The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-01-26

ing. The police
''Oh, ang it. There you are, talk
ing about the cops again.
I've got to. You've stolen that
thing. You're a thief
20 are you calling thief?'
You" In a low tone, 1 added: IF
you tell me the truth I'll let you off.
But, just one more lie, and I'll hand
you over
There was a silence. Finally the
little man cleared his throat, and in
a gentle tone said: Look ere, guv'-
nor, you don't want to be ard on n
pore working man. You say you want
to buy the thing. Well, amt so fond
of it. 1 don't mind selling it, but 1
couldn't let it go for five pounds"
How much do you want?"
Say undred pounds"
l laughed: Now, my man. I'm
afraid you've given yourself away.
Tell me why this figures worth
hundred pounds. Otherwise, off we
go to the police station
There was a struggle in the mans
mind. He probably thought OF bolt
ing, for he moved toward the road, but
1 stepped on the other side of him.
Then he must have decided to trust
me, for in a gloomy tone he murmured:
You're a gentleman" At last. with
fine frankness, he said: III tell you
all about it. But 1 can't do it ere.
Someone might come along. III show
you something. Let's go up that
street" He nodded toward Inverness
he
something" I followed him in silence
until we reached an empty house. We
were fortunate; the front garden was
separated from the road by tall shrubs.
Behind some of these We established
ourselves. Again the sack was I'M
done. the CHASTITY beauty exposed. look
ing strangely human and surprised.
L got some swag in ere" said the
man. Fact is, a friend Of mine and
me, we cracked little crib tonight.
Do you know Charlie Viii, the barber?"
"Of course know Charleville." In
deed this was the name Of the most
fashionable hairdresser in London,
whose shop has stood at the corner Of
Bond Street for over half a century.
well. it's like this: Charlie Viii
amt only barber. He does a bit Of
business with the fashionable DANES
while he's doing their air: now and
then one of them gets into a bit Of
mess. cards, and champagne wine, all
that sort Of thing. You know he
went on with "A confidential smile.
so they get short and want to raise
a bit O. money on something. That
- -
seen coming out. ="
"Of a pawnbroker's I understand"
you see what I mean They takes
all sorts of stuff to Charlie Win, jewel
ry, gold plate, knick knacks what they
pinch in their own drawing-room, and
he lends them money on it. Oh, e's
fly customSr; cent per cent, that's
what he charges them"
Il follow. You and your friends
INDUCED in a little burglary at
Charleville's tonight But l don't
quite see why you took this young
lady away with you"
We'll. it's like this, guy nor. l ex-
pect you've 'ad no experience Of crib
cracking. If you 'ad. if you'd done a
stretch. same as I have. all along O.
being careless like. you'd know that
it don't do to go about London o
nights carrying a sack full Of money,
and things like that. You got to be
careful. So when we'd got all the
stuff together. my mate and I we
didn't quite know what to do; there
was jewelry, that's nothing; one can
put that in ones pocket. But there
- 3
boxes, silver sauce boats. combs all
over diamonds. 1t would have broken
my cart to leave it. So my mate,
e 'ad an idea. We got old of two
of these ere figures; the inside of the
stand is empty. So we shared out, and
we each put our half in a lay figure.
Then we put EN- into the sacks which
we'd brought with us, because you
never know, and off we goes. each our
own way. Like that. when that cop
started asking questions, e didn't
tumble to it." He pointed to the
ground And there's my ah. II
you say the word, you can ave it for
'undred pounds"
1t was very tempting to arrest the
man forthwith; no doubt, by this
means, all the property would be re-
covered, since the other man could
be found. But l felt curious; after all,
knew many ladies who had their hair
done by Charleville; some were hard
up; one of them had recently received
from me few valuable little presents
which it would be. amusing to iden-
tify. So 1 said NO, I'm going to
I, ~ i
doing a little business with you; if l
think the stuffs worth it, I'll give you
a hundred pounds; | can't get caught,
so l don't mind" He twinkled, recogI
nizing a fellow crook. dragged at the
canvas that was roughly nailed to the
bottom of the figure, pulled it off,
thrust his hand in. A look Of perplex-
ity came over his face. He fumbled
in the recess, took up the figure, shook
it; then, his mouth fallen open, he
turned to me and said: There amt
nothing in it,
For moment the air was filed with
the thin sound of his misery When,
however, he had said about a dozen
times that he didn't know how it could
have happened, decided to be a little
rougher with him.
Look here. my man" I said.
You've tried to play dirty trick on
me. You've tried to get a hundred
pounds out of me by making me be-
lieve that in this figure there was a
lot of valuable stuff, and ="
But there was"