The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-10-27

him when single glance convinced
me that his pockets were as empty as
his hands and his mad outrage the
most wanton and reckless of his whole
career.
"Ah, very interesting. very interest
ing. but nothing to what they have in
the museum at Naples or in Pompeii
itself. You must go there some day,
Bunny I've Il good mind TO take you
myself Meanwhle-slow march-the
beggar hasn't moved an eyelid. We
may swing for him if you show in
decent haste"'
I'VE" | whispered. WEI
And my knees knocked together as
we came up to the chatting attendants.
But Rallies must needs interrupt them
to ask the way to the prehistoric sa-
loon.
AT the top of the stairs"
THANK you. Then We'll work round
that way to the Egyptian part"
And we left them reSuming their
providential chat.
81 believe you're mad" | said bit.
terly as we went
"a hundred and thrty-nine yards,
wasn't ito said Rafiies. 'Then it can't
be more than a hundred and twenty
now-not as much, Steady, Bunny. for
Gods sake. It's slow march-for our
lives"
There was this much management.
The rest was our colossal (dck. A
hanson was being paid off ut the foot
of the steps outside. and in we jumped,
Rallies shouting "Charing Cross" for
all Bloomsbury to hear
We had turned into Bloomsbury
street without exchanging a syllable
when he struck the trapdoor with his
fist.
where the devil are you driving
u.s."
"Charing Cross, sir"
81 said Kings Cross! Round you
spin and drive like blazes or we miss
our train. There's one to York at
1880" added RafIles as the trapdoor
slammed. well book there, Bunny,
and then We'll slope through the sub
way to the Metropolitan, and so to
ground via Baker street and Earl's
Court"
And actually in half an hour he was
seated once more in the hired carry
ing chair, while the porter and l stag
gered upstairs with my decrepit charge,
for whose shattered strength even one
hour in Kew gardens had proved too
muchl Then, and not till then, when
we had got rid of the porter and were
alone at last did l tell Rallies, in the
most nervous English at my command
frankly and exactly what | thought of
him and of his latest deed. Once start
ed, moreover, spoke as have seldom
spoken to living man, and Rallies, of
all men, stood my abuse without a
murmur, or, rather, he sat it out, too
astounded even to take off his hat.
though | thought his eyebrows would
have lifted it from his head.
'But it always was your Internal
way" I was savagely concluding. you
make one plan and you tell me an
other
'Not today, Bunny, l swearw
"You mean to tell me you really did
start with the bare idea of finding a
place to hide in for night?"
'Of course | did"
ut was to be the mere reconnoiter
you pretended"
There was no pretense about it.,
Bunny"
"Then why on earth go and do what
you did,"
"The reason would be obvious to any
one but you," said Raffles. still with
no unkindly scorn. 1T was the temp
tation of a minute, the final impulse
of the fraction of a second, when Ro-
berto saw that was tempted and let
me see that he saw it. It's not thing
| care to do, and | shan't be happy till
the papers tell me the poor devil is
alive. But n Knockout shot was the
only chance for lis then"
"Why? You don't get run in for be-
ing tempted nor yet for showing that
you are!'
But should have deserved running
in if hadn't yielded to such a tempta-
ton as that, Bunny. 1t was a chance
In a hundred thousand We might go
there every day Of our lives and never
again be the only outsiders in the
room, with the billiard marking John
ME practically out of oarshot Mt one
and the same time. 1t was a gift fr0m
the gods. Not to have taken it would
have been flying in the face of Proyi-
dence."
But you didn't take it" said |, "You
went and left it behind"
| wish ! had kodak for the little
smile with which Rallies shook his
head. for it was one that he kept for
those great moments of which our vo-
cation is not devoid. All this time he
had been wearing his hat tilted little
over eyebrows no longer raised. And
now at last | knew where the gold
cup was.
1t stood for days upon his chimney
piece, this costly trophy whose ancient