I worked as a
plumber's man for a couple of months and I made diagrams."
"But don't the police get to know you?"
"Yes--they know me. But I skip out when I've done a job. And when I
come back it's in disguise. Once I grew a beard and worked in the
glass works all day and did my jobs at night; and again I lived here
as a woman."
"A woman!" gasped the boy.
"You see," said the other with a laugh, "there's more ways than one to
prove your fitness." And he went on, narrating some of his adventures-
-adventures calculated to throw the glamour of romance about the trade
of burglar. Samuel listened breathless with wonder.
"We'd better get a bit of sleep now," said Charlie later on. "We'll
start about one." And he stretched himself out on the bed, while the
other sat motionless in the chair, pondering hard over his problem.
There was no sleeping for Samuel that night.
He would carry out his bargain--that was his decision. But he would
not take his share of the plunder, except just enough to pay Mrs.
Stedman. And he would never be a burglar again!
At one o'clock he awakened his companion, and they set out through the
deserted streets. They crossed the bridge to the residential part of
town; and then, at a corner, Charlie stopped. "There's the place," he
said, pointing to a large house set back within a garden.
They gazed about. The coast was clear; and they darted into the door
which had been indicated in the diagram.
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