The Intrusion of Jimmy

had woven itself into an incoherent waking dream of his; and for a moment, as the mists of sleep passed away from his brain, he fancied that h

med to be taking the room step by step. As Jimmy sat up noiselessly and gripped the arms of the chair in readiness for a

graphy was clearly stamped on his mind's eye. He knew almost to a foot where his visitor was standing. Consequently, when, rising swiftly from the chair, he made a football dive

here was a yelp of dismay, and a crash. The lantern bounced away across the room, and wrec

. The burglar was a small man, and had been taken very much by surprise, and any fight there might have been i

r by inches to the door, felt up the wall

nder this wealth of crimson was a not unpleasing face. It was not handsome, certainly; but there were suggestions of a latent good-humor. The nose had been broken at one period of its career, and one of the ears was undeniably of the cauliflower type; but these are little accidents which may happen to any high-spirited

a bulge in one of the pockets. Diagnosing this bulge correc

he said,

ations were proved perfectly correct. Now that he had abstracted his visitor's gun, he had no wish to do anything but engage him in conversation. A burglar's life was something so ent

t up, and rubbed the ba

t'ought some guy had t'

e," said Jimmy. "Sorr

a mat for that

s eye caught sight of the revolver, which Jimmy had p

!" he said, bet

, and unclasped it. Six

d. "Sit down and le

, boss," said th

"I'm not going to call the police.

an st

grievance. I wish, though, if you haven't any import

ther's face. There was something singul

o call de cops, I'll talk ti

mmy, "is dry work. Are you

Me? On your

t whiskey in that decanter. Help

tented sigh, showed that the statemen

" asked

," assented

a ha

the marauder jovially,

rossed

o secrets between us. What's your name

naker, boss. Spik

living at this

so wo

you get

ullins

't de win

hadn'

' bust

the fello

y-acetylene blow-p

of drinking. He lower

dat?"

cetylene

Spike, blankly.

nner grew

ou mak

p, b

an, I'm afraid you have missed your vocation. You have no business t

heard tales of masters of his craft who made use of fearsome implements such as Jimmy had mentioned; burglars who had an airy acquaintanceship, bordering on insolent familiarity, with the mar

," sai

uh

gh knowledge of ch

ur way

xico

rch

ity and mi

t's de finish. I

ok his he

. "It's not in your line. B

led his gla

ly, "am thinking of break

t. "I t'ought youse was in de game, boss. Sure, you're

nt child, "how you would set about burgling one of those up-town villas. My own

dder

reat town, London, full of opportunities for the fine worker. Did y

ispered Spike.

y la

he said, self-consciously. "Perhaps, you heard nothing o

sda

f dust from his coat sleeve, "was discovere

only sound that broke the silence. Through th

the humblest sides of the profession. Now, tell me, supposing you we

te like dis or when de folks is in a

int, patronizing

what woul

isn't dere a window open somewh

there

irst attempts at original poetry to an established critic. What would this master cracksman, this polished wielder

ou get into

hung h

me jemmy," he whis

catch with

y I ever learned

emed to be thinking. The oth

it, boss?" he ventur

E

ld youse

ether your way might not do in a case like that. It's

right?" queried the

, frowning thoughtfully; "it w

stonishment. That his methods should

d-as who would say