The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7855, 22 June 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

JtOLfiJS" DJCIfIENT,

■BSnorkev as deseribed by Mr ArthBltWrisoii in the l*all Mall Maga**>i a very interesting talc of Kffi&pcriences as a'burglar. At the Mttfea lie is tntervtßwed he is anxious provided with means to pay a Hgutfiday excursion to the country, so Bpifo ba oat ef tbo tray when two HBfc bla former "pals" get * b * ir dis " HpgKrge from gaolHjg> •• • Ginger Bates 'H be out in a fip&y or two, an' Joe Kelly, too— BJP* Ginger Bates ami JK>» Kelly had igsmerteocwl the misfortune, soma fiffinonths mora than two years back, |jpc» be rentence* to three years' penBgttl- servitude. By the ordinary operaHraijbn of tiia prison system, with pru- ' HBBimTii and good luck, they must soon ; Mjjjjiel released. I j BSfc' 1 ; >«afa this, then ?' 1 said. 'You ■pjeyen't been Barking, have you ? ' ■affiv Mb ? Vankin' * ' Snorkcy glarBBaw' indignantly ; and, in/fact, tho sin ffira&.the informer was cole transof which I could never realHs|g?,hav6 suspected kin . 'No, I ain't HJgtrin nark in'. I ain't bin narkin', but BJBHJWoa't want to'Soa Ginger Bates an' R&afo* Kelly when' they Come out—not BgSjbth of "them together, aay'otr. Aft> Blff'a week or twe they split out ESg&K&r other things, an' it won't matMpfter, so much; but when they fugt flpjcpme out they'll be together, an' tho Bant thing they'll do, they'll ask aifBBpfir me. I don't want to be at 'ome

I par Elates an-' Joe Kelly 'ad air eye on a nice place in the / for a bust," Snorkey promeaning thereby that his two had in view abkirglary at a f house." 'lt wis a nice med>rh o/ place, not toe big, but orth dote', a*" they'got' me down an* take the measure of a: few days; -them not'wanton' w tfeeirselviiE in the ncighbouro' course. So thqy gives me A for exes, an' a few odd giass in a'glazier's frame i lump o" putty an' a knife on I humps the let and starts, irse, I' was to take my whack they'd done the job. ■ Kotbih' than the glazier caper. If you the rule over a likely Buyin' bottles an'., bones does well sometimes, bot you don't e same chances. It was very wo hours' run out on the rutin', then a four-mile walk ; very weather, and' I put in a day o dota' it easy in the sun.' I was a fust-rate place—auite I had a goodMook at it julsida the garden wall, an* I a few questions at the pub an' not. After, that I went in by ick way - an" I had luck rtpht for I see a pantry winder So I had a good look round an* then I went along, very ! «n8 civil to everybody, an' lie Job to mend that winder, [fey let sic do the Kinder— me i] to do H cheap—an so I seta « steady enougS, with a slavrmn' to pipe me round the corwy now an' then, to see as I - pinch- nothtak; Ah' o' course, n't. I behaved most Wdustrin' honest, an' you might ha' a picture of me, facsimiliar, to front of a bloomin' tract, an* it Credit, too. But while the ' was a-pipin' me I was a-pjp-o pantry—what ho f I was athe pantry—wif.l my little and there was mare bloomin' for if ever I see * wedge-kip in r nacfiTral pnff, I see one fine arge under the shetf in that to' pantry ! The hick I ' a d all jfc that job was jist 'eavenly.' eavenly might not have been ppropriate word in the strictly view, but since by the wedgtfinerkey indicated the plate-bas-f tho unsuspecting householder, erstood him wcl enough. It was jist 'eavenly. I never uch luck before nor since. So I id the job very slow, an' took)

iljey tet me do the winder—me nl to do H cheap-Han so I seta ore steady enongtf, with a slavimfaT to pipe me round the corvejy now an' then, to see as I t~ pinch nothtak; Ah' o* course, (n't. I bebayed mgjt rrfdustriin' honest, an' you might ha' a picture of me, faCsimiliar, to i front of a bloomin' tract, an* it credit, too. But while the y was a-pipin' mo I was a-pfip-fio pantry—what ho f I was a- ' die pantry—wit,! my little and there was more bloomin' r for if ever I see * wedge-kip m iy naeptTral pnff, I see one fine large under the shelf in that wn' panto*! The hick I ' a d all igfc that job was jist, 'eavenly.' leavenly might not have been ippropriate word in ttoe strictly I vfew, but Mnce by the wedgtfSnorkey indicated the plate-bas-rf the unsuspecting householder, lerstood him wcl enough. It was jist 'eavenly. I never iuch luck before nor since. So I ed the job very slow, an' took) money very 'umble, an' a glass *r as they sent out for me, an' :ed away to the village an' serit \ little sereeve by the post, for Br ana Joo to como along toer night an' do the job pcacen' pleasant. You see the new ' I put in 'ud peel out on yer r. and" H only meant taking* the pane an' openin' the catch tn te Jpb." Well, I put up cheap at the lest pub, an' in the mormn'' E out 'or a walk. Beln* a glazTt see, 'twouldn't V done for tot to go on the (ramp like as if is after a job,. So off X .went I the road, a«' it was about the at rtroll ever I took. It was a lay, without any estrys, but you t know what a lot day's like till i tramped ia,it with the sun on back an' two oe three thlckness- ' winder-glass for it to shine ugh. I took the lonliest rotul o' the the village, not wantiri' b called on for another job, an* wantfn' to be seen mtore'n I I 'elp.' " o next stage of Snorkey's story, ffh hilly and picturesquely told Hr Morrison, must be disposed i a few sentences-' After a long ip, Sqorkcy camo to a lonely inn «■ trevdjjng' .house}...vn»i—one of cabins mounted an. wheels . which used nowadays in England by >ns who wish ito go touring out putting up at inns en route. lourfst en thi* occasion was U ii BE eccentric gentleman, driven by an old K>. -.. man, totally deaf. After the van had Br; passed the inn, Hnorkey followed it |? up, and, to his surprise; Came iipoij, ffig, the tousist, at a lonely spot, stark KV qaked.. The tourist had got down to W£ take a Math \a a portable bath, ||r c which he carried: on {We van. While |fr he was" CB|ojing himself, the deaf s|s_ driber" had driven on absent-mindcdS-g). Iy with the tourists clothes. jSf An arrangement was come to by which Snorkey should lend the tourist & ( his coat, run after the house Van, fc *top it, and iliako it return. Snor- !?£,< 'Jwy. almost breathless with a long||j; .distaMtt trot, caught up the van, fr.' an d jumped into it by the •• back " jjf>:--.«ooc. Once within, temptation prov0h . lo ° ma<A for "«"• H « possessed mX himself of the. tourist's best clothes, «| ■ abto Iris watch, chain, cash, and a |gf■■; handy kit-bag. Dropping out of the S. van, he found a retired spot off the | :. ' lane, put on the tourist's suit, hung jjft; hto. own on Ibe hedge, and waited a '&,•■' Sooa whHe till he saw the tourist |-:;-. come lamely along, with bare feet, #' «>™ from walking. Snorkey felljJs*V-: sure that the tourist, on seeing; the gfc garments on the hedge, would make S(, as he had by this time completed f|? Ws own toilet, amH made himself ?!tu took like a swell, he departed. K{; r: " I gulett oS as soon as I could to gi : , *he place where I put hi the pantry i£- .winder, an' I took the winder out gji again, just after dusH, and did tho |« show for all the wedge in the kipsy t-W : . —BPOo-nd an 3 forks in my pockets, !,i-; an' the rest in the kit-bag. That ?|> was my new idea, you sec. Then I & come through the shrubbery and out |V:,>«rf tno front way. an' at the gate'l ?;y - snet the very slavey aswaspipin' &; / Me while I put in tte pawtrr winder!. ||;'; She looked pretty 'ard, so I uuts j|s> on a voice like a niarkis, an' 'Good V * evenin' ! ' I.says; very snlnj- anj const ■erscendir/ as I weift past, and she p } :■; ;.says 'Oooi evenin', sir,' an' lets me b »o. Oh, *T can do it sossj-, I to,l g,> ye, when I've got 'em on ! ST- ' " I went all, on* for the station,, ip-" an' Aught a train snug. I sec Oini: ger Bates an* Joe Kelly comin' off &■'.•:" .** tn * in ns I got there r but T £;c» dodged 'em afl rtght, an* did the |Jj2: wedge inne3»tday for thirty quid un' r";. * w cnty-fiv» b«b for the photo-camera i« —ought -to V bin more. On' so I a t polled off a merry UCtie double *• event. I neber 'aid sicV a 'day's luck «» I "aS that day. all tHreugK. It |h .waa 'eavenly !" fW '' And it that all you know of the affair ? ■■ I asked. $■ "All thai's to do wrth me," re- £; plied the unbUshing Snorkey. "But g. ' ihq toff with the van, 'is troubles hfi iWßsa't over. *E was in the paper* K ' pest 'day-locked up for 'ousebreak-

rat '0 the plate-basket soon after I'd .o.itf, an lue slavey that piped me ;oin' out gave a description o' me n the noddy tweed suit, an, somelody remembered seeing such a bloke ;o past in a ca'rryvan. It made a tatchin' novelty for the 'a'peny papeirs—'Gentleman Burglar in a Trarelling Van,' especially when he was tojjnd disguised as a glazier In mv old clothes, an' 'is frame o' glass discovered concealed in a ditch. That, did pretty plain for him, jyoii see, 'E'd turned up first like a glazier, and rcconnoitered, an' then 'e'd come dossed up to clear out' ? the stuff. rlain enough. It was quite a catch for a bit, but it didn't last—the rozzers 'ad to let 'inn go. But they did not let Ginger Bates and Joe Kelly go, though—not them. Them two unfort'nit spee'lators prowled about looking for me for some time, an' about twelve o'c.ock at night they sailed in to do the job without me. Well, yer see, by then it was a bit late for that place. The people was up all night, listenin' for burglars everywhere, an" there was two policemen there on watch as well. So Ginger Bates and Joe Kelly was collared holusbolus, an' thereby prevented raisin' unproper claims to stand in with what I'd scraped up myself. An' now they've bin wearin' knickbockcrs theirselves for -more'n two years, an' as soon as they've done their time—well, there's no iknowin' but what they may make it a matter o' professional jealously. What O-o-o-o ! "