The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-21

example, lineXer Knew how or where
he disposed of the Bond street Jewels
on the proceeds Of which we were both
still leading the outward lives of hun
dreds of other young fellows about
town.t lie was consistently mysterious
about That andi other details, of which
1t seemed to me that l had already
earned the right to know everything.
J could not but remeber how he had
led me into my first felony by means
OF trick, while yet uncertain wheth-
err he could trust me or not. That I
could no longer afford to resent. but
l did resent his want of confidence In
me now. I said nothing about it. but
ranked every day. and never more
than in the week that succeeded the
Rosenthall dinner. When I met Raj
fles at the club he would tell me moth
ing; when l went to his rooms he was
out. or pretended to be-.
One day he told me he was getting
on well, but slowly; 1t was a more
ticklish game than he had thought;
but when I began tosask questions he
would say no more Then and there,
in my annoyance, took my own de-
cision. Since he would tell me nothing
of the result of his yigils, determined
to keep one on my own account, and
that very evening found my way to
the millionaire's front gates.
The house he was occupying is, [
believe. quite the largest in the st.
Johns Wood district. 1t stands in the
angle formed by two broad thorough
fares, neither of which, as 1t happens,
is bus route. and | doubt If many
quieter spots exist within the four
mile radius. Quiet also was the great
square house. in its garden of grass
plots and shrubs: the lights were low,
hf mil on 20 fad nhNin11c-
ly spending their evening elsewhere.
The garden wall were only few feet
high. In one there was a. side door
opening into a glass passage in the
other two fve-barred grained and var
nished gates, one at either end of the
little semi-cireular drive, and both
wide open. So still was the place that
| had great mind to walk boldly In
and learn something of the premises;
in fact. / was on the point of doing so
when ] heard a quick, shutting step
on the pavement behind me. | turned
round and faced the dark scowl and
the dirty clinehed fists of dilapidated
tramp.
you fool" said he you utter
IDIOT"
~Raffesv'
That's it, he whispered. savagely;
tell all the neighborhood-give me
With that he turned his back upon
me and shambled down the road,
Struggling his shoulders and mutter-
ing to himself as though I had refused
him aims. A few moments | stood
astounded Indignant, at loss; then [
followed him. His feet trailed, his
knees gave, his back was bowed his
head kept nodding: 1t was the gait of
man eighty years of age. Presently
II. I..f.
lampposts. As | came up he was
lighting rank tobacco in a Guilty pipe
with an evil-smelling match, and the
flames showed me the suspicion of
smile.
"You must forgive my heat, Bunny,
but it really was very foolish of you.
Here ann trying every dodge-begging
at the door one night-hiding in the
shrubs the next-doing every mortal
thing but stand and stare at the house
as you went and did. It's a costume
piece, and in you rush i'm your ordi-
nary clothes. I tell you they're on
the lookout for us night and day. It's
the toughest nut | ever tackled
well" said T. ''if you had told me
so before / shouldn't have come. You
told me nothing"
He looked hard at me from under
the broken brim of a battered billy
cock
you're right he said at length.
eve been too close. It's become sec
ond nature with me when I've any
thing on. But here's an end of it.
Bunny. so far as you're concerned.
I'm going home now, and ] want you
to- follow me; but for heavens sake
keep your distance and don't speak to
me again until I speak to you There
give me start" And he was off
again, a decrepit vagabond, with his
hands in his pockets, his elbows
squared and frayed coat-tails swing
ing raggedly from side to side.
I followed him to the Finchley road
There he took an Atlas omnibus. and
sat some rows behind him on the
top. but not far enough to escape the
pest of his vile tobacco. That he could
carry his character sketch to such
pitch--he who would only smoke one
brand of cigarettesl II was the last
least touch of the Unsuitable artist and
1t charmed away what modification
there still remained in me- Once more
I felt the fascination of a comrade
who was forever dazzling one with a
fresh and unsupported facet of his
character.
AS we neared Piccadilly I wondered
what he would do. Surely he was not
going into the Albany like that? No
he took another omnibus to Sloane
street. I sitting behind him as before
At Sloane street changed again.
and were presently in the long lean
artery of the Kings road was now
all agog to know our destination. nor
was 7 kept many more minutes in
doubt Raffles got down. I followed
He crossed the road and disappeared
up a dark turning. I pressed after
him, and was In time to see his coat
tails as he plunged into a still darker
tagged alley to the right. He was
holding himself up and stepping ont
lilo 1-ottpo man onca mora. also ",