The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-09-08
PART SIMPLY TO STAND WITH THE DARK LANTERN
Posed by Kyrle Bellew.

with my eyes as the minutes passed
The room was the good sized square
one, with the folding doors. the marble
mantelpiece and the gloomy. old fash
Toned distinction peculiar to the AL
bany. 1t was charmingly furnished
and arranged, with the right amount
of taste. What struck me most, how
ever. was the absence of the usual in
sigma of cricketer'S den. Instead of
the conventional rack of war worn
bats a carved bookcase. with every
shelf in 4 litter. filled the better part
of one wall, and where | looked for
cricketing groups found reproduc-
tons of such works as Love and
Death and The Blessed Damozel" in
dusty frames and different parallels
The man might have been a minor
poet instead of an athlete of the first
water. But there had always been
fine streak of aestheticism in his com
pick composition. Some Of these very
pictures ! had myself busted in his
study at school, and they set me think
ing of yet another of his many sides
and Of the little incident 10 which he
had just referred
Everybody knows Low largely the
tone of public schoo! depends on that
of the eleven and ON the character OF
the captain of cricket in particular.
and have never heard It denied that
in A. ] Rafiles time our tone was
good or that such influence as he trou.
bled to exert was on the side of the
angels. Yet ii was whispered in the
school that he was in the habit of pa
rading the town at night in loud checks
and false beard IT was whispered
and diSbeieved | alone knew it for
fact. for night after night had pulled
the rope up after him when the ri of
the dormitory were asleep and kept
awake by the hour to let it down again
on a given signal Well. one night he
was overbold and within an ace of ig-
nominious expulsion in the heyday Of
his fame. ConSummate daring and ex-
traordinary nerve on his part aided
doubtless by some little presence Of
mind on mine. averted that untoward
result. and no more need be said of n
discreditable incident. But cannot
pretend to have forgotten it in throwing
myself on this mans mercy in my des-
peration. And | was wondering how
much of his leniency was owing to the
fact that Raffies had not forgotten it
either when he stopped and stood over
my chair once more
1--we been thinking of that night we
had the narrow squeak" he began.
"Why do you start:"
Il was thinking of it too"
He smiled as though he had read my
thoughts.
We'll, you were the right sort of
little beggar then. Bunny. You didn't
talk, and you didn't finch. You asked
no questions. and you told no tales.
/ wonder If you're like that now"
Il don't know" said l. Slightly puz.
zled by his tone. I've made such a
mess of my own affairs that l trust
myself about as little as I'm likely to
be trusted by anybody else, yet never
In my life went back on a friend /
will say that; otherwise perhaps /
mightn't be in such hole tonight"
Exactly" said Raffles. nodding to
himself as though In assent to some
hidden train of thought-"exactly
what l remember Of you, and I'll bet
it's as true now as 1t was ten years
ago. We don't alter, Bunny: we only
develop. suppose neither OF us
is really altered since you used to let
down that rope and used to come up
1t hand over hand. You would stick at
nothing for a pal-what?"
AT nothing in this world" / was
pleased to cry.
Not even at a crlme?" said Rafiles,
smiling
l stopped TO think, for his tone had
changed, and ] felt sure he was chat.
ing me, yet his eye seemed as much in
earnest as ever, and for my part / was
in no mood for reservations.
NO. not even at that" / declared
Name your crime. and I'm your man."
He looked at me one moment In
wonder and another moment in doubt.
then turned the matter Of with shake
of his bead and the little cynical laugh
that was all his own
You're nice chap. Bunny A real