The evening world. Newspaper, June 24, 1905, Page 12

iiohboke “ts lids OSA bs.» THE WORLD: SATURDAY 18k abhi taal na EVENING, JUNE 24, 1905. iain took the oath as though it had been a fee. I no longer pitied now very clear to me thit he had one patient who was a little imself, 1 determined there and then that he ghould prove a ofession to me if we could but keep him alive between us. Mr. luvin, however, had the whitest face that I have ever seen, and his teeth med Out through the dusk as though the withered lips no longer met put them; nor did they except in speech, and anything ghastlier than Perpetual grin of his repose I defy you to imagine, It was with this pin that he lay regarding me while the doctor held the blind, fm) “So you think you could look after me, do you?" /"T'm certain 1 could, sir.” ) *Bingle-handed, mind! I con't keep another soul. You would have to ok your own grub and my slops, Do you think you could do all that?” f)‘¥eu, sit; 1 think so.” hy do you? Have you any experience of the kind?” fo, air, none." nm why do you pretend you have?” “I only meant that I would do t, eS ly meant, only meant! Have fou done your best at everything » then?” ‘T hung my head, This was a c And there was something in invalid which thrust the un- n lie down my throat. "No, sir, 1 have not,’ I told him ly. “He, he, he!" the old wretch tit- ‘and you do well to own it; do well, sir; very well, indeed you hadn't owned up, out you Mild have gone; out neck and cro ve saved your bacon. ou may So you are a public-school ind a very good schoo! yours is, you weren't at either university. “that corr “Absolute! “What did you do when you left oo)?” “1 came in for money.” “And then?” “I spent my money,” “And since then?” 1 stood like a mule, “And since then, I say?” "A relative of mine will tell you you ask him. He is an eminent in, and he has promised to speak me. 1 would rather say no more ) mnyself. | “But you shall, sir, but you shall! it you suppose that I suppose a fiblic-school boy would apply for a > beith like this if something or other Ain't happened? What I want isa &eNUeman of sorts, and I don't much ) fave what sort; but you've got to tell what did happen if you don't tell body else. Dr. Theobald, sir, you in go to the deyil if you won't take [a TUS This man may do or he may » tot. ‘ou have no more to say to it Ul L send him down to te youone «=| UMbked down from Hiing or the other. Clear out, sir, behind. pelear out; and if you think you've hea to Sieeena of, you stick it down in the will!” he mild excitement of our interview the thin voice had fi @trength, and the last shrill insult was screamed after the aevotset madleo is he retired in such order that I felt cartain he was going to take this Bs ying patient at his word. The bedroom door closed, then the outer one, 1 the doctor's heels went drumming down the common stair, 1 was alone the flat with this highly singular and rather tetrible old man, ‘And a damned good riddance!” croaked the invalid, raising himself One elbow without delay, “I may not have much body left to boast ) About, but at least I've got a lost old soul to call my own. That's why I i ita gentleman of sorts about me. I've been too dependent on that chap. He won't even let me smoke, and he's been in the flat all day to see I didn’t, ) You'll find the cigarettes behind the Madonna of the Chai It was a steel engraving of the great Raffaelle, and the frame was tilted ~ from the wall; at a touch a packet of cigarettes tumbled down from behind, bit, ‘Thanks; and now a light.” I struck the match and held it, while the Mhvalid inhaled with normal lips; and suddenly I sighed. I was irresistibly pfeminded of my poor, dear old Raffles, A smoke ring worthy of the great 4 4, vee Soe rha ub ward from the sick man’s lips. >), “And now take one yourself, I have smoked mor even these are not Sullivans!” Beppe nae rat elto I cannot repeat what 1 said. 1 have no idea what I did, only knew—that it was A. J, Raffles in the ffesh! A packet of cigarettes Tonly know— i. “Yes, Bunny, it was the very devil of a swim, but Id ad Mediterranean, That sunset saved me. The sea Wanen ‘ne: i arly » Swam under water at all, but went all | knew for the gun itself. When it t 1 must have been a mile away; untfl it did 1 was the invisible man. sured on that, and only hope { ven't set down us a case of suicide, 1 hal! get outed quite soon enough, bunny, but I'd rather be dropped by the fingman hee throw my own wicket away.” y “Oh, my dear old chap, to think of having you by t a ! feel as though we were both aboard that G rear liney, HEALY se spined since a night re. 1 thought that time was the last!” Y “It looked yather like it, Bunny, It was taking all the risks a ite ing: at everything, But the game came off, und mone day Mh tay St Oh, I'm in no huwry to hear, It's enough for mo to see you lying sn er Want to how how you came there, or why, though I fear be pretty bad, must have 08 K i y e Bia another wordt” a good look at you before I let you I raised one of the blinds, I sat upon the bed and | had loo eft me all unable to conjecture his true state of health, RHE aid N my own mind that my dear RafMes was not and never would be the man hat he had been, He had aged twenty years; he looked fifty at the very least, His hair was white; there was no trick about that; and his face ‘as another white, The lines about the corners of the eyes and mouth both many and deep, On the other hand, the eyes themselves were light and alert as ever; they were still keen and gray’ and gleaming, like {| Bncly tempered steel. Even the mouth, with a cigarette to close It, _fhe mouth of Raffles and no other—strong and unscrupulous as the 4 Weohimecif, It was only the physi strength which appeared to have , ted; but that was quite suMcient to make my heart bleed for the d. cal who had cost me every tie 1 valued but the tie between us two, ‘Think I look much older?" he asked at length. » "A bit,” Ladmitted, “But it is chiefly your hair? "Whereby hangs a tale for when y talked ourselves out, though T ve often thought it was that long swim thar started it. Still, the island Blba js a rummy sho assure you. And Naples is a rummier,"”” You went there after all? “Rather! It's the European paradise for such as our noble here's no place that’s a patch on litle Jondon as a non- ductor of bea imever need get too hot for a fellow here, If it does it's his own fant Wa the Kind of wicket you don't get out on unless you get yourself ont, here 1 am again, and have been for the last six weeks, And I mean to We another knock,” "But surely, old fellow, you're not awfully fit, are you?" "Fit? My dear Bunny I'm dead—I'm at the bottom of "t you forget it for a minut ‘But are you all right or are you not?” “No, I'm half poisoned by Theobald’s prescriptions and putrid cigar e8 and as weak as a cat from lying in bed.” “Then why on earth lic in bed, Rattles?” “Because it’s better than lying in jail, as Tam afraid you know, my dear fellow. 1 tell you I am dead, and my one terror is of coming to n't you see? I simply dare not show my noso eno idea of the number of perfect) t things a dead man daren't do. 1 can't even smoke Sullivans, because # One man was ever so partial to them as I was in my lifetime, and you er know when you may start a clue,” . "What brought you to these n ions?" fancied a » and a man recommended these on the boat of chap, Bunny; he was my reference when it ¢ ‘ou see, J landed on a streic most pathetic cai ut a friend in old countr red Engadine us last chance—no go—not earthly—sentimental wish to die in London—that's the history of Mr, unin, If it docen't hit you hard, Bunny, you're the first. But {t hit id Theobald hardest of all, I’m an income to him. I believe he's going ry on me,” Does he guess there's nothing wrong?” ‘Knows, bless you! But he doesn't know | know he knows, and there ft a disease in the dictionary that he hasn't treated me for since he's i me In hand, To do him justice, 1 believe he thinks me n hypochon- se of the first water; but that young man will go far if he keeps on the et, He has spent half his nights up here at guineas aplece,” » “Guinens must be plentiful, old chap!” o.) “’'They have been, Bunny, I can’t say more, iouldn't be again,” Twas not going to inquire where the guineas came from. As iff cared! /1 did ask old Raffles how in the world he had got won my tracks, thereby drew the sort of smile with which old gentlemen tub thelr and old ladies nod their noses, Raffles merely produced a perfect blue smoke before replying, “Y was waiting for you to Neb that, Bunny. It’s a long time since I did 4 \ selves, But the sea—and Such a me to signing the lease, old Australian with- But T don't see why they anything upon which I plume myself more. Of course in the first place I spotted you at once by these prison articles; they were not signed, but the fist was the fist of my siting rabbit!” “But who gave you my address?” “1 wheedled it out of your excellent editor; called on him at dead of night, when | occasionally go afield like other ghosts, and wept it out of him in five minutes, | was your only relative; your name was not your own name; if he insisted | would give him mine, He didn't insist, Bunny, and I danced down his stairs with your address in my pocket.” “Last night “No, last week.” ‘ “And so the advertisement was yours as well I had of course forgotten both in the high excitement of the hour, or T should scarcely have annonneed my belated discov with such an 5 As it was I make Raffles look at me as I had known him look before, and the droop of his eyelids began to sting. “Why all this subtlety?” IT petulantly exclaimed, “Why couldn't you scat come straight away to me ina cs led He did not inform me that I was hopeless as ever, He did not address me as his good rabbit. He was silent for a time, and then spoke in a tone which made me ashamed of mine. “You see, there are two or three of, me now, Bunny; one’s at the bottom of the Meditergan and one's an old Australiap desirous of dying in. the old country, but in no immediate danger of dying anywhere, The old tralian didn't know a soul in town; he's got to be consistent or he’s done, This sitter Theobald is his only friend and has seen rather too much of him; ordinary dust won't do for his eyes. Begin to se To pick you out of a crowd, that was the game; to let old Theobald help to pick you, better still! To start with, he dead against my having any- body at all; wanted me all to him- self, naturally; butt anything rather than kill the goose! So he is to have a fiver a week while he keeps me alive, and he's going to be married next month, That's a pity in some ways, but a good thing in others; he will want more money than he fore sees, and he may always be of use to us in a pinch, Meanwhile he eats out of my hand.” I complimented Raffles on the mere composition of his telegram, with half the characteristics of my distin- guished Kinsman squeezed into a dozen cold words, and let him know how the old ruffian had really treate me, Raffles Was not surprist had dined together at my re 8 in the old days and filed for reference fa professional valuation of his house hold gods 1 now learned that the telegram been posted, with ihe hour marked for its des at the pillar nearest Ve street, on the night before the advertisement was due to appear in the Daily Mail, Thi also had been ¢: and Raffles’s onl it might be held over despite his ex- plicit instructions and so drive ime to the doctor for an explanation of his telegram, But the adverse chance the telegram!” had beon weeded out, and weeded out to the irreducible minimum of tisk, His greavst risk, according to Rat- fles, Jay nearest home, Hedridden invalid that be wis supposed to be, his nightly terror was of running into Theovoli’s arms in the immediate neighwsorhood of the flat, But Raffles had characteristic methods of minimizing even (hat danger, of which some- thing anon, Meanwhile he recounted more than one of his nocturnal ad- ventures, all, however, of a singularly innocent type; and one thing 1 no iced while he talked, His room was the first as you entered the tit, The long, inner wall divided the room not merely from the passage but from the outer landing as well. Thus every step upon the bare stone stairs could be heard by Raffles where he lay, and he would never speak while one was ascending until it had passed his door, The afternoon brought more than one applicant for the post which it was my duty to tell them that TP had already obtained. Between 3 and 4, however, Raffles, suddenly lookin t his watch, packed me off in a hurry to the other end of London for my things. “I'm afraid you must be famishing, Bunny. It's a fact that Tet very little, and that at odd hows, but T ought not to have forgotten you, Get yourself a snack outside, but not a square meal if you can resist one We've Bot to celebri this day this night!” “To-night?" I cried fo-night at 11, and Kellner's the plac You may well open your eyes but we didn't go there much if you remember and the staff ms changed, Any we'll risk it for once, T was in last night talking like a stage American and supper's ordered for 11 sharp.” HH MM bikes Ze Per Pr PMR BecLe wy, ABLE Co We clinked “You made as sare of Ine as ull that!” “There was no hirm in ordering supper. We shall have it in a private room but you may as well dress if you've got the duds,’ “They're at my only forgiving relative's,”” “How much will get them out and square you up and bring you back bag and baggage in good time?” 1 had to ealeul “A tenner easily “T had one ready for you, Here it is, and I wouldn't lose any time if T were you. On the way you might look up Theobald, tell him you'ye got it and how long you'll be gone, and that I can't be left alone all the time, And, by Jove, yes! You get me a stall for the Lyceum at the nearest agent's —there are two or three in High street—and say it was given you when you come in, That young man shall be out of the way to-night I found our doctor in a minute consulting room and Nis shirt sleeves, a tall tumbler at his elbow, At least I caught sight of the tumbler on enter- ARRAN QLEEN ing. Thereafter the stood In front of it, with a futility that had my sympathy, 0 you've got the billet,” said Dr. Theobald, “Well, as I told you before, and as you have since probably discovered for yourself, you won't find it exactly a sinecure, My own part of the business is by no means that; indeed, there are those wno would throw up the case after the kind of treat- ment that you have seen for yourself, But professional considerations are not the only ones, and one cannot make too many allowances in such a e,"" glasses swimming with the liquid gold of Steinberg, “But what is the case?" I asked him, Was successful,” Dr. Theobald's shia pg worthy of the profession he seemed destin d to adorn; it was not incompatible with any construction which ono chose {fo put upon it, Next moment he had stiffened, [suppose 1 still spoke more or less like a gentleman, Yet, after ail, | was only the male nurse. He seemed to remember this suddenly, and he took occasion to remind me of the fact. “Ah, said he, “that was before 1 knew you were altogether without experience; and | must say that | was surprised even at Mr. Maturin’s en- wiging you after that; but it will depend upon yourself how long T allow him to persist in so curious an experiment, As for what is the matter with him, my good fellow, i is no use my giving you an answer which would be double Dutch to you. Moreover, I have still to test your diseretionary pow ers, I may say, however, that that poor gentleman presents at once the most complex and most troublesome which is re. enough without certain features which make it all bot insupp: pyond this T must refuse to dise my patient for the present, but I shall certainly go up if Tecan find time.” He went up within flve minutes, dusk, But he did not refuse not allow me to use myself, and ‘ou sald you would tell me if I 1 found him there on my return at Hat the Lyceum, which RaMes would ented to bin offhand without my leave, v Weeees cb Rafiles led me up two flights. , “And don't you bother any more about me till tos morrow," snapr high thin voice as he was of. “Tcan send for you now i'm hoping to have a decent nig POLED. Wy Hr Rie BELL when 1 want and At fur once,” you, It was half-past 10 when we left the flot in an inter val of silence on the noisy stairs, The allenee was ih broken by our wary feet.” Yet for me a surprise was in store upon the very landing. Instead of going down- sti s Raffles led me up two flights, and so out upon a perfectly flat roof “There are two entr explained between stars ances to these mansions,” he nd chimney stacks; “one to our stairease and another round the corner, Hut there's only one porter, and he lives in the basement under- neath us and affects the door nearest home, We miss him by using the wrong stairs, und we run less risk of old Theobald M othe tip from the post- men, Who come up one way and down the other, Now, follow me and look out! There was indeed some ne sity for caution, for each half of the build- ing had its L-shaped well dropping sheer to the base, the parapets so low that one might easily have tripped over them into eternity. However, we were soon upon the second stairease, Which opened on the roof like the fi And twenty minutes of the next twenty-five we spent in an admirable han- som, skimming ¢ “Not much change in the old hole, Punny. More of these magie-lan- torn advertisements * * * and absolutely the worst bit of taste in town though its say ling, in that equestrian statue with the gilt stirs ups and fixing don't they black the buff and his horse's hoofs while th > ahout it? * © * More dieyelist That s boots , of course, was just beginning, if you remember, It might have been useful tou * * And there's the old club getting put into a er for the jubile hy Jove, Bunny, we ought to be there, L wouldn't lean forward in Picea- dilly, old chap. If you've seen I'm thought of, and we shall have to be jolly Ah, there it is! Did T tell you T was a lox 2 You'd better be another while the waiter’s careful at Kellner's. ® * cown stage Yankce at Kellaer in the room.” We had the little room upstairs, and on tH who knew my Raffles of old, was taken horribly for threo, Lealled his atiention to it in a wh “Why, yep! came through his nose, “Say, hoy, the lady, she’s not comin’, Init you leave that tackle where ‘tis, If lm liatle to pay 1 guess HE have all there ts to it.” Thave rever heen in Ameren, and the American public is the last on earth that L desire to insult, but idiom and intonation alike would have imposed upon my inexperience, Thad to look at Rafles to make sure that it was he who spoke, and T had my own reasons for looking hard. threshold T, even T, The table was laid very hac “Who on earth was the lady? 1 inquired aghast at the first oppor- ‘tunity “She isn't on earth, They don't like wasting this room on two, that's all, THunny—my Bunny here's us both!" And we clinked glasses swimming with the liquid gold of Steinberg, IMIS: but of the rare delights of that supper 1 ean scarcely trust myself to write, It was no mere meal, it was no coarse orgy, Dut a little feast for the fastidious gods, not unworthy of Lueullis al his worst. And T who had bolted my skilly at Wormwood Serubs and tightened my belt In a Holloway attic, it was T who sat down to this ineffable repast! Where the courses were few, but each a triumoh of its kind, it would be invidious to single out any one dish, but the Jambon de Westphalie au champasne tempts me sorely, And then the champagne that we drank, not the quantity, put the quality! Well, it was Pol Roger, 'S4, and quite good enough for me; but even so, it was not more dry, nor did it sparkle more, than the merry rageal who had dragged mo thus far to the devil, but vould lead me dancing the rest of the way. T was beginning to tell him so. 1 had done my honest best since my reappearance in the world, but the world had done its worst by ne. A fnrther antithesis and my final intention were both upon my tongue, when the waiter with the Chateau Margaux eut me short, for he was the bearer of more than that great wine, bringing also a card upon @ silver tray, “Show conteally. “And who is this?” I erled when the man was gone, Raffles reached across the table and gripped my arm in his vise. His eyes were steel point: fixed on mine “Bunny, stand by me," said he in the old, irresistible voice- both stern and winning. “Stand by me, Bunny—if there's a row!” And there was time for nothing more, the door flying open and a dapper person entering with a bow, a frock coat on his back, gold pince-nez on hit nose, a shiny hat in one hand and a black bag in the other, "Good evening gentlemen,” said je, at home and smiling, "Sit down,” drawled Raflles in clisual response, “Say let me introduce zr B. Martin, of Shicawgo. Mr. Martin is my future brother- is Is Mr, Robinson, Ezra, manager to Sparks & Co,, the celler- brated joolers on Regent street.” I pricked up my ears, but contented myself with a nod, distrusted my ability to live up to my new name and address, y; “T figured on Miss Martin bein’ right here too," continued Raffles, “but I regret to say she's not feelin! so good, We light out for Parrus on the 9 A. M. train to-morrer mornin’, and she guessed she'd be too dead, Sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Robinson, but you'll seo ['m adyertisin’ your wares,” Raffles held his right hand under the electric light, and a diamond ring flashed upon his little finger, I could have sworn {1 was not there flve min- utes before, The tradesman had a disappointed face, but for a moment It brightened as he expatiated on the value of that ring and on the price his people had accepted for it, I was invited 'to guess the figure, but I shook a discreet head. J have seldom been more taciturn in my life, him up,” said Raffles la- 9 yoic! I altogether PAARL Ab a. i i * riy-five pounds,” cried the jeweller; “and it wopld be cheap at 60 guine right.” assented RaMes, “That'd be dead cheap, I allow, But then, ny boy, you gotten ready eash, and don't you formas tt,”’ T do not dwell upon my own mystification in all this, ‘I merely pause to te that T was keenly enjoying that very element, Nothing could have been more typical of Raffles and the past, It was only my own attitude that was chan It appeared that the mythical lady, my sister, had just become engaged {o Raflles, who seemed all anxiety to pin her down with gifts of price. L could not quite gather whose gift to whom was the diamond ring, but It had evidently been paid for, and | voyaged to the moon, wondering when and how. I was reenlled to this planet by a deluge of gems from, the jeweller's They lay alight in their eases ike the electric lamps above, We all P put our heads together over them, myself without the slightest elie as to what was coming, but not unprepared for violent crime, One does not do eighteen months tor nothing, * Raffles was saying, > don't like, “We'll choose for he Is that the idea?” and you'll You help me at did ring, “And we chose- Lord? Wha we not choose? There was he a diamond half hoop, It cost 5 and there was no attempt to get it for £90. Then there was a diamond necklet—200 guineas, but pounds ac- cepted. That was to be the eift of the bridegroom, ‘The wedding was evidently imminent. It behooved me to play a brotherly part, | there- fore rose to the orcasion, calenlated she would jike a diamond st (C16), but reckoned it was more than I could afford, and sustained a vicious kick under the table for either verb, 1 was afraid to open my mouth on finally obtaining the star for the round pundred. And then the fat fell in the fire, for uny we could not, though a tanec (said Raffles) was overdue from Noo York." Sut I don't know you, gentlemen,” the jeweller exclaimed, “I haven't even the name of your hotel.” “LT told you we was stoppin’ with friends,” said Raffles, who was not angry, though thwarted and crushed “But that's right, sir! Oh, that’s dead right, and I'm the last man to ask you to take Quixotic risks, I'm tryin’ to figure a way out, Yes, oir, that's what I'm tryin’ 10 do “1 wish you could, sir,” the jeweller said with feeling, “It isn't as if w hadn't seen the color of your monrs But certain rules | am sworn (4 serve; it isn’t as if 1 was in busine for myself, and—you say you start for Paris in the morning!” “On the 9 A.M. train,” mused Raf- fles, “and I've heard no-end yarns about the joolers’ stores in’ Par But that ain't fair; don’t you take ho notice o' that, I'm tryin’ to figuie a way out. Yes, sir!” out of a twenty-five box; the tradesman and Raffles sat frowning with a pregnant , and it was only too ans had miscarried, 1 could not help thinking, how- served to do so if he had counted upon buying credit for £400 by a single payment of some 10 per cent. That again seemed unworthy of Raff and I, for my part, still sat prepared to spring any moment at our visitor's throat, “We could mail you the money from Parrus,” drawled Raffles at length “Rut shonld we know you'd hold up your end of the string and mail us the sume articles we've selected to-night?” ‘The visitor stiffened in his chair. cient guarantee for that “IL guess ['m no better acquainted with their name than they are with mine,” remarked Raffles laughing. “See here, though! I got a scheme, You pack ‘em in this!” He turned the cig: joined wondering eyes. ‘Pack Vem in th repeated Raffles, “the three things we want, and never mind the boxes You can pack ‘em in cotton wool, Then we'll rins for string and sealing wax, seal up the lot right here, and you can take‘ away in your grip. Within three days we'll have our remittance and mail you the money and you'll mail us this darned box with my seal unbroken! I's no use you lookin’ so sick, Mr. Jooler; you won't trust us any, and we're goin to trust you some. Ring the bell, Ezra, and we'll see if the gotten any sealing wax and string,” They had; and the thing was done, precaution was absolutely unnecessary; but since he was taking all his goods away with him, the sold with the unsold, his sentimental objections soon fell to the ground, He packed necklet, ring and star with his own hands in cotton wool, and the cigarette box held them so Hy that at the last moment, when the box was closed and the string ready, Raffles very nearly added a diamond bee brooch at £61 108, This temptation, however, he ultimately overcame, to the other's chagrin. The cigarette box was tled up, and the string sealed, oddly enough, with the diamond of the ring that had,peen bought and paid for, 8 GR ou having another ring in the store the dead spit of mine,” laughed Raffles as he relinquished the box and it disappeared into the trades- man’s bag. And now, Mr, Robinson, | hope you'll appreciate my true hos- pitality in not offering you anything to drink while business was in prog- ress, That's Chateau Margaux, sir, and | should judge it's what you'd call an eighteen-carat article.” In the cab which we took to the vielnity of the flat 1 was instantly snubbed for asking questions which the driver might easily overhear, and I took the repulse just a little to heart, [I could make neither head nor tail of Raffles’s dealings with the man from Regent street and was naturally inquisitive as to the meaning of it all. But T held my tongue until we had regained the flat in the cautious manner of our exit, and even there until Raffles rallied me witha hand on either shoulder and an old smile upon his face. “You rabbit!” sald he. “Why couldn't you walt till we got home?" “Why couldn't you tell me what you were going to do?" I retorted as of yore, “Because your dear old phiz is still worth Its weight In innocence, and because you never could act for nuts! You looked as puzzled as the other poor devil, but you wouldn't {f you had known what my game really was. “And pray what was it?” eThat,” said Rafe and he smacked the cigarette box down upon th mantelpiece, It was not t ; it was not sealed, It flew open from th force of the impact, And the diamond ring that cost £95, the neeklet for £200 and my flaming star at another £100, all three lay safe and snug in the jeweller's own cotton wool! “Duplicate boxes!” [ cried, “Duplicate boxes, my brainy Bunny, One was already packed and weighted and in my pocket, I don't know whether you noticed me weigh- ing the three things together in my hand? I know that neither of you saw me change the boxes, for I did it when I was nearest buying the bee brooch at the end, and you were too puzzled and the other Johnny too keen, It was the cheapest shot in the game, The dear ones were sending old Theo- bald to Southampton on a fool's errand yesterday afternoon, and showing one's own nose down Regent street in broad daylight while he was gone; but some things are worth paying for, and certain risks one must always take, Nice boxes, yren't they? I only wished they contained a better cigurette, but a notoriots brand was essential, A box of Sullivans would have brought me to life to-morrow." “But they oughtn’'t to open it to-morrow.” “Nor will they, as a matter of fact, Meanwhile, Bunny, I may call upon you to dispose of the boodle,”’ “I'm on for any mortal thing!"" My voice rang true, I swear, but it was the way of Raffles to take the evidence of a8 many senses as possible, I felt the cold steel of his eye through mine and through my brain, But what he saw seemed to satisfy him no less than what he heard, for his hand found my hand and pressed it with a fervor foreign to the man, “T know you are and I knew you would be, Only remember, Bunny, it's my turn next to pay the shot!" You shall hear how he paid ft when the time came, (THE END.) He was smoking cigarette I had cigars. all but The name of his firm should be sufli- rettes out of the tin box, while the jeweller and T The tradesman did not like it; the onn~ AAA AA AAAAAAARAN NEXT SATURDAY — ‘‘A Jubilee Present,’? the Eighth Adventure or “RAFFLES, THE AMATEUR CRACKSMAN”’ There will be Thirteen Adventures in this new series, a complete story every Saturday. ini fey