Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-09-02

tine day lie toiu NE ne was SeltIuS
| on we'll, bat slowly. 1t was a more
tickIish game than he had thought,
| but when | began to ask questions he
would say no more. Then and there.
| in my annoyance, l took my own de-
cision. Since he would tell me moth
| ing of the result of his visits, l deter
mined TO keep one on my OWE account,
| and that very evening found my way
| to the millionaire's front gates.
The house he was occupying is. l
| 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 it happens,
| is bus route and L 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 We're low.
the millionaire and his friends obvious
ly spending their evening elsewhere.
| The garden walls were only n few
| feet high In one there was a side
! door opening into glass passage; in
| the other. two five-barred, grained and
vanished gates. one at either end of
the little semicircular 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. l was ON the point of doing
I so when l heard a quick, shutting
step on the pavement behind me. l
| turned round and faced the dark scowl
and the dirty clinched fists of dilapi-
| tated tramp.
You fool" said he. "You utter
IDIOT
"Raffiesr'
That's it," he whispered savagely;
tell all the neighborhoOd-give me
away at the top of your voice.
With that he turned his back upon
me and shambled down the road,
Struggling his shoulders and mutter-
ing to himself as though l had refused
him aims. 4 few moments l stood
astOunded. indignant, at n loss: then
l followed him. His feet trailed, his
knees gave, his back was bowed his
head kept nodding; it was the gait of
a man eighty years of age. Presently
lie waited for me midway between
two lamp posts. AS came up he was
lighting rank tobacco in Guilty pipe
with an evil smelling match. and the
flames showed me the suspicion of Il
smile.
You must forgive my heat, Bunny,
but it really was very foolish of you.
Here am l trying every dodge-beg-
ginS ut the door one night, hiding i'll
the shrubs the neXt-doing every NOR
tai thing but stand and stare Mt the
house us YOU went ana did. It's Il
costume piece, and in you rush in your
ordinary clothes. l tell You they're
on the lookout for us night and day.
Its the toughest nut l ever tackled
We'll" said /, IF you had told me
SO before l shouldn't have come. You
told me nothing"
lie looked hard at me from under
the broken brim of a battered billy
cock.
You're right" he said at length.
give been too close. It's become sec
ond nature with me when I've any
thing on, but here's an end of it, Bun
ny. so far as you're concerned. I'm
going home now, and l want you to
follow me, but for heavens sake keep
your distance and don't speak TO me
again until | 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 raggediy from side to side.
| 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 a
pitch-he who would only smoke one
brand of cigarettes 1t was the last,
least touch of the Unsuitable artist and
it charmed away what modification
there still remained in me. Once more
| felt the fascination OF Il comrade
who was forever dazzling one with Il
fresh and unsupported facet of his
character.
AS we neared Piccadilly / wondered
what he would do. Surely he was not
going into the Albany like that? No,
he took another omnibus to Sloane
street, l sitting behind him, as before.
At Sloane street we changed again,
and We're presently in the long lean
artery of the Kings road. | was now
all agog to know our destination, nor
was l kept many more minutes in
doubt. Raffles got down. / followed.
He crossed the road and disappeared
up Il dark turning. / 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 out
like u young man once more; also. in
some subtle way, he already looked
less disreputable. But / alone was
there to see him-the alley was abso-
lutely deserted and desperately dark.
At the farther end he opened door
with a latchkey, and it was darker
yet within.
Instinctively drew back and heard
him chuckle. We could no longer see
each other.