The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-14

were stricken by a common paralysis.
And there ! stood, shining my light
and holding my vial with a keener in
terest than | had ever brought to any
honest ayocation. And there knelt
A. j. Raffles with his back hair
tumbled, and the same watchful,
quiet, determining half-smile in which
L have seen him send down over after
over in county matchl
AT last the chain of holes was COM
plete, the lock wrenched out bodily,
and a splendid bare arm plunged up
to the shoulder through tho aperture
and through the iron bars of the gate
beyond.
NOW" whispered Raffles, "if
there's only one lock it'lt be in the
middle. Joyl Here 1t isl Only let me
pick 1t and we're through at last9'
He withdrew his arm, a skeleton
key was selected from the bunch, and
then back went his arm to the
shoulder 1t was breathless moment.
| heard the heart throbhing In my
body, the very watch ticking in my
pocket, and ever and anon the tinSle-
tinlzle of the skeleton key. Then-at
last-there came Il single unmistalSa-
Bile click. In another minute the ma
hogany door and the iron gate yawned
behind us; and Raffles was sitting on
an office table, wiping his face, with
the lantern throwing steady beam
by his side
We were now in a bare and roomy
lobby behind the shop but separated
therefrom by an iron curtain, the very
sight of which filled me with despair.
Raffles. however. did no. appear in
the least depressed but hung up his
coat and hat on some pegs in the lob
IT. IL. t,,ft n
his lantern.
THAT'S nothing" said he after a
minutes Inspections Wen be through
that in no time but there's door on
the other side which may give us
trouble"
Another door!" l groaned and
how do you mean to tackle this
thing2"
Prise it up with the jointed jimmy.
The weak point of these iron curtains
is the leverage you can get from be-
low. But 1t makes noise, and this
is where you're coming in, Bunny;
this Is where | couldn't do without
you. | must have you overhead 10
knock through when the streets
clear. Ill come with you and show
a light"
Well you may Imagine how little |
liked the prospect of this lonely vigil;
and yet there was something very
stimulating In the vital responsibility
which it involved. Hitherto | had been
a mere spectator. Now | was to take
part in the game. And the fresh ex-
element made me more than ever In
sensible to those considerations of
conscience and of safety which We're
already as dead nerves In my breast.
So ! took my post without a murmur
in the front room above the shop.
The fixtures had been left for the re-
fusal of the incoming tenant. and for
tunately for us they included Nene-
tian blinds which were already down.
1t was the simplest matter in the
world TO stand peeping through the
laths into the street, to beat twice
with my foot when anybody was APP
preaching, and once when all was
clear again. The noises that even |
could hear below with the exception
of one metallic crash at the beginning,
were indeed Incredibly slight; but they
ceased altogether at each double rap
from my toe: and a policeman passed
quite half a dozen times beneath my
eyes, and the man whom | took to be
the jewelers. Waterman oftener still,
during the better part of an hour
that | spent at the window, Once.
indeed, my heart was in my mouth.
but only once. 1t was when the watch
man stopped and peered through the
peephole into the lighted shop. |
waited for his WHISTLE waited for
tho gallows or the goall But my sig
nails had been studiously obeyed. and
the man passed ON in undisturbed
serenity. In the end ] had a signal
i'm my turn. and retraced my steps
with lighted matches, down the broad
stairs, down the narrow ones, across
the area, and up into the lobby where
Raffles awaited me with an out
stretched hand.
You're the same good man in
pinch and you shall have your re-
ward. I've got a thousand pounds
worth II I've got a penn'oth. It's all
In my pockets. And here's something
else | found in this locker; very de-
cent port and some cigars. meant for
poor, dear Danby's business friends.
Take a pull and you shall light us
presently I've found a lavatory too.
and we must have a wash-and- brush
up before we CO. for I'm as black as
your boot"
The iron curtain was down, but he
insisted on raising 1t until could
peep through the glass door on the
the shop beyond Here two electric
lights were left burning all night
long and In their cold white rays /
could at first see nothing amlss.
loked along an orderly lane an empty
glass counter on my left, glass cup
boards OF untouched silver on my
right. and facing me the filmy black
eve of the peephole that shone like
stage moon on the street The coun-
ter had not been emptied by Raffles;
Its contents were In the chubb's safe.
which he had given up at n glance;
nor had he looked at the silver, ex-
cept TO choose a cigarette case for me.
He had confined himself entirely to
the shop window This was in three
compartments. each secured for the
night by removable panels win sepa-
rate locks Raffles had removed them
a few hours before their time. and the
electric light shone ON n corrugated
shutter bare as the ribs of an empty
carcase. Every article of value was
gone from the one place which was in
visible from the little window IN the
door; elsewhere all was as 1t had been
left over night. And but for a train
OF mangled doors behind the iron cur
tain. a bottle Of wine and a cigar box
with which liberties had been taken.
rather Dlack towel IN the laNatofY,
a burnt match here and there and
our finger marks on the dusty ban
listers. not trace of our visit did we
leave.
HAD It In my head for Tong = said
Raffles. as we strolled through the
streets toward dawn, for all the world
as though we were returning from a
dance. mo, Bunny. ! never thought
of IT till | saw that upper part empty
about month ago. and bought a few
things In the shop to get the lie OF
the land That reminds me that I
never paid for them but, by Jove,