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Show A CLEVER PICKPOCKET. tie V Bnsxlaa and Alarmed and Sar prised a Grand Duke. Ono Say, at the dinner tablo of a grand duke, tho French embassador extolled ex-tolled the dexterity of his fellow countrymen, coun-trymen, as exemplified, among other things, iu the cleverness of tho Parii pickpockets. "I should not wonder if the St. Po-iersburg Po-iersburg pickpockets could give them a etart, replied the grand duke. And eeing an incredulous smile play around the features of the embassador he added, "Will you bet that, before we rise from the tablo your "watch or some other valuable will not be taken from your person?" The embassador accepted th wager tor the fun of tho thing, aud tho grand duke telephoned to the chief constable askiDg hira to send at once the cleverest pickpocket he could lay his hands on,. The latter was to receive the full value 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 to wait at table along with the other servants. The grand duke told him to give him a sign as soon as he had accomplished tho trick. But he had to wait a long time, for the embas- ; fsador, whose watch was tho article fcc bo experimented upon, always kept on J the alert, and even held his hand to his j fob when conversing with tho most distinguished dis-tinguished guests at the table. At lael the grand duke received the preconcerted preconcert-ed signal. He at once requested the embassador em-bassador to tell him the time. The latter lat-ter triumphantly put his hand to hia pocket and drew forth a potato, instead of his watch! There was a general burst cf laughter, in which the embassador himself joined, though with awry face, for he was tmmistakably annoyed. To conceal his feelings he would take a pinch cf enuff his snuffbox was gonel Then he missed tho seal ring from his finger, and lastly the gold toothpick which he always carried about with hira In a little case. Amid tho hilarity of the guests the sham lackey was requested request-ed to restore tho articles, but the grand i duke's merriment was changed" into alarm aud surprise when the thief produced pro-duced two watches, two rings, two snuffboxes, snuff-boxes, fctc. His imperial highness made the discovery that he himself had been jobbed at the same time. Neue Blatt. |