Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-08-26


/ hesive mud. We met no other way
farers on the deserted fagstones and
/ We're ourselves favored with very
| hard stare from the constable of the
| beat, who, however, touched his helmet
| ON recognizing my companion.
| You see. I'm known 10 the police"
I laughed Ratiies rs we passed OF. Poor
; devils, They've got 10 keep their wealth
I er eye open Oh Il night ike this. y fog
may he a bore 10 yOu and ms. Bunny.
but its 4 perfect godSeHd - the ,-.lni-
adl c!aSSc-. especially 50 late In thoir
season. Here we are, though. AMI I'm
hanged if tie beCgar isn't in bed ANA
: asleep after all"'
We had turned into Bond street and
/ had halted on the curb 4 few yards
! down on the right. RaficS was gaz-
| Ing up at some windows across the
! road. windows barely diSceruible
/ through the mist and without the gllm-
! mer of Il light 10 throw them out They
/ were over a jewelers. shop. as | could
| see by the peephole in the shop door
/ and the bright light burning within.
But the entire upper part" with tie
| private street door next the shop, WIS
| black and blank as the sky itself.
Better give it up for tonight" I
urged. surely the morning VIII be
time enough
Not bit of it, said RatfieS. Il
! have his key Wen surprise him.
! Come along"
! And. seiZ.uE my right arm, he luvrie
me across the road, opened the door
with his latchkey and in another mo-
mcnt had shut it swiftly bur softly
| behind us. Wa stood together in the
! dark. Outside, Il measured step WAS
! approaching. We had heard it through
the fog as we crossed the street. Now,
as it drew nearer, my companions
| fingers frightened on my arm.
1T may be the chap himself" he
whispered. He's the devil of Il night
! bird. Not = sound, Bunny! Wen star
tie the life out of him. All
The measured step had passed with
| out pause RatfleS drew Il deep
breath, and his singular grip of me
slowly relaxed.
Be still; not sound" he coutin-
ued in the same whisper. We'll take 4
| rise ont of him wherever he il. Slip eff
! your shoes and follow me"
Well you may wonder at my doing
| so, but you can never have met y. J.
RafileS Half his power lay in a con
| cilia1ing trick of sinking the com
mander in the leader. And il was i'm
posSiol" not TO follow one who led
with such "a zest. You might question.
but you followed first. So now, when
l heard him kick Off his own shoes.
did the same and was on the stairs at
l 1
traordiuary way was this of approach
ing Il stranger for money in the dead
of night. But obviously Rallies and
he were on exceptional terms of in
timacy, and | could not but infer that
they We're in the habit of playing prac-
teal jokes upon each other.
We CROPPED our way 50 slowly up
stairs that l had time to make more
than one note before we reached the
! top. The stair was interpreted. The
spread fingers of my right hand en-
cOuntered nothing on the damp wall.
Those of my left trailed through a
dust that could be felt on the bauis-
tiers. An eerie sensation had been up
on NE since we entered the house 1t
increased with every step we climbed.
What hermit We're we going To startIe
in his cell?
We came to a landing. The banis-
tiers led us to the left and to the left
again -Four steps more and we were
on another and Il longer landing, and
suddenly match bazed from the
black. l never heard II struck. Its
flash was binding. When my eyes
became accustomed TO the light there
was Raffies holding up the match with
one hand and shading it with the other
between bare boards, stripped walls
and the open doors of empty rooms.
where have YOU brought me-" 1
cried. The house is unOccupiedw
Hush! Waltz he whispered, and he
led the way into one of the empty
rooms. His match went out as we
crossed the threshold, and he struck
another without the slightest noise.
Then he stood with his back To me,
fumbling with something that / could
not see. But when he threw the second
match away there was some other
light in its stead and slight smell of
oil / stepped forward to look over his
shoulder. but before l could do so he
had turned and flashed a tiny lantern
in my face.
What's this:" l gasped. What rot
ten trick are you going To playt"
Its played" he answered, with his
quiet laugh.
"Ou me:'
Il m afraid 50, Bunny
Is there no one in the house, them
NO one but ourselves"
- il was mere chan about your
friend in Bond street who could let us
have that money!"
Not altogether. It's quite true that
Dandy is a friend Of mine"
"BanbyF'
The ieweler underneath"
What do you meant / whispered.
trembling Ike leaf as his meaning
ddWuci upon me. Are we u get the
a