The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-10-27
A JUBILEE
PRESENT
No. 8 of the Series

Hg&-s aS1s- y true l-Ol""i.-' ~"
S-E1.a'17a1a1I ever. | myself hi never
heard of it until Ratiies casually pro
posed a raid
The older | grow. Bunny, the less |
think OF your so called precious stones.
When did they ever bring in half their
market value in pounds, shillngs and
pence: There was the first little crib
We ever cracked together-you with
your innocent eyes shut \ thousand
pounds that stuff was worth, but how
many hundreds did it actually fetch?
The Ardagh emeralds weren't much
better, old Lady Melrose's necklace
was far worse, but that little lot the
other night has about finished me. A
cool hundred for goods priced well
over four and $50 to come off for bait,
since we only got a tenner for the ring
| bought and paid for, like an ass
III be shot if ! ever touch a diamond
again-not if it was the KohinOOr,
Those few whacking stones are too
well known. and TO cut them up is to
decrease their value by arithmetiaal
retrogression. Besides. that brings
you up against the fence once more
and I'm done with the beggars for good
and all You talk about your editors
and publishers, you literary swine!
Barabbas was neither a robber nor a
publisher, but a six barreed, barbed
wire, spike topped fence. What we
really want is an incorporated society
Of thieves, with some public spirited
old forger to run 1t for us on business
lines"
Raffles uttered these blasphemies IN
der his breath. not, l am afraid, out of
any respect for my one redeeming
profession. but because we We're TAX
ing midnight airing on the roof after
a whole day Of June in the little fiat
below. The stars shone overhead, the
lights Of London underneath, and be-
tween the lips of Rallles a cigarette of
the old and only brand. | had sent in
secret for box of the best. The boon
had arrived that night, and the forego-
ing speech was the first result. l could
afford to ignore the insolent asides,
however, where the apparent eonten-
ton was so manifestly unsound.
"And how are you going to get rid
Of your gold?" said pertnently.
'Nothing easier, my dear rabbit"
rs your room of gold a roomful of
sovereigns?"
Raffles laughed softly at my scorn.
No, Bunny; it's principally in the
shape of archaic ornaments, whose
value | admit, is largely extrinsic.
But gold is gold from Phoenicia to
Klondike, and if we cleared the room
we should eventually do very we'll"
How"
Il should melt it down into "a nugget
and bring it home from the U. S. A.
tomorrow"
"And them"
"NIake them pay up in hard cash
across the counter Of the Bank of Eng.
land. And you can make them"
That | knew, so | said nothing for
time, remaining a hostile though silent
critic while we paced the cool black
leads with our bare feet softly as cats.
"And how do you propose to get
enough away at length asked. ito
make il worth whileT
"Ah. there you have it," said Raj
fes. Il only propose to reconnoiter
the ground Go see what we can see.
We might find some hiding place for
a night That. | am afraid. would be
our only chance"
"Have you ever been there beforeT'
mot since they got the one good
portable piece which believe they ex-
hiblt now. It's a long time since
read Of It'll can't remember where
but I know they have got gold cup
OF sorts worth several thousands. A
number Of the immorally rich dubbed
together and presented Il to the nation.
and two OF the richly immoral intend
to snafile II for themselves. At any
rate. we might 90 and have a look at
II, Bunny. don't you thinkY"
Think I seized his arm.
"When? WhenI Whenf" I asked.
like a quick firing gun.
"The sooner the better while old
Theobald's away on his honeymoon"
Our medico had married the week
before, nor was any fellow practition-
er taking his work, at least not that
considerable branch Of II which con-
sisted of Raffies, during his brief alb
sence from town. There were rea-
sons. delightfully."- obvious 10 us. why
such a plan would have been highly
unwise In Or. Theobald |. however,
was sending him daily screeds and
both matutlnal and nocturnal tehe-
grams. the composition OF which af-
forded Rallies not little enjoyment.
"Well, then. when whenT' I be-
gan to repeat.
Tomorrow. il you like"
"Only 10 lookf"
The limitation was my one regret
I'VE must do so. Bunny. before we
leap"
every we'll" sighed. "But tomor-
row il isl
And the morrow It really was.
saw the porter that night and. still
think. bought his absolute allegiance
for the second coin OF the realm My
story, however. invented by Ranles.
was sufficiently specious ia itself. That
sick gentleman, Mr.. Maturin tas I had
to remember 70 call him. was really
or apparently sickcnlng for fresh air
DIR. Theobald would allow him none.
ne was Fostering me Cor Just one day