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Show imninn.WEOBEgaca ni,iin,iiimnj u.;k'..3 accauw&jmjeJEa A CteVER PICKPOCKET. fA Was n Russian and Alarmed and So prised a Grand Duke. Ono 3ay, at the dinner table of o grand duke, tho French embassador extolled ex-tolled the dexterity of his fellow countrymen, coun-trymen, as exemplified, among othe things, in the cleverness of tho Paria piokpockets. "I should not wonder if the St Pe-fiersbnrg Pe-fiersbnrg pickpockets could givo them & start," replied the grand duke. And seeing an incredulous smile play around the features of the embassador ho added, "Will you bet that, before wo rise from tho table your watch or some other valuable will not bo taken from youi person?" The embassador accepted tho wage lor the fun of the thing, and the grand duke telephoned to the chief constable asking him to send at once the cioveresl piokpocket ho could lay his hands on. The latter was to receive the full valus of every article he managed to "annex' and be allowed to go unpunished. The man came and was put into livery liv-ery and told twwait at table along with tho other servants. Tho grand duke told him to give him a sign as soon as he had accomplished tho trick. But bt had to wait a long time, for the embas-lador, embas-lador, whose watch was the artiolo tc bo experimented upon, always kept on the alert, and even held his hand to his fob when conversing with tho most distinguished dis-tinguished guests at tho table. At last tho grand duke received the preconcerted preconcert-ed signal. Ho at once requested tho embassador em-bassador to tell him tho time. The latter lat-ter triumphantly put his hand to hi pocket and drew forth a potato, instead of his watch! Thero was a general burst of laughter, in which tho embassador himself joined, though with a wry face, for he was unmistakably annoyed. To conceal his feolings he would take a pinoh of snuff his snuffbox was gone) Then ho missed the seal ring from hii finger, and lastly tho golfl toothpick Which he always carried about with him in a little case. Amid the hilarity of die guests the sham laokey was requested request-ed to restore the articles, but the grand duke's merriment was changed into alarm and surprise when the thief produced pro-duced two watches, two rings, two snuffboxes, snuff-boxes, etc His imperial highness made tho discovory that he himself had been pobbed a the same time. Neue Blatt |