The evening world. Newspaper, May 13, 1905, Page 11

4e NG ce AMATEUR 1\CRACKSMAN. <4 Price I Cent, Including Special Fiction Supplement. The Adventures of Raffles. No. 1. FICTION SUPPLEMENT, NEW YORK, SATURDAY, MAY13™ 1905. (Copyright 1905, by the Prey Publishing Company.) Adventure No. 1. HE IDES «- MARCH” By E. W. Hornung, Author of ‘‘The Shadow of the Rope,” ‘The Rogue’s March, the Bush,” ‘Stingaree Storie ‘Dead Men Tell No Tales,” &c, (COPYRIGHT. 18%, RY CHARLES scrip? This is the first of a Series of Thir- teen New Stories entitled ‘‘Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman.” Raffles is destined to achieve as widespread fame in his own peculiar line as did Sherlock Holmes in a totally different sphere, for Raffles and Holmes are exact opposites in view, character and career, While Sherlock Holmes exercised his wonderful powers toward the de- tection of crime, Raffles is repre- sented asa man of unusual intellect and of high birth and breeding who has sunk to employing his undoubted 8enius to enable him to live ‘by his wits. The Second Adventure of Raffles— - Costume Piece’’— will appear Next Week. o T was about half-past twelve when I returned to the Albany as a last desperate resort. The scene of my disaster was much as I had left it. The baccarat counters still strewed the table, with the empty glasses and the loaded ash-trays. A win- dow had been opened to let the smoke out, and was letting in the fog instead. Raffles himself had merely discarded his dining jacket for one of his innumerable blazers, Yet he arched his eyebrows as though 1 had dragged him from his bed. “Forgotten something?” said he, when he saw me on his mat. “Nc 41, pushing past him without ceremony. And 4 led the way into his room with an impudence amazing to myself. . “Not come back for your revenge, have you? Because Q'm afraid I can’t give it you single-handed, 1 was sorry myself that the others’’—— We were face to face by his fireside, and | cut him short. “Raffles,” said I, “you may well be surprised at my coming back in this way and at this hour, I hardly know you. I was never in your rooms before to-night, But 1 fagged for you at school, and you said you remembered me, Of course, that’s no excuse; but will you listen to me—for two minutes?” In my, emotion I had at first to struggle for every iword, but his face reassured me as I went on, and I was not mistaken in its expression, “Certainly, my dear man,” said he; “as many minutes as you like. Have a Sullivan and sit down.” And he handed me his silver cigarette-case, “No,” said 1, finding a full yoice as 1 shook my head; “no, | won’t smoke, and I won't sit down, thank you, Nor will you ask me to do either when you've heard what I have to say.” “Really?” said he, lighting his own cigarette with one clear blue eye upon me. “How do you know?” ; “Because you'll probably show me the door,” I cried bitterly; “and you'll be justified in doing it! But it’s no use beating about the bush, You know I dropped over two hundred just now?” He nodded, “1 hadn't the money in my pocket.” “1 remember.” “But I had my check-book, and | wrote each of you a check at that desk.” “No. I have spent everythi “But somebody told me you were so well off. I heard you had come in for money?” “So did I, Three years ago. It has been my curse; now it's all gone— every penny! Yes, I’ve been a fool; there never was nor will be such a fool as I’ve been, Isn't this enough for.you? Why don’t you turn me ” He was walking up and down with a very long face instead, “Couldn’t your people do anything?”’ he asked at length. “Thank God,” I cried, “I have no people! I was an only child, 1 came tn for everything there was. My one comfort is that they’re gone and will never know.” 1 cast myself into a chair and hid my face, Raffles continued to pace the rich carpet that was of a plece with everything else in his rooms. There his soft and even footfalts, y ; at length; “didn’t you edit Ras a been Kind to|me at school, when he wc the mag. before you left? Any way, | recollect fa ig you to do my verses; and literature of all sorts is the very thing nowadays; any fool can make a living at it.” I shook my head. “Any fool couldn’t write off my debts,” said 1. “Then you haye a flat somewhere?” he went on, “Yes, in Mount street,” “Well, what about the furniture?” “I laughed aloud in my misery. stick for months!” And at that Raffles stood still, with raised eyebrows and stern eyes that I could meet the better now that he knew the worst; then, with a shrug, he re- sumed his walk, and for some minutes neither of us spoke, But in his hand- some, unmoved face I read my fate and death warrant; and with every breath | cursed my folly and my cowardice in coming to him at all. Because he had leven, and: 1 fis fag, 1.) “There's been a bill of sale on every