Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 223, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 September 1914 — FRIEND IN THE DARK [ARTICLE]

FRIEND IN THE DARK

By F. J. CLARK.

(Copyright. J I’d been waiting to see the notice a whole year, and when I saw It one Thursday afternoon, you can just bet It made me whistle some. And the Joke was, I'd not as much as two dollars to my name, and it felt Just the same as If I'd stumbled on a gqld mine. I tore a generous slab out of the paper, being careful to allow a good margin around the notice, put it carefully away in my pocket, and hiked over to my friend and adviser, Jim, th 4 Turk. He was asleep, after being out all night, and I'd quite a time to awake him. ‘‘Read this!" I said, thrusting the piece of paper in hiss hand. “I'm going to blow' his coop tonight, and I want you to come along." "Who is he?" he asked after he had read it. "Don’t know him." "Why, that’s White, the banker,” I said. "He's worth half a million. He lives over in Jersey and has a regular Solomon's temple of a home. That states he and his family are going to attend a swell wedding in this old burg tonight, which means that he’ll not be at home and that we’ll imake a clean-up.” He shook his head. "Sorry, but I can’t go along with •you, Spotty, my boy,” he said. “Got a. very important engagement on hand for this evening, and I can’t turn It idown. But don’t allow that to interfere with you. That’s a chance you don’t want to let slip by. But you want to be mighty careful. You know them suburb jobs ain’t as easy as they always look. "For my part, I prefer those at hom^.” There was a train left the city at 12 m., an ideal time, and I boarded it. I arrived in the Jersey town at 1:30 a. m. I knew’ just where the house was located, for one afternoon, several months before, I had taken a survey about to be in possession of the facts, when the time arrived to do the trick.

Well, in three-quarters of an hour I’d the place gone over from top to bottom. I’m a' quick worker, and I worked my best. And I’d made quite a haul. Ijd a big bag chock full of solid silverware, and besides I’d about fifty dollars’ worth of jewelry—rings, bracelets, cuff-buttons, and breastpins I’d run across upstairs in the different sleeping rooms. I chucked the bag of silver over my shoulder when it occurred to me I wanted a drink. I laid It on the floor, and went back into the dining room, where I remembered having seen a flask of whisky while I was helping myself to the silver, and a box of cigars on the buffet. I picked u!p both of them and returned to where I’d been, which room happened to be the library. I lowered myself into a big, comfortable Morris chair, poured out a good sized drink of the and gulped it. Then I lit a cigar. Of course, I was all smiles. Two hundred would put me in clover for the coming montp, at least. And I was in a position to enjoy the clover. I took another drink, putted several times more on my cigar, and told myself I'd tarried around about long enough. As a farew-ell drink, I poured out another one, and was about to raise It to my lips when a soft sound behind me broke the quietness of the room. I shot around, and foupd myself in the line of the shining barrel of a big revolver. It was backed by a tall, smooth-faced, grinning individual. He was framed in the doorway leading into the hall. “How do!’’ he greeted pleasantly. He'd knocked the speech clean out of me so that I didn't find it for a minute or so. "Well, I guess you’ve got me, all right,” I said. t “Yes. Looks very much that way,” he smiled. “But just for safe keeping, put that bad looking pop you have there in your hand on the table. I’ll feel easier, besides I like to have such things where I can easily see them, and you might be tempted to use it if you got the least chance.” I didn’t do his bidding right off, for, when I gave up my pop, I might as well tie my hands for him. But when he commanded me again, and made it very plain by the way he said it that he meant what he said, I threw it on the table. I “Now, empty out your pockets,” he ordered, “and be careful not to leave anything behind.” I did without saying a word. “Is that all?” he questioned, frowning. “Here's my pockets,” I invtyed. “Go through them, if you think I have more.” He chuckled again. —\ “It seems so small, though. ' I’d think they’d have more jewelry about. They’re well-to-do people, you know. But, then, I suppose, they wore the good stuff to the wedding. I’d forgot But sit down. Drink up. And jußt pour me out one. Yoh don’t mind ■my drinking with you?” "Not at all,” I said. “There’s plenty of it here, and you've got as much right to it as I have.” He gulped the stuff and smacked his lips. ‘The rich chaps have the good goods *ll right,” he smiled. “Now, Jpst pass ne a cigar. We might as well have a

smoke together, too. No telling when we'll meet-agaln. “I hope It will be under different circumstances,” I said. He smiled thoughtfully. "They could be worse.” He stud* led the end of his cigar. “It strikes me, my friend, you're somewhat green at yqur business," he observed as he blew out the first puff of, smdke. ‘Tm Inclined to believe an old hand would not have stopped to enjoy himself as you did, but would have made to safer grounds, Just as soon as he got everything available.” "You’re right,” I agreed. “I surely am a greenie at the game. And now I'm satisfied I’m a rank failure at the business. I’ve proved it by my foolish conduct this very night.” He knocked the ashes off his cigar and looked over sit me. “Did you ever stop and think what kind of work you’re engaged in?” he questioned seriously. “Really, did you ever stop and think?” "No, 1 guess I never did,” I answered.

"I thought so, my friend. Well, you want to stop and you want to think, and think hard, too. ft may be a good thing lor you. You may come to realize you’re in the most dangerous business in the whole world, and the due that pays you least, when you come to consider all things. You’re going about with your life in your hands, and on every job you; tackle you’re inviting a bull, a regulaf,' or a watchman to try his aim at you. And besides, state’s prison is staring you in the face. Take tonight, for instance, couldn’t I have plugged you full of lead just as well as not, and done so before you’d have time to say Ijoo? Just as easily as rolling off a log. Ana let me tell you right now, there’s a good many, if they’d been in my place, would have done so, too. They’d not have taken any chances. They wouTdn’t have given you a show to pull first. But somehow I felt you w’ere different. I sized you up quitfr a while before I spoke. 1 felt you wouldn’t kill a man unless you had to.” "I wouldn’t kill under any circumstances,” I said. “I’d submit to capture every time first.” And then I began the story I’d been waiting from the first to get going, that raised good, fell-through-Bomebody-else’s-fault and forced to turn burglar because of no open legitimate paths, that mother-at-home game, and the promise to turn-over-and-do-better, if let go, all of it, just the hash we have stowed away in our noddles to pull for sympathy on such- occasions.

When I’d finished he faintly smiled and slowly puffed on his cigar. “And your mother's living?” he asked. “Yes, sir, and belongs to a very prominent family in Boston.” He turned around and looked straight across at me. “Have people been in the habit of using you kindly?” he asked. “Have they been using you as you’d like to be u^ed?” I shrugged my shoulders and smiled. “It’s been so long since a kind act fell my way that I've forgotten all about it,” I said. “The rough part of the world has always been mine and always will be, I suppose.” “For the most part you may deserve it,” he said. “You may not be the kindliest on earth yourself. One thing sure, you cannot expect to find kindness and encouragement when you follow what you’re at how\ But suppose now, I should do you a kind turn, would you benefit by it? For instance, all I’ve got to do is to take up that transmitter over there on the table and call in the police and have you dragged off to jail. But suppose I don’t do it, but instead let you go, would you call that a kind act? You asked me a little while ago who I am. I said I might be the chief of police. Well, I’m not, and it strikes me, if you’d done a little thinking of your own, you’d have come to the conclusion that Mr. White wouldn’t go away and leave such a beautiful home after him as this without somebody hn guard. You wouldn’t yourself. And he didn’t. He left me here, an I’m a plain, everyday watchman. And now I’m going to let you gg>. So now, we’ll have another drink together, and then make yourself scarce! You can’t tell what might happen.” Of course, I was delighted to get away, and I told myself I’d pay him back if I had tp wait till I was dying and remember him in my will. It was daylight when I got into the city. And being yet broke, the two dollars that Jim the Turk, had loaned me going for car fare, I went up to Rosenbaum’s, the pawnbroker, to make a borrow. He had loaned me some, and I was ovef in a corner of the store, reading the paper. The door opened and a tall, smooth-faced man stepped in. In his hand he carried a goodsized grip. Rosenbaum greeted him and took the satchel. "‘l’ll be back in half an hour or so and collect,” he said, turning toward the door. "Who is that guy?” I asked Rosenbaum as he went out “Him!” smiled Rosenbaum. "Don’t you know ? Why, he’s Red Andy, the slickest bureau-tapper that Chicago ever turned out. He blew in here a couple of months ago. He made a good haul somewhere last night, too. Just lode.” I leaned over the counter and looked into the open grip. It was choking with the silverware I’d collected at Mr. White's home. Then the counter came up and hit me In the forehead, at least I thought It did, but it was really me takln’ a tumble when I realized I’d fell for his phony guff and let him make the clean getaway.