The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-10-27
Raffles,
Ole Amateur
Craftsman
By E. w. HoRNUNG


The man was lost And at half past
s next morning. before the heat of the
day, Rallies and | drove to Kew gar
dens in a hired landau. which was to
call for US at midday and wait until
we came. The porter had assisted ne
to carry my invalid downstairs in a
carrying chair hired dixie the landau
from HarrJd'S stores for the occasion
II was little after when we crawled
together into the gardens. BY half
past my invalid had had enough, and
out he tottered on my arm. \ cab, a
message TO our coachman, timely
train to Baker street another cab. and
we were ut the British museum brisk
pedestrians now-nOt very many min
utes after the opening hour of 10 a. II.
The museum pigeons We're grooming
among the shadows of the grimy colon
made, and tie stalWart janitors looked
less stalwart than usual as though
their medals were TOO heavy for them.
| recognized some habitual readers 60
ing to their labor underneath the dome
OF mere visitors we seemed among the
first.
That's the room" said Rallies, who
had bought the twopenny guide, as
we studied it openly on the nearest
bench-"No. 49, upstairs and sharp
around to the right Come on, Bun
n.y.
And he led the way in silence but
with a long methodical stride which
| could not understand until we came
to the corridor leading to the room of
gold, when he turned TO me for mo-
ment
"A hundred and thirty-nine yards
from this TO the open street" said Raj
fles, mot counting the stairs. | sup
pose we could do it in twenty seconds,
but if we did we should have to jump
the gates. No, you must remember to
loaf out at slow march, Bunny, wheth-
err you like it or not"
But you talked about hiding place
for a night"
"Quite so-for all night. We should
have to get back. go on lying low and
SuuuIcI Out W llil Allt NIOhNl lit-Al hdl
after doing the whole show thorough
ly."
what. With gold in our pockets
"And gold in our boots and gold up
the sleeves and legs of our suits! You
leave that to me, Bunny"
1t is none of my business to describe
the so called room of gold. with which
l, for one, was not little disappoint-
ed. The glass cases which both fill and
line it may contain unique examples of
the goldsmith's art in times and places
of which one heard quite enough in the
course of ones classical education, but
from a professional point of view |
would as lief have the ransacking of
a single window in the west end as
the pick of all those spoils of Etruria
and of ancient Greece. The gold may
not be so soft as it appears, but it GER
tainly looks rs though you could bite
off the business ends of the spoons
and stop your own teeth in doing so.
Nor should | care to be seen wearing
one of the rings. But the greatest
fraud of all from the aforesaid stand
point is assuredly that very cup of
which Rallies had spoken. Moreover,
he felt this himself.
"Why, it's as thin as paper" said he,
land enameled like middle aged lady
of quality! But, by Jove, it's one of
the most beautiful things | ever saw
in my life, Bunny | should like to
have it for its own sake, by all my
gods"
The thing had a little square case of
plate glass all to itself at one end of
the room. 1t may have been the thing
of beauty that Rallies affected to con-
slider it, but |. for my part, was in no
mood to look at it in that light. I'm
derneath were the names of the pluto
Gratis who had subscribed for this ma
tional gewgaw, and fell to wondering
where their $4,000 came in, while Raj
fies devoured his twopenny guidebook.
"Those are scenes from the martyr
dom of St Agnes" said he, 'translu-
cent on relief. One of the finest
specimens of its kind | should think
II was! Bunny, you Philistine, why
can't you admire the thing for its
own sake? 1t would be worth hav-
ing TO live up to! There never was
such rich enamellng on such thin gold
and what good scheme to hang the
lid up over ii, so that you can see how
thin it is. | wonder If we could lift
IL, Bunny, by hook or crook"
you'd better try, sir" said a dry
voice at his elbow.
The madman seemed to think we
had the room to ourselves. | knew
better. but. like another mailman, had
let him ramble on unchecked. And
here was stolid constable confront
ing us in the short tunic that they wear
In summer. his whistle on its chain,
but no truncheon at his side. Heavens,
how see him nova man Of medium
size, with a broad good humored, per-
spring face and limp mustache He
looked sternly at Rafiles, and Rallies
looked merrily at him.
Going to run me in, ofiicer?' said
he. "fhat would be a joke-my hatI'
II didn't say as | was, SIR replied
the policeman. But that's queer talk
for gentleman like you, sir, in the
British museum" And he wagged his
helmet at my invalid. who had taken
his airing ia frock coat and top hat.
the more readily to assume his present
part.
"what." cried Rafiles. simply say
ing to my friend that I'd like to lift
the gold cup? Why. so | should. Off.