Page:Autobiography of an Androgyne 1918 book scan.djvu/209

Rh On another evening I had been robbed of all my money. When we reached the street I demanded back part of it. But my companion shouted " Police! Police!" in order to frighten me away, saying he was going to have me arrested because I was an invert. To a couple of young men he cried out: " This fellow is a . Calla cop for me, will you? I want to have him arrested." But those addressed were too busy to interfere. A horsecar then happened along, on which he jumped. I ran behind for a hundred feet, crying to the conductor on the rear platform: "Put him off! He's a thief! He has robbed me!" But neither the conductor nor the men passengers on the platform cared to interfere.

I occupied a room with a young ruffian at a third-class hotel other than that where I had left my ordinary clothing and valuables. Before retiring I withdrew to the toilet-room and placed the bulk of my money, a five-dollar bill, in the toe of a sock. As I undressed, I was careful to throw it far under the bed. After half an hour, we closed our eyes. But I intended to remain awake until he had fallen asleep in order to hide the door key lest he leave with my money and clothing while I slept. He intended to remain awake until I slept, and then depart as described. He tried to soothe me to sleep, exactly like a mother her infant, but finally losing all hope, said:

"Do you know how much you can get for this? Twenty years in state's prison! "

He dressed, ransacked my clothing, and then tied it in a bundle to carry away, repeatedly warning me not to interfere under penalty of arrest. I lay in consternation,