Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-10-07

and rather terrible old man.
And a dashed good riddance!
croaked the invalid. raising himself on
one elbow without delay. Il may not
have much body left TO boast about
but at least I've got lost old soul
TO call my own. That's why l want
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 fiat all day to see l didn't
You'll find the cigarettes behind the
Madonna of the Chair.
1t was steel engraving of the great
Raphael, and the frame was tilted
from the wall. At a touch packet
of cigarettes tumbled down from be-
hind.
Thanks. And now light"
/ struck the match and held it, while
the invalid inhaled with normal lips.
and suddenly l sighed. l was irresist-
IDLY reminded of my poor, dear old
Raffies, A smoke ring worthy of the
great A. j. was floating upward from
the sick mans lips.
And now take one yourself. / have
smoked more poisonous cigarettes, but
even these are not Sullivans.
| cannot repeat what l said. / have
no idea what l did. l only know-I
in the fiesa.
YES. Bunny. it was the very devil
of a swim, but 1 defy you to sink in
the Mediterranean. That sunset saved
me. The sea was on fire. l hardly
swan under water at all, but went all
l knew for the sun itself. When it set
1 must have been a mile away; until
it did 1 was the invisible man. l fig
ured on that, and only hope it wasn't
set down as Il case of suicide. 1 shall
get outed quite soon enough, Bunny,
but I'd rather be dropped by the hang
man than throw my own wicket
away"
"Oh. my dear old chap, to think OF
having you by the hand again. l feel
Us though we were both aboard that
German liner and all that's happened
since Il nightmare. 1 thought that
time was the lastr'
1T looked rather like it. Bunny. 1t
was taking all the risks and hitting at
everything. But the game came off,
and some day I'll tell you how
''Oh, I'm in no hurry to hear. It's
enough for me to see you lying there.
don't want to know how you came
there, or why. though 1 fear you must
be pretty bad. l must have good
look at you before let you speak an
other word
I raised one Of the blinds, | sat upon
the bed and l had that look. 1t left
me all unable to conjecture his true
my own mind that my dear Raffles
was not and never would be the man
that he had been He had aged TWEEN
~ years; he looked fifty at the very
least. His hair was white: there was
no trick about that. and his face was
another white. The lines about the
corners Of the eyes and mouth were
both many and deep. On the other
hand, the eyes themselves were alight
and alert as ever; they were still keen
and gray and cleaning, like finely tenn
pered steel. Even the mouth, with Il
cigarette to close it, was the mouth of
Rafiies and no other-strong and I'M
ScrupulOus as the man himself. 1t was
only the physical strength which APP
pcared to have departed, but that was
quite sufficient TO make my heart bleed
for the dear rascal who had cost me
every tie valued by the tie between
Us two.
Think l look much older?" he asked
at length.
"a Bit admitted, "but it is chief
~ your hair
Whereby hangs tale for when
we've talked ourselves out, though l
have often thought it was that long
swim that started it. Still, the island
Of Elba is a rummy show, l can assure
you. And Naples is Il rummier."
''YOu went there after all?'
Rather! It's the European paradise
for such as our noble selves. But
there's no place that's patch on little
London as n nOnconductor of heat; it
never need get too hot for fellow
here. If it does it's his own fault.
It's the kind of wicket you don't get
out on unless you get yourself out. SO
here l am again and have been for the
last six weeks, and mean to have an
other knock"
But surely, old fellow, you're not
lwfully Git, are you:'
Fit: My dear Bunny, I'm dead
m at the bottom of the sea-and don't
you forget it for minute"
But are you all right or are you
notY'
mo. I'm half poisoned by Theobald's
and putrid cigarettes and
rs weak as cat from lying in bed"
Then why on earth lie in bed, Raj
fies:"
Because it's better than lying in
Jail. as I'm afraid you know, my poor.
dear fellow. | tell you l am dead, and
my one terror is of coming TO life
again by accident. Can't you see? |
simply dare not show my nose out of
doOrs-by day. You have no idea of
the number of perfectly innocent
things n dead man daren't do. / can't
S,IIiranS ha1auEn M nna