The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-21
An
COSTUME
PIECE

For an instant l sf-ought that the hall
also was deserted. l was wrong, and
erept upon a Kaffir on all fours
Poor devil, l could not bring myself
TO deal him a base blow but [ threat
ened him most hideously with my re-
Volver, and left the white teeth chat
tering in his black he'd as [ took
the stairs three at time. Why l
went upstairs in that decisive fashion
as though 1t were my only course, I
cannot explain But garden and ground
hoor seemed alive with men, and l
might have done worse.
turned into the first room I came
To- 1t was bedroom-empty. though
III up; and never shall l forget how l
started as | entered. on encountering
the awful villain that was myself at
tull length in a pier-glassa Masked,
armed and ragged, l was indeed fit
carbon for a bullet or the hangman,
and to one or the other l made up my
mlnd. Nevertheless, l hid myself in
the wardrobe behind the mirror; and
there L stood shivering and cursing
my fate, my folly and Raffies most
of all-Raffies first and last-for
daresay half an hour. Then the ward
robe door was flung suddenly open;
they had stolen into the room without
sound; and l was hauled downstairs.
I'll i6hOitiiiiiohS captive
Gross scenes followed in the hall.
the ladies were now upon the stage,
and at sight of the desperate erimi-
nal they screamed with on accord In
truth l must have given them fair
cause, though my mask was now torn
away and hid nothing but my left
ear. Rosenthall answered their shriel<s
with a roar for silence; the woman
with the bath sponge hair swore at
him shrilly in return; the place became
Babel impossible to describe. l re-
member wondering how long it would
be before the police appeared. Purvis
and the ladies were for calling them
in and giving me in charge without
delay. Rosenthall would not hear of
it. He swore that he would shoot
man or woman who left his sight. He
had had enough of thu police He
was not going to have them coming
there to spoil sport; he was going to
deal with me in his own way. With
that he dragged me from all other
hands, flung me against a door. and
sent a bullet crashing through the
wood within an inch of my ear.
You drunken fool, It'll be MUIR
derl'' shouted Purvis, getting in the
way a second time.
''Wha' do / care? He's armed, isn't
he? I shot him in self-defense. It'll
be a warning to others. Will you
stand aside, or dye want it YOURSELF? %
you're drunk said Purvis, still
between us. 81 saw you take a neat
tumblerful since you come in. and it's
made you drunk as a fool. Pull your
self together, old man. You amt
a-going to do what you'll be sorry
for
Then I won't shoot at him. I'll
he
gar. You're quite right, ole Teller.
Wouldn't hurt him. Great mistake.
Roun an roun'. There like that!'
His freckled paw shot up over Pur-
Wis mauve lightning came from his
ring a red flash from his revolver.
and shrieks from the women as the
reverberations died away. Some splin-
tiers lodged In my hair.
Next instant the prize-fighter dis
armed him, and l was safe from the
devil. but finally doomed to the deep
sea. A policeman was in our midst
He had entered through the drawing
room window; he was an officer of
few words and creditable promptitude.
In a twinkling he had the handouts
on my wrists, while the pugilist ex-
planned the situation, and his patron
reviled the force and its representa-
tive with impotent malignity. A fine
watch they kept; a lot of good they
did; coming in when all was over and
the whole household might have been
murdered in their sleep. The officer
only deigned to notice him as he
marched me off
1--WE know all about you, sir said
he contemptuously, and he refused the
sovereign Purvis proffered. You will
be seeing me again, sir, at Maryle-
bone.h
Shall l come now
las you please, sir. I rather think
the other gentleman requires you
more. and 1 don't fancy this young
man means to give mucl trouble
''Oh, I'm coming quietly | said.
And | went.
In silence we traversed perhaps a
hundred yards. 1t must have been
midnight. We did not meet soul
AT last I whispered:
How on earth did you manage it?''
purely by luck" said Raffes. II
had the luck to get clear away
through knowing every trick of those
back-garden walls, and the double
luck to have these toys with the rest
over at Chelsea. The helmet is one
of a collection l made up at Oxford;
here it goes over this wall. and we'd
better carry the coat and belt before
we meet a real officer. | got them
once for a fancy Observation-Disclosures
thereby hangs yarn. | always
thought they might come in useful a
second time. My chief crux tonight
was getting rid of the hanson thS
brought me back. | sent him off
Scotland Yard with ten bob and a
special message to good old Macken-
zie. The whole detective department
will be at Rosenthalls in about half
an hour. OF course. I speculated on
our gentleman's hatred of the police
another huge slice of luck. II you'd
got away, we'll and good; II not, felt
he was the man to play with his mouse
as long as possible. Yes, Bunny, it's
been more of a costume piece than I
intended and we've come out of It
with a good deal less credit. But. by
Jove, we're jolly lucky to have come
out of 1t at all.''