The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-10-06


80 you're Mr. Rallies friendY' said
he, overhauling me rather rudelv with
his light, small eyes. Seen ANYTHING
Of HIM? Expectel him early to show
me something. but he's never come"
No more evidently had his telegram
and my troubles We're beginning early
| said l had not seen Raffles since
o'clock, telling the truth with JUNCTION
while | could. Even as we spoke there
came knock at the door. 1t was the
telegram u; last, and. after reading if
himself, the Queenslander handed it 10
me.
Called ont of town. he grumbled
Sudden illness of near relative! What
near relatives has he got?"
L knew of none and for an instant I
quailed before the peril of invention.
Then | replied that | had never met
any Of his people and again felt forti.
fed by Gly yeracity.
Thought you were bosom pals - said
he, with (as | imagined a CLEAN of
suspicion in his crafty little eyes.
only in town." said l. 1--WE never
been to his place.
We'll" he .growled, Il suppose it
can't be helped. Don't know why he
couldn't come and have his dinner first
Like to see the deathbed I'd go to with
out my dinner. Its full skin billet if
you ask me. Well, we must Just dine
without him, and hen have to buy his
pig in poke after ALL Mind touching
that bell? Suppose You know what he
came to see me about? Sorry | shan't
see him again, for his own sake.
liked Raffles-tOok to him amazingly
He's a cynic. Like cynics One nv.
self. Rank bad form of his mother or
his aunt and l hope she will go and
kick the bucket"
| connect these specimens of his CON
versation though they were doubtless
detached at the time and interspersed
with remarks of mine here and there.
They filed the interval until dinner
was served, and they gave me an i'm
preston of the man which his every
subsequent utterance confirmed 1t
was an impression which did away
with all remorse for my treacherous
presence AT his table He was that ter.
rible type, the silly cynic, his aim
caustic commentary on all things and
all men, his achievement mere vulgar
irreverence and uninteligent scorn.
Ill bred and i'll informed, he had ton
his own showing) tluked into fortune
on rise in land. Yet cunning he pos
sessed as well as malice, and he chuc-
Killed. till he choked over the misfortune
of less astute spectators in the same
boom. Even now | cannot feel much
compsnction for my behavior to the
Hon. ]. NJ. Craggs, NJ. L. c.
But never shall I forget the private
agonies of the situation, the listening
to my host with one ear and for
Raffles with the other! Once | heard
him, though the rooms were net di-
vided by the old fashioned folding
doors, and, though the door that did
divide them was not only shut. but
richly curtained, l could have sworn
1 heard him once. 1 spilled my wine
and laughed at the top of my voice
at some coarse sally Of my hosts,
and heard nothing more though my
ears were on the strain. But later, to
my horror, when the waiter had final
~ withdrawn, Craggs himself sprang
up and rushed to his bedroom with
out a word. l sat Hike stone till he
returned.
Thought / heard a door CO." he
said. Must have been mistaken
magination-gave me quite a turn.
Rallies tell you priceless treasure l
got In there?"
1t was the picture at last. Up to
this point l had kept him to Queens
land and the making of his pile.
tried to get him back there now, but
in vain. He was reminded Of his
great, i'll gotten possession. said
that Raffies had just mentioned it,
and that set him off. With the con-
fidential garrulity of man who had
dined too well he plunged into his
darling topic, and l looked past him
at the clock 1t was only quarter
to 10.
In common decency l could not go
yet, so there | sat 1--WE were still at
port and learned what had originally
fired my hosts ambition to possess
what he was pleased to call real,
genuine, twin screw, double funneled,
copper bottom old master" 1t was to
Ego one better than some rival legis-
lator of pictorial proclivities. But even
an epitome of his monOlogue would
be so much WEAKNESS. Suffice it that
it ended inevitably in the invitation
| had dreaded all the evening.
But you must see it. Next room.
This way"
Isn't it packed up?" inquired has
tily.
Lock and key. That's all"
pray don't trouble" l urged.
"Trouble be hangedr' said he.
"Come along"
And all at once l saw that to re-
sist him further would be to heap sus-
picion upon myself against the mo-
ment Of impending discovery. | there
fore followed him into his bedroom
| without further protest and suffered
| him first to show me the iron map
! case, which stood in one corner. He
took a crafty pride in this receptacle,
and | thought he would never cease