News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1905-12-20
RAFFLtS,
The Amateur
CraCkSman.
By E. w. HOTnung.

OIu JOuuSOnS lace VIII DE Il treat
when he sees it; won't go Dragging
about his pictures much more Why,
this ones worth all the pictures in
the colony O. Queensland put together;
worth 100000, my boy-and l got it
for fiver'
He dug me in the ribs and seemed
in the mood for further condolences.
My appearance checked him, and be
rubbed his hands.
eff you take it like that" he
ehuckled, chow will old Johnson take
1T? Go out and hang himself to his
own picture rods, l hOpe"'
Heaven knows what | contrived to
say at last. Struck speechless first by
my relief, / continued sileu. from a
very different cause. a new tangle of
emotions tied my tongue. Raffles had
failed! Rafties had failed Could l not
succeed? Was it too late? Was there
NO way?
$50 long" he said, taking last look
at the canvas before he rolled it up,
$50 long till we get to Brisbane"
The tutter l was in as he closed the
case!
Tor the last time" he went on as
his keys jingIed back into his pocket.
ut goes straight into the strong room
on board"
For the last time! If l could but
send him out to Australia with only it's
leg timate contents in his precious
map case! If l could but succeed
where Ra1lles had failed!
We returned to the other room. /
nave no notion how long he talked or
what about. Whisky and soda water
became the order of the hour. 1 scarce
ly touched it, but he drank copiousIy,
and before II | left him incoherent.
And the last train for Esher was the
11:50 out of Waterloo.
l took a ransom to my rooms.
was back at the hotel in thirteen min
utes. l walked Upstairs. The corri-
dor was empty. l stood an instant ON
the sitting room threshold, heard a
snore within and admitted myself
softly with my gentlemans own key,
which it had been very simple matter
to take away with me.
Craggs never moved. He was
stretched on the sofa fast asleep, but
not fast enough for me. l saturated
my handkerchief with the chloroform
L had brought and laid it gently over
his mouth. Two or three stertorous
breaths, and the man was a log.
I removed the handkerchief | ex-
tracted the keys from his pocket In
less than five minutes | put them back
after winding the picture about my
body beneath my Inverness cape. l
took some whisky and soda water be-
fore I went.
The train was easily caught-so
easily that / trembled for ten minutes
IN my first class smoking carriage, in
terror of every footstep on the plat
form, in unreasonable terror till the
end. Then at last l sat back and lit
a cigarette, and the lights of Waterloo
reeled out behind.
Some men were returning from the
theater. ! can recall their conversa-
ton even now. They were dsappont-
ed with the piece they had seen. 1t
was one of the later Savoy operas, and
they spoke wistfully of the days Of
"Pinafore" and Patience" One of
them hummed 4 staye, and there was
an argument as to whether the air was
out of Patience" or THE Mikado."
They all got out at Surbiton, and | was
alone with my triumph for a fcw in
UoXicating minutes To think that |
Mad succeeded where RafIles had
failed! Of all our adventures this was
the first in which | had played a COM
manding part, and of them all this
was infinitely the least discreditable.
1t left me without conscientious
qualm. I had hut robbed Il robber
when all was said. And l had done it
myself single landcd-ipse cgomet!
l pictured RalIles, his surprise and
delight. He would think a little more
of me in future. And that future-it
should be different We had $4,000
apiece surely enough to start afresh
as honest mcn-and all through me!
IN a glof sprang out at Esher and
took the 'one belated cab that was
waiting under the bridge In a per-
ACNI ItNNl L DtllNiNi ID ODALI IltAll, w III
the lower story still lit UP, and saw the
front door open as l climbed the steps.
Thought it was YOU" said RafIles
eheerily. ITS all right. There's
Bed for you. Sir Bernard's sitting up
TO shake your hand"
His good spirits disappointed me.
But l knew the man. He was one of
those who wear their brightest smile in
the blacklist hour. l knew him too
well by this time to be deceived.
"I've got it!' cried in his ear. "I've
got it,
Got what?" he asked me, stepping
back
'The picture"
'What?"
'The picture! He showed it me. You
had to go without it. l saw that. So
determined to have it. And here it
S."
''Let's see," said Raffies grimly.
I threw off my cape and unwound
fhe canvas from about my body. While
i was doing so an untidy old gentle
~