of the second class,
whose more recent exploits had been
SO unfortunate that she gratefully
availed herself of The Hopper's ten
der of his heart and hand.
They added to their establishment
retired yegg, who had lost an eve
by the premature popping of the
soup" poured into postoffice safe
IN Missouri. In offering shelter to
Mr.. James Whiteside, alias "Humpy"
thompson, The Hopper's motives had
not been wholly unselfsh, as
"Humpy' had been intrusted with
the herding of poultry in several
penltentiaries and was familiar with
the most advanced scientific thought
on chicken culture.
HE dusk was rapidly deepening.
The owner of the roadster was
presumably eating his evening meal
In peace in the cottage, and The Hop
per was aware of no sound reason
why he should not seize the vehicle
and further widen the distance be-
tween himself and a suspicious-look-
ing gentleman he had noted on the
New Haven local.
The Hopper's conscience was not
wholly at ease, as he had that after
noon possessed himself of billbook
belonging to citizen whose strap he
had shared in a crowded subway
train. When he entered upon his
career as chicken farmer The Hop
per had forsworn crime as a means
OF livelihood, and he was chaprined
that in moment of weakness he had
stopped to purse lifting, branch Of
felony that he had always despised
as inferior in dignity to safeblow-
ing. 1t was possible that the short.
stocky man he had observed on the
New Haven local was not 'bull."
but the uncertainty annoyed The
Hopper. Moreover, in all his enter
2rises he had cared for his personal
comfort, and he was humiliated to
find that he had been frightened into
leaving the train at Bansford to
escape from a man who had only
looked at him little queerly.
The Hopper waited for a big
limousine to pass, then walked boldly
toward the roadster, jumped in and
In moment was in motion. He was
making rapid progress toward home
when sound startled hini---an
amazing little chirrup close at hand,
a gurgling, chortling sound of glee
not to be confused with any possible
vagary of the engine. "Goo-gooI
Goo-goo-goo!"
The car was skimming dark
stretch of road and The Hopper de-
tected nothing in the seat beside him
but a grayish bundle. His hand
touched something warm and soft,
and his nngers were seizad and held