d so dumbfounded both at once. Old Groppeltacker he just
leaned back and he laughed. 'You came in,' he said to the cop,'jest the
second I rang, and as soft as a cat, and the first thing that I want
you to do is to take that gold mouse out of his pocket, and I'll be on
hand whenever you let me know I'm wanted.' The cop he took the gold
mouse out of my pocket, and says he, 'I know this fellow, and if I'm not
mistook, they'll be more charges than yourn made ag'in him.' There
wasn't no chance to show fight, so I didn't do it, but I says to old
Groppeltacker, 'There's my expenses, you've got to pay them,
anyway.'--'All right,' says he, 'jist you send in your bill marked
correct, by my daughter, and I'll settle it,' and he laughed again, and
the cop he took me off. Well, ladies and gents, that little piece of
business, together with some other old scores, took me to Sing Sing for
three years, and it tain't six months since I got out, so you can see
for yourselves what hard times a fellow in my line of business sometimes
has."

"Well," said Aunt Martha, "I don't approve of the Groppeltacker sort of
people, but if there were more of that kind I believe there would be
fewer of your kind. That story shows you in such a bad light that I
believe it's true."

"Every word of it," said the man. "I wish it wasn't."

And now I spoke. "Since you claim to be a truth-telling being," I said
to the stout burglar, "suppose you tell me why you never attempted
before to break into my house. Every considerable dwelling in this
neighbourhood has been entered, and I have no doubt you are the men who
committed all the burglaries."

"No, sir," said he; "not men, I am the man who did 'em all; but these
two friends of mine was never with me before in a bit of business like
this. 'Tain't in their line. I have had pals with me, but they was
professionals. These ain't cracksmen, they don't know nothin' about it;
but this one is handy at tools, and that's the reason I brung him along,
but you see he kicked, and was goin' to give me away, and this young
gentleman"--

"Never mind about that young gentleman," I said; "I have a certain
curiosity to know why my house was not entered when the others were."

"Well," said he, "I don't mind tellin' yer how that was. It was on
account of your baby. We don't like to crack a house where there's a
pretty small baby that's liable to wake up and howl any minute, and
rouse up the rest of the family. There's no wor