News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1905-10-11
r affles,
Ole Amateur
CraCksr11af1


so, but you can never have met A J.
Rallies. Half his power lay in con
ciliatjng trick of sinking the com
mandGr in the leader. And it was i'm
possible not 10 follow one who led
with such ZeSt. You might question,
but you followed first So now, when
l heard him kick off his own shoes, l
his heels before | realized what an eX-
traordinaly way was this of approach
ing a stranger for money in the dead
of night. But obviously Raffles and
he We're on exceptional terms of in
timacy, and | could not but infer that
they were in the habit of playing prac.
teal jokes upon each other.
We CROPPED our way so slowly up
stairs that l had time to make more
than one note before we reached the
top. The stair was uncarpeted. The
spread fingers of my right hand en-
countered nothing on the damp wall.
Those of my left trailed through a
dust that could be felt on the banis-
tiers. An eerie sensation had been up
on me since we entered the house. 1t
increased with every step we climbed
What hermit were we going to startle
in his cell?
We came to a landing. The banis-
again. -Four steps more and we were
on another and a longer landing, and
suddenly a match bazed from the
black. l never heard it struck. It's
fash was binding. When my eyes
became accustomed to the light there
was Rafies holding up the match with
one hand and shading it with the other
between bare boards, stripped walls
and the open doors of empty rooms.
"Where have you brought me?" I
cried. "1'he house is unoccupiedp'
Flush! Waltz he whispered, and he
led the way into one of the empty
rooms. His match went out as we
crossed the threshold, and he struck
another without the slightest noise
Then he stood with his back to me,
fumbling with something that l could
not see. But when he threw the second
match away there was some other
light in its stead and a slight smell of
oil. l stepped forward to look over his
shoulder, but before l could do SO he
had turned and flashed a tiny lantern
in my face.
whats this?" gasped. what rot
ten trick are you going to play?'
cts played" he answered, with his
quiet laugh.
"On me?'
'Im afraid so, Bunny"
'Is there no one in the house, then?'
"No one but ourselves
$50 it was mere chaff about your
friend in Bond street who could let us
have that money!"
Not altogether. It's quite true that
Dandy is friend of mine"
Dandy"
'The jeweler underneath"
"What do you mean?" l whispered,
trembling like a leaf as his meaning
daWned upon me. "Are we to get the
money from the jeweler"
"Well, not exactly"
"What, then?'
"The equvalent-from his shop"
There was no need for another ques-
ton. | understood everything but my
own density. He had given me a dozen
hints, and l had taken none. And
there l stood staring at him in that
empty room, and there he stood, with
his dark lantern, laughing at me.
"a burglarw l gasped. "You-youw
81 told you lived by my Wits
"Why couldn't you tell me what you
were going to do? Why couldn't you
trust me? Why must you lie?" l de-
manded, piQued to the quick for all
my horror.
81 wanted to tell you" said he. 81
was on the point of telling you more
than once. You may remember how
I sounded you about crime, though
you have probably forgotten what you
said yourself. didn't think you meant
it at the time, but l thought I'd put
you to the test. Now l see you didn't,
and | don't blame you. l only am to
blame. Get out of it, my dear boy, as
quick as you can. Leave it to me.
You won't give me away, whatever
else you do"
Oh, his cleverness, his fendish |
cleverness! Had he fallen back on !
threats, coercion, sneers, all might have
been different even yet But he set !
me free to leave him in the lurch. He |
would not blame me. He did not even /,
bind me to secrecy. He trusted me. |
He knew my weakness and my |
strength and was playing OH both with |
his masters touch.
"Not so fast" said 1. "Did l put |
this into your head, or were you going |
to do it in any case?"
'Not in any case" said Rallies. ITS |
true I've had the key for days, but
when l won tonight l thought of |
chucking it, for as a matter of fact, |
It's not a ore man job"
'That settles it. I'm your man."
"You mean it?'
"Yes-for tonight"
"Good old Bunnyw he murmured, |
holding the lantern for one moment to
my face. The next he was explaining !
his plans and was nodding, as though
we had been fellow cracksmen all our
days.
81 know 4ha ebov, - ba I-hicnnrnd