Extortion Turned to Thievery

The Culprit:



Desperately I searched for a pacifier for Chelsea yesterday, but no luck. Picturing a torture filled 3 hours of church, I offered a 25 cent bounty to the first person who could find one. Bart said that if he found one there would be a 25 cent finders fee and a 25 cent delivery fee (equalling 50 cents), to which I rejected on the grounds of EXTORTION! Sadly we left empty handed. (Or so I thought.)



At the first peep from Chelsea, Bart pulled out the golden carrot, a pacifier, from his suit jacket pocket. He dangled it teasingly while showing with his other hand the number 5 and then zero. I, unwilling to be victim to such a plot, showed my hand... a 2 and a 5.

My backup plan was to slyly hand Bart the baby and sneak away for Sunday School. Much to my dismay he was saavy and would not accept the infant.

I tried everything, including fake crying, (which he fell for) and he allowed me to hug him, giving me a golden opportunity to search his pockets! No avail. Finally I fed her a bottle and she drifted off to sleep, making me the champion!

Between classes Bart brought the pacifier. No argument or demand for money; he simply handed it over. How sweet! I didn't even have to pay him 25 cents!

Atleast that is what I thought until on our way home he pulls out 3 shiny quarters from his pocket and tells me that he handed over the pacifier because he took 75 cents from my purse. (Inflation, ya know.) To which I justly called him a thief!

He denied being a thief and stated that he was simply a debt collector.