Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-08-26
/ I Raffles,
!; GS5zai We Amateur
| SlYl Craftsman
RWU4WA% ~ By E. w. HoRNUNG
By E. w. HoRNUNG


/ that rigid jaw. that cold blue eye
/ which never glanced my way. l caught
/ MP my hat | Numbered TO my feet.
/ l would have gone without word,
+ but Rallies stood between me and the
+ door
! Where are You going" said lie.
/ That's my business" I replied. 81
won't trouble you any more"
Then how am l 10 help your"
| Il didn't ask your help"
: Then why come u me-"
Why, inGeed:' l echoed. VIII you
: let me pass"
Not until YOU tell me where You are
going and what you mean 10 do.
Can't you guess" ! cried. And for
. many seconds we stood staring in each
/ other eyes.
/ Have you got the pluck:' said he
/ breaking the spell in a tone so cynical
/ that ii brought my last drop of blood
TO the boil.
You shall see" said ], as l stepped
back and whipped the pistol from my
overcoat pocket Now. will you let
me pass or shall / do it hereF"
The barrel touched my temple ana
my thumb the trigger. Mad with ex-
element ~ ! was, ruined, dishonoreI
and now finally determined TO make an
end Of my misSpeUt life, my only sur
prise to this day * that ] did not do so
then and there. The GeSpicable satis-
/ faction of involving another in ones
destruction added its miserable appeal
/ 10 my baser cgoism, and had fear Or
P horror nnVrn "a my eATn9nfpTl-=
l shudder 10 think / might have died
diabolically happy with that look for
| my last imp.Ous consolation. 1t WAS
/ tile look that came instead which held
/ my hand. Neither fear nor horror was
/ in il. only wonder, admiration and
such measure of pleased expectancy
as caused me after all to pocket my
revolver with an oath.
You devil" I said. - believe you
wanted me 10 do it,
Not quite" was the reply. made
with little start and 81 change of col
or that came too late To tell YOU the
truth. though. ! half thought YOU
meant il. and l was never more faSci-
mated in my life. | never dreamed you
had such stuff in you, Bunny No. I'm
hanged if l let you go now. And you'd
better not try that game aga N. for You
wont catch me stand ana look on
second time We must think of some
way out of the mess ! had no idea
YOU were Il chap Of that sort. There.
let me have the gun
One Of his hands fell kindly on my
shoulder. while the other slipped into
my ovprcoat pocket. and I suffered him
I 60. 4. -,
murmur. Nor was this simply because
RatlleS had the subtle power Of making
himself irresistible at will He was
beyond comparison the most masterful
man whom | have ever known, yet my
aCqu!cSCenCe was due to more than
the mere subsection of the weaker ma
turc 10 the stronger. The forlOrn hope
which had brought me to the Albany
was turned as by magic into an almost
staggering sense of safety. Rallies
would help me after all. \. J. Raffies
would be my friend. It was as though
all the world had come round sudden
Iy TO my side. SO far. therefore, from
resisting his action. caught ana clasp
ell his hand with a fcrvor as uncon-
trOllahle as the frenzy which had pre-
Ceded IT,
God bless you" / cried Forgive
me for everything. l viii tell you the
truth. / did think you might help me
in my extremity. though | well knew
that / had no claim upon you. Still.
for the old schools sake-the sake of
old times thought you might give me
another chance If YOU wouldn't I
meant to blow out my brains. and viii
still If YOU change your mind"
In truth l feared that it was chang
ing. with his expression, even As
spoke. and in spite of his kindly tone
and kindlier use of my old school nick
name. His next words showed me my
mistake
What a boy it is for jumping 10 con
illusions, ! have my vices. Bunny. but
backing and filling i not one of them.
Sit down, my good fellow. and have a
cigarette 10 Soothe your nerves. ] ia
sist. Whisky The worst thing for
you Here's some coffee that I was
brewing when you came in Now
listen TO me. You speak Of another
chance What 10 you mean: AuptIJ-
ct chance at baCcaratg Not if I know
it. You think the luck must turn
Suppose Il didn't. We should only
have made bad worse. No. my dear
chap. you've plunged enough 10 You
put yourself in my hands or do You
notf Very We'll then you plunge no
more. and l undertake not TO present
my check. Unfortunately there are
the other men, and still more unforu-
nately. Bunny. I'm as hard up at this
moment as YOU are yourself"
Ii was my turn 10 stare at Rallies.
~Nont" | vOCiferaJed. You hard M:
How ana to sit here and believe that
Did / refuse 10 believe il OF youE-
he returned. smiling And with your
own experience do You think that be
cause a fellow has rooms ia this place
and belongs 20 4 club or two and plays
little cricket he must necesssr iiv