Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-31
<<VyOU are sure you have the right num-
Y ber?" Jessop asked the burglar
l. .Sure he has" said Little John

time"
"rd rather he put it down. said Jessop,
Hes to hurgle not to bungle
.If it will make you any easier, I'll write 1t
down for him" said Little John. Then some
Az, will lift the paper off him. He's always get
s,g his pockets picked
Murphy. this isn't a joke" said Jessop.
''It won't be joke if there's any double
crossing in it," said the burglar.
hear you're of those guys who pulls
chairs out from under fat men," said Little John
to Jessop. Il supposed it was a joke
Maybe 1t when 1t started. It's an un-
dertakers joke now. The flats at 1898 Fulton
parkway. It's the second floor to the right as
you go up
What is snlny to do-jimmy the door,"
mo: I'll see that the front door is unlocked
The bedroom is in the front. The ring Is in
jewel case in the dresser, which is to the left as
you go in the room. I'll try to have dim light
on. l do not want her scared any worse than
she has to be. but do want her to see the
burglar just he gets away
II suppose you'd like to take a couple shots
at Snify' Little John suggested. "ln that case
the price will be $1,000 instead Of $780,
IF you make any cracks at me I'll croak
you," said Snify. Il don't like frameup. any
way. Some one always turns crooked
Not me-" said Jessop earnestly. Il want
this thing done quietly and quickly want him
to get away with the ring and stay away with
it until he gives it to me the next day. I'll give
you each a hundred now and Ill give him an
other hundred when he gives me the ring. It's
like finding money in the street for him, but
he's not to take anything else. How do know
he won't take other things?'
"You don't" said Little John, smiling. THAT
will make it interesting for you. Remem-
ber you're inviting him into your fat
Don't worry, brother" said Sniffy. ''Im a
square guy. Treat square and I'll treat you
square"
Remember, you turn to the right at the head
of the stairs"
Maybe you'd better take him home with
you." said Little John. when do you want
this done?"
Tonight. of course I don't want to stand
the strain any longer than have to-"
II was going to get some sleep tonight" said
Snify, but told you was square guy, and
if it will accommodate you, I'll do it tonight"
"The sooner the better for everybody and
everything concerned" said Jessop.
He went home directly from Murphys Of
flee. Jessop was. professionally, good fellow.
He had central territory for Wlitt & Moore
makers of Ponce de Leon Donna Mercedes. Ell
Rey de Santiago and other brands of cigars and
one of his sales assets was the fact that he was
a good fellow. but he did not allow that to cut
into his nights. Mrs. Jessop could not complain
that he neglected her.
He liked to sit at home after dinner in the
Morris chair, with his coat and collar off, and
read the paper go to the Pantheon to see
picture or occasionally CO. with Mrs Jessop to
the Half Moon or Primrose. where prohibition
imperfectly prohibited.
AS good fellow he knew Little John MUIR
ply not intimately, but well enough to go to
him when he wanted burglar. Little John was
hr city politics and in the legislature. His dis
trict touched the river. included the gashouse
district the Sican quarter where there were
hip pocket shotguns, and ran over to the other
extreme, Of which the papers occasionally re-
ported that the little Misses Wallace and Utterly
and Masters John and VIII Terwilliger played
yesterday the Club grounds.
Mrs. Jessop proof of the astonishing fact
that once woman always a woman. Half OF
life is perception of this fact and the other half.
accommodation to it. If Cleopatra is woman,
them of course, Joan isn't; and If Mary Pick
ford is woman, then Theda Bara Is something
else again. Men have 20 piseonholes for their
ideas Of women, and the same woman is in each
pigeonhole.
Mrs. Jessop country bred timid when
exposed to anything she had not encountered
before pretty amable, getting plump and wor-
rying about It. She had been delighted by the
acquaintances she had made in the city after
her marriage She eager sensitive. secretly
disturbed about her hats, wanted baby, and
had learned to drink highball. She also had
learned to play bridge, to put garlic in her salad
dressing. and to wonder when House Peters
would reappear in the movies
Jessop, when he let himself in by his latch
key, found that the fiat was strange with new
significance. 1t was no longer the comfortable,
familiar place, but a stage for something to
happen.
He thought he must seem nervous and an
easy to Mrs Jessop, but she did not comment
on it. and he concluded that she did not notice
it. After dinner he asked her to go to the
movies He said he wanted te get his mind Off
a business deal which worried him.
They went, and afterwards, when Mrs. Jes-
sop preferred to go home. he took her to the
Iolf WI
Parkes and the Holcombs. Jessop drank a half
dozen dollar highballs and felt better.
When he and Mrs Jessop returned home
she went directly to bed. but he sat up, saying
that he was restless and would read until he felt
that he could sleep He sat in the living room
listening to the various sounds which occasion
ally broke the silence Of the night and wonder
ing apprehensively when it would be safe for
him to fix the catch on the entrance door so
that Snify White might enter.
He took several drinks from his decanter Of
bourbon and at 1880 o'clock concluded that all
the occupants of flats in his entrance must be
in and that the lock could be adjusted without
probability of its being sprung again.
He thought the stairs creaked alarmngly
he went down. When he returned his heart
was humping as if he had been badly startled.
and he took another drink to steady himself.
Then, with book he went to bed adjusting
reading lamp that 1t would not disturb his
wife. who slept soundy. but would give patch
OF light to the room. Then he prepared to- lie
awake.
He listened for sounds which would indicate
the approach of White, but the breaks in the
night became less frequent. He had been cer-
tain that in his restlessness and apprehension
he would remain awake, but the whisky he had
drunk began to benumb him, and before he per-
ceived the danger of the pleasant lassitude which
came to relieve him he had fallen asleep.
He was awakened by pistol shots and shout
ir1 Mrs lesson sitting IN in bed. was clutch