The Intrusion of Jimmy

gh not the most magnificent, is the pleasantest club in New York. Its ideals are comfort without pomp; and it is given over after eleven o'clock

s than they might have done in real life. In the play that had opened to-night, Arthur Mifflin, an exemplary young man off the stage, had been warmly applauded for a series of actions which, performed anywhere except in the theater, would certainly have debarred him from remaining a member of the Strollers' or any other club. In fa

ght," said somebod

w years ago, they would have been scared to death of putting on a show with a crook as hero. Now, it seems t

e of Cyrus K. Higgs, a Chicago millionaire, was slowly fadi

the wrongs of the ill-fated "Belle," general conversation would become impossible

show," said Raikes. Eve

he come back? I thou

ania, I suppose. She

g has he been away? Last I saw of him was at the opening of

believe," said Raikes. "Lucky begg

ed the ash o

an except a professional 'plute' has any right to. He's as strong as an ox. I shouldn't say he'd

arried three times, sp

chap, Jimmy,"

him. He hasn't got my brilliance of intellect; but he has some wonderfully fine qualities. For one thing

ad soured, "what's there in that? It's mighty easy to do the

fellows just living on him. Not borrowing an occasional dollar, mind you, but living on him-sleeping on his sofa, and staying to breakfast. It made me mad. I used to ask him why he

ough to be an easy

ikes. "We don't want anyb

hat he came into that money. You can't keep open house for ever on thir

a pile, and left it to Mrs. Pitt or her children. She had been dead some time when that happened. Jimmy, of course, hadn't a notion of what was coming to him, when su

ugh every man there would have perished rather than admit it, they were grateful to Jimmy for being exactly the same to them now that he could sign a check for half a millio

, picking up any odd job he could get. He was a waiter once for a couple of days, but they fired him for breaking plates. Then, he got a job in a jeweler's shop. I believe he's a bit of an expert on jewels. And, another time, he made a hundred dollars by staying three rounds against Kid Brady when the Kid was touring the country after he got the championship away from Jimmy Garwin. The Kid was offering a

o keep on the move now

-

g, when the Odyssey of Jimmy Pitt was interrupted by the

, combined with a certain athletic jauntiness of carriage and a pair of piercing brown eyes very much like those of a bull-terrier, gave him an air of aggressiveness, which belie

e shouts

o, Ji

d you ge

own. Plenty of

wandering b

hat's your

d into a sea

ou at 'Love, the Cracksman'? I thought I saw you. Hullo

ust talking about you, Jimmy. You

the record this

ive look came i

hy they want to rip along at that pace," he went on, hurr

sea-air," mur

oked up

u babbling a

g," replied Mi

of the show tonight,

racksman. To judge by some of the plays they produce now, you'd think that a man had only to be a successful burg

ins. It takes brains to be a successful cracksman. Unless the gray m

is chair, and spoke ca

elligence," he said, "co

d began to gesticula

man, what

d Jimmy, light

d he had soaked himself in it. He had read up the literature of burglary. He had talked with men from Pinkerton's. He had expounded his views nightly to his brother Strollers, preaching the delicacy and difficulty of cracking a crib till his audience h

rthur Mifflin

I

break into an egg unle

ou bet?" s

rd "bet," when uttered in that room, had rarely failed to a

h you and tuck you in. A nice, strong cup of tea in the morning, an

t voices accused Arthur Mifflin of having a yellow st

said Jimmy. "And righ

ll yo

regarded h

ar needs is a mask, a blue chin, and a dark lantern. I tell you he requires a highly specialized education. I've been talking to th

ur

ity and mi

discovered

an oxy-acetyl

travel wi

out the administrati

hing. It is one of

u make

ou

d Mr. Miffl

ised his

"I leave the rough preliminary work to m

d Sutton. "He's at the top of his profession. That's how

flin, "couldn't crack

n't open a

ugged his

"Come on, Arthur; you're earning a

a canny person who believed in turning the wayside hap

ion was wel

of us are there? One, two, three, f

" interpolated

Jimmy. "Very well. H

th

ng do y

immy ought to be able to manage it at short notice. Why not tonight? Nice, fine ni

fect

ng to drown his sorrows all the evening, and t

"how's J-Jimmy going

an take his word

-what's to prevent him saying he'

omfortable. Nevertheless

y case," said Jimmy. "A dinner fr

sted with mud

of thing. Have thish thing square and

e to say it," said Jimmy, cordially.

And what I say is what's prevent him s

m going to bury a brass tube with the S

waved

," he said, with dignit

the front door. Then, anybody who likes can make inquiries next day

ts always make me as jumpy as a cat. If I don't wal

ur legs off, my lad, you're mistaken. I pro

lps," said Miffl

n. "He'll sand-bag you, and lift your watch as soon as