The Red Cloud chief., 1922-04-06
BURGLAR WANTED !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ny MABEL PARSONS

@. 1872, w Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.
The social climbing Mrs. Hogg was
heartbroken. The clever second story
worker who had visited so many resi-
dences Of the wealthy that the list
might be that of the social register had
for some reason forgot to call upon
the Hoggs. There wasn't another home
in Tylervllle that contained so many
costly furnishings, silver and jewelry--
particularly jewelry--and yet Mrs.
Hogg was denied share of the lime
light with the aristocracy.
"It amt as If we amt got nothing,
Phineas," she sobbed, her many dla-
monds flashing In the morning sun as
she poured the coffee. There's the
Joneses, and"
"Stop right there!" exclaimed Mr..
Hogg irritably. "Ain't / done all l
can? Amt / gone all over this house
every night and opened the windowsf
Why, last night 1 even left the front
door half open, and did any burglar
come In? Did he, l ask you? mol" he
continued, answering his own question.
What else he might have said VIII
never be known, as the butler entered
at that moment, and II there was any
one of whom he stood in awe 1t was
Henry the butler.
Success had come to the uoggs late
in life, and while Mr.. Hogg was in
elined to lie back and take things
easy, Mrs. Hogg was happy only when
she was "among those present" But
phlneas was good sport and under
her constant urge he ran her pretty
good second In their chase for social
recognition. lie affiliated himself with
every club and every social affair she
suggested, and gave her every blessed
thing she wanted-but there; pause
a moment.
There is one thing in which he had
failed. Mrs. Hogg told him, In that
heart touching, sobblng way Of hers,
that the Powells and Bentons had a
family tree, and she didn't have one.
Never mind. Lucy" he said sooth-
mgly, 1--WE got money enough to get a
front lawn full of thcm!" SO you see,
dear reader his heart was in the right
place.
Away from the eyes of Henry, they
Kissed In parting at the door.
"Cheer up, DEAR" said Phlneas en-
couragingly, "we'll be robbed yet" And
Lucy smiled faintly in hope and partly
because Mrs. Powell, across the street
was looking on. Phineas waved his
cane airily as he entered his motor
Cor the same reasons that Lucy smiled
and he was Off.
Arriving at his office he Immediate
ly rang for his secretary.
"AIr. Dagget," said he, in his cute
little pompous way, do you know any
good porch climber? i mean, are you
acquainted with any good crook2
mean--what THAT is" Plainly
Phlneas was confused.
1Ir. Dagget doesn't know yet what
his employer meant, but he was glad
70 get out OF his sight, and for the
rest of the day he went about on tip
toe with moist handkerchief in his
hand, aud CLASSY look in his eyes.
Now, while the Hoggs valued the no
toriety Of II burglary, let II be known
that there was about $4,000 worth OF
jewelrJ, which was carefully concealed
every night, that they had no inten
tion e9 losing. That night, while pre-
pairing for bed, just at the moment
that Mrs. Hogg had put all the jewelry
in the case after careful checking, q
loud crash sounded through the house
and while they looked at each other
first in surprise and then in JOY, that
crash was followed by another.
Il burglar! A robber" Mr.. Hogs
shouted enthusiastically rushing ou
into the hall, Mrs. Hogg close in his
wake.
Swapping on the lights in descent
rhey arrived upon the scene at tn,
moment the policeman had subduet
his prisoner. Subdued doesn't convey
die picture ut all; he was worse than
hat, and as he stood there in the light
Il Is no wonder recognition was de
layed. Mr., Hogg was the first to wake
up.
why, it's Henry he exclaimed In
amaZement.
He was right. lie was the butler
II seems that Henry was not real
burglar-nothlng like that--Quite Q
duffer mt 1t, in fact. 1t was simply O
manifestation of his interest In his
employers. He knew how anxious
they We're TO he robbed ana as II
made him nervous TO sleep In a house
L0s. L-,. vas open to the world, he had re
solved TO the end the suspense fol
both. Steal nothing, you understand
Just make noise TO arouse the house
hold. That done, the collected article!
on the floor would lead TO the belle
that the burglar had been frightened
away. Thus his empl6 Ters could hol,
up their heads among the arlstocrac.
Of Tylervllle.
AS l said before, Phineas was
good sport, and after Henry had whis
pered this explanation, he swallowe
his disappointment and gave the watch
ful, waiting patrolman sign indlcat
Snu that hia sarvinac would nor a.