, 1905-11-23
By E. w. HORNUNG

ate tflillnal. lie WOGll make myS-
teries of matters of common concern.
For example. l never knew how or
where he disposed OF the Bond street
jewels. III the proceeds of which we
were both still leading the outward
lives of hundreds of other young fci.
lows nh own. lie was consistently
mystcr, .,bout that and other de
tails, Of which it seemed to me that ]
had already earned the right to know
everything. | could not but remcm
her how he had led me into my first
felony by means of n trick while vet
uncertain whether he could trust me o"
not. That I could no LONGER afford 10
resent. but | did resent his want of
confidence in me now. ! said nothing
about it. but It ranked every day and
eve more than in the week that SIG
ccet'of the Roscnthall dinner. WlCn
I mot Rallies Mt the club he would tell
me nothing. Who ! went TO his rooms
he WAS out. or pretended to be.
On, Day he told me lie WAS getting
on well, but slowly. 1t was a more
tickli#h game th,.A he had thought.
but when l began to ask questions he
would say no moro. Then and there.
in my annoyance. | took NY own de-
cision. Since he would tell me moth
ing of the result of his visits, l deter
mined to keep one on my w 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 liSfr.ic. If Stpn1S in ihn
angle formed by two broad thorough
fares, neither Of which, as it happens.
is a bus route. and l doubt If man,;
Quicter spots exist within the four
mile radius. Quiet also was tie great
square house. in its garden of g-ass
plots and shrubs: the lights were low.
the millionaire md his friends obvio"S-
ly spending their evening elsewhere.
The garden walls were only Il few
feet high. In IL there was n side
door opening into Il glass passage: in
the other. two five-barrcd, grained and
vanished gates. n at either mt of
the little se~micircu!ar drive. and both
wide open. So still was the place that
l had n great mind to walk boldly il
and learn something of the premises:
In fact, l was on the point OF doing
so when l heard n quick. shufiing
step on the pavement behind me. l
turned round and faced the dark scowl
and the dirty clinchcd fists of Il dilap!-
tated tramp.
You FOOL said be. You utter
IDIOT"
"Rafles!"
That's it," he whispered savaGcly:
tell all the neighborhood-give me
away at the top of your voice"
With that he turned his back upon
me and shamblcd down tie road.
Struggling his shoulders and mu:tcr-
ing to himself as though l had refused
him aims. 4 few moments | stool
a%stounded. indignant. at n loss; then
l followed him. His feet trailcd. his
knees gave. his back was bowed, his
head kept noddirg; it was the gait Of
n man eighty years of age. Presently
he waited for me midway between
two lamp posts. AS l came up he was
lighting rank tobacco in Il 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 | trying every dodGe-bcg-
ging Mt the door one night. hiding in
the shrubs the neXt-doing every mo--
tai thing but stand and stare at the
house as you went and did. It's n
costume piece. and in you rush in your
ordinary clothes. I tell You they're
on the lookout for us night ana day.
It's the toughest nut l ever tackled"
Well" said l, 'if you had told me
so before l shouldn't have come. You
told me nothing"
He looked hard Mt me from under
the broken brim of n battered billy
cock.
You're right" he said at length.
"I've 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 | 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 n start" And lie was Off
again, a decrepit vaGabond. with his
hands in his pockets. his elbows
squared and fraycd coat tails swing.
ing raggedly from side to side.
l followed him to the Finchlcv road.
There he took an Atlas omnibus, and
| sat some rows behind him oil the
top, but not far enough to escape the
pest OF his vile tobacco. That he could
carry his character sketch to such n
pitcii-he who would only smoke 4
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
l felt the fascination of II com.ade
who was forever dazzling one with a
fresh and unsupported facet of his
character.
AS we nearcd ~Ticcadilly I wondered