Show letty and the die burglar by 11 IRVING KING ih VA 1924 by klaC lurt newspaper her ber name was letitia lavin but she he was generally called letty which beamed a much lutich more appropriate name came tw ifor her she was at the age when young ladles ladies are apt to take up fads ada hers was psychology she took to analyzing her own mind wa and the minds of her friends fr lends but discovered nothing very startling commonplace mon place minds yield distressingly commonplace results what letty wanted she felt was a criminal to experiment upon to delve into the subconscious ego of a criminal she was sure would be productive of any number of thrills letty lived in one of the few remaining fig insular In of new york composed of brownstone houses occupied by brownstone bronstone people she had been bee spending the evening with her friend harriet brooks who aho lived only five doors away it was now halt half after ten and she was hurrying home five brownstone bronstone fronts make such a short distance to go that she and harriet were accustomed to pass between each others homes at all hours without thinking of or needing an escort just half way between her own home and the brooks house stood the jeffrey wilson house As letty approached it she saw to her astonishment a man emerge from the areaway and stand in the shadow of the high stoop now the jeffrey wilson house had been closed for five bears ears the family being in europe an aged couple old servants of the wilsons Wll Wil sons lived in the basement as caretakers once a week as letty knew this aged couple paid a visit to a married daughter in a the bronx and stayed overnight and this as culty also knew was their night away what could a man emerging from the areaway of this house at this time mean clearly a burglar his pausing in the shadow of the stoop confirmed it she might have been scared but every other emotion was swallowed up in the thought that here was treasure trove for her fad close upon him she ehe could not help slackening her pace a little and peering curiously into the face of the ae man standing in the shadow lettys desire to question him was betrayed by her countenance and tile the burglar as if in answer to the look and tilso also as it if a little annoyed at the r scrutiny stepped forward end and lifting his hat bat said well mademoiselle oil oh gasped letty 1 I dont mean to be inquisitive but are you a burglar why yes replied the man in evident surprise but how bow did you guess guo why I 1 saw you on coming coining out of the area said letty and I 1 am so interested te la in criminals criminal s psychology ol 01 agy ogy you know oh I 1 see mused the man 1 I see I 1 thought at first you had discovered my ile he broke off and seeing letty gazing with disapproval at the long blade black furl furll ned cont coat be wore said aid oh ob I 1 picked tills this up inside the rest of my mt costume Is I 1 trust more to your liking wheres your mask asked letty milder her breath she could not accept a burglar without a mask right here replied the man and taking a black mask from his pocket he be adjusted it to his face that better he be asked oh yes said letty just then a limousine stopped at the curb close to them so you would like to apply the tests of psychology to my criminal mind said the man at some future time my dear lady I 1 promise to give you an opportunity but just now here Is the in which I 1 must make my geta getaway getaw wity py 1 I ile he stepped into the machine ond and was gone what a fascinating burglar thought letty she felt she could have stood there and talked with him tor for hours it if it had bad been proper she wondered if she ghe would ever see gee him again if he be would kepp keep his promise e of giving her a chance to delve into 10 his criminal ego slie she hoped ile he would not doi consider con ilder it necessary necess nry to burgl burglarize arle her home in order to do it she wondered if the she ought to report the burglarizing of fit the wilson house to the police no fhe did not want to be mixed up with on en affair of that sort the caretakers would report tile the break when they returned and discovered it it she decided to 1 say nothing about her cpr adventure to anybody she thought of her burglar every day lin however wever andhor two weeks banned ia nned the papers to see it if there was wag ony anything thing about the house bur glara seeing nothing ahm concluded the alleo were working on oil the quiet at tin nd of ano two weeks letty radl ith nuth and health and beauty A a dance at the J w i chilt paragon of boRe hostesses essel tit fi 11 sant mandeville what BS as ho r ement to see moving non nn Im lanti ii ib ut tit among the guests her hinr rii f wit wh w h it should she dihe do should abe lie warn lir hr hosters of the presence of IN erhmal no slie site would take vie fie ini inguld i man aside dud and by the it lence if 11 PlIed psychology induce mir t i orri his nefarious intentions slid mid des dei Por lap she s ii he could work on ill hi i ninn ninne Plit tit reform rc forni q an zi E v in opportunity letty itil walked ked ft ri ti e an abtil salt said in 11 a low i refo KnIze you follow toe me she led hin blan to where were two to rant fant in a omer corner of the room and with t ich a severe look was just be her oration when up swept T if stuyvesant mandeville with oh 1 ani am so aci glad you two are already ae ac quainter quain ted jeffrey you are to take miss calvin out to dinner lotty letty brank shrank away from her companion slid stared at him arent you a burglar she gasped not in private life miss calvin he replied in private life I 1 am jeffrey wilson you see the first time you ailed mo me that question I 1 was on my way to a costume masked ball and had got myself up as a burglar at first with that long coat on I 1 wondered how you had guessed gue saed then I 1 saw that it was a case of psychology my mr coming up out of tile the area well my father as possibly you know died abroad and my mother is staying with my elster bister lady saltash Sal tash I 1 recently returned to america to stay and when in new york tork have occupied a room in the old house I 1 have ham not dot opened the house being a bachelor but bat spend most moat of my time to in the city at the club 1 I am here so little that I 1 have not even removed the boarding from the front door of the old house and the caretakers allow me a key to the basement please dont look so disappointed if you will kindly alloy allow we me to call I 1 will gladly submit myself as I 1 promised you to your psychological investigations I 1 am sure that though I 1 do not pursue the calling of a burglar there Is enough hidden depravity in my ego to reward exploration very likely there la Is in most mens replied letty piqued at hit his bantering tone but whether I 1 find it or not I 1 shall always call you my burglar and jeffrey wilson lived up to the name within a month he had burglarized letty of her heart so that she promised to marry him they live in the brownstone house now in the brownstone ll asula |