Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1938-01-28
CHAPTER ONE

highly respected Consul Traer.
CHAPTER ONE
Ny little electrical gimlet works
noiselessly. 1t is wonderful to be a
burglar in these times when the new
est devices can be obtained so easily.
The buzzing of a bee would be more
liable to awake the sleeper than my
super-silent electrical borer and light
ning-quick file. My tools are patent
ed by-well, they must be burglars
friends!
Ssh f.. ssh ssh
Ny hand trembles Bit am a
trifle nervous. Confound it! Still one
must be excited or one gets no thrill
out of the whole thing.
Heat by electricity, cook by cleo
tricity -burglarize by electricity,
in these wonderful modern times.
There is always an electrical socket in
a house and it takes only second to
make the connections.
Wait a scond, there have done
it. 1 open the door softly. What per-
feet servants! In any other house the
doors would creak and disturb the
sleepers, but here in Consul Traer's
home there is no lack of oil or money.
/ am inside the room, moving like a
ghost. The moisture of Asia cllngs
to these rugs-the sun of Smyrna and
Beirut has smiled upon them. They
are worth taking, but I must not stoop
to- thieving such things. Also I must
not philosophize at night.
What is that? I almost broke my
head. Damn this darkness! Oh, that
must have been the bookcase. My poor
head. turn on my flashlight and its
small but brilliant beam fits about
the room, like a milk-white weasel
darting here and there in the night.
How the little Illuminated patches flut
ter! There over carved chair, then
a chest, here buffet crowded with
crystal which gives back thousand
CLEANS, there a patch of light on
table set as for supper; wineglass
which gives out deep Burgundy
glow. Lazy servants! Why does the
Consul allow such neglect? Surely
some of his retinue of servants could
clear the table. But stop-now l re-
member that the Consul does not al
low any of his servants to remain over
night in his house. A harmless whim,
but perhaps there is deep reason
behind this seemingly simple desire.
My little patch of light springs
about like CHASTITY spy in the night.
There behind the green portieres is
the study of the Consul and in there
is the one with the heavy paunch-ike
stomach-the one who appeared in my
dreams of last night and haughtily
beat a tum-de-dum-dum on his big
iron body-yes, I'd been dreaming and
otherwise thinking of the ConsuPs
safe. Now pause for an instant and
consider =.
My good friend, do not make a mis-
take, better men than you have been
bested. A small bit of dynamite a
gainst your stomach and boom Oh,
yes, you will be blown to pieces and
your money-lusting soul will leave
your body protesting loudly.
Now 1 am past the portieres. But
what the devil is that? The entrance
to the study is locked! Yesterday
when l made my tour of inspection,
the door was unlocked.
Well, my dear Consul, that will not
help you much.
Ha, ha, here is an electrical socket.
The good consul makes it very easy
for burglar. What more could one
ask than to find a socket right by
the door?
Right away a little work for my
electrical bee.
Zzz Zzz ZZzZ.
Oh, these lazy locksmiths with theil
inefficient methods! They make bur
glary child's play. Only half min
ute and the whole lock is rendered use
less.
But now, be careful Even though
know that the Consul does not have
any burglar alarms in his study,
must work cautiously. He has too
much trust in this safe-this MAI
with the armor paunch-to bottle
with burglar alarms. Guaranteed MAJ
ufacture fire and burglar proof
Prizes at the international Police Elk
hibition in Berlin, homage from an ad
miring public. Yea, in Abraham
bosom there is no better guarantee
of safety than in the lap of this iror
man