Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 186, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 August 1913 — Sprightly Bold Thief Dares Her to Chase Him [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Sprightly Bold Thief Dares Her to Chase Him

RIVERHEAD, L. I.—The meanest thief in the world is at large somewhere on Long Island. One day recently he looked into the fruit store of Samuel Gordpn, on Main street in Patchogue. Nothing much is ever doing in Patchogue and this was a particularly dull day. Nobody was visible in the store. But subsequent developments indicate that this pesky marauder made a careful reconnoissanCe nevertheless. He entered in a bold and sprightly manner and, without hesitation or haste, opened the cash drawer and jauntily inspected its contents. He did not seem in the least surprised when a head appeared above the top of a big screen in the rear of the store and a startled feminine voice gasped: “Well, of all things!” In fact, he merely looked up and grinned and calmly proceeded to transfer all the cash in the drawer to his pockets. But presently the same feminine voice, proceeding from the aforesaid visage above the screen, shrieked: “Help! Police!” Even this did not seem to disturb him. And when it was followed by “Stop, thief!” as he reached the door, he merely turned

about, made a low bow and said, with a broader grin: “I dare you to chass me.” As the reader may have surmised, it was Mrs. Gordon behind the screen. What he probably has not surmised Is that she was in the act of taking a bath. Somewhat unconventional, to be sure, but Patchogue Is Patchogue, also beautifully primitive and simpla “I thought,” said Mrs. Gordon afterward, “of wrapping myself in two Turkish towels, but I couldn’t find any pins. And there he was, emptying the money drawer. And there I was. It was only $8 he got, hut, dear me, it would have been the same if it had been SBOO. Indeed, I wouldn’t have run out to catch him If it had been $8,000,000.”