The San Francisco call., 1905-08-06

~ I have had occasion TO remark
elsewhere. the pick Of our ex-
sl9its' from rom frankly ids.t eTilni9al rim 9or
the comparatively pure purposes
OF these papers. They might be appreci-
ated in trade journal Qf only that want
could be suDplied) by skilled manipula-
tors Of the jimmy and the large light
bunch. but as records Of unbroken yet
Insignificant success they would be found
at once 100 trivial and too technical If
not sordid and Improbable into the bar
sain. The latter epithets and worse have
iudeed already been applied, if not 10
Rafies and all his works at least TO
mine upon RafIies by more than one
werthy wieider of a virtuous pen. I need
uOt say h9w hsSTtily 1 disagree with that
truly Dieus opinion So far from admit
ting a single werd Of IL I maintain IL is
the iiveiiest warning that ! am giving TO
the world. Raffies was a genius and he
could not make it pay Rafles had in
Nention. resources, Incompatible audac-
ity and nerve in ten thousand. He was
both st7ategian and tactician. and we all
now know the difference between the
TWO. Yet for months he had been hiding
o. like a rat IN q hole. unable TO show even
mis- altered face by night or day without
three inches Of conspicuous Grape. Then
thus far our rewards had oftener than
not been 10 reward at all. Altogether it
was 4 very different story from the old
FESTIVE, upsuspected club and cricket
days, with their noctes ambrolsianae at
the Albany.
And now. in addition 20 the eternal peril
~ recognition there was yet another
menace = which ! knew nothing
thought no more Of our Eeapolitan organ
rrinders. though / did often think OF the.
moving page that they had torn for me
out Of my friends strange life in Italy.
Rafhes never alluded 10 the subject
again. and for my part I had earnestly
forgotten his wild ideas connecting the
organ-grinders with the Camorra and
imagining them upon his own tracks 1
heard no more of il and thought as lit
tie, as say. Then one night in the
autunnn-I shrink from shocking the sus-
cepible Tor nothing-but there was a
certain house In Palace Gardens, and
when we got there Raf1ies would pass
on could see no soul in sight no
glinlmer in the windows. But Raffles
had my arm. and on we went without
talking about il. Sharp to the left on
be Noting Hill SIDE, sharper still UP
Silver street, little tscking west and
south. a plunge across High street and
presently we were home
o1dAi-cr AtASAs cdlQ hdlIeS WIFI as
much authority as though il mattered. 1t
vas warm night. however. though Sep
tember ana I did not mind till came in
clad rs NJ commanded to find the auto
crst himself still booted and capped He
Was peeping through The blind and the
gas was sthl turned down. Bat he said
that ] could turn it up as he helped him
self n cigarette and nothing with it.
Nay 7 mix sou one?' said l.
No, thanks"
What's the trouble2"
we were followed
"Neverg'
. fou ilever saw IT."
Bat YOU never looked round.'
Il have an eye at the back of each ear.
Bunny"
heined myself and I fear with less
nooeiation than might have been the
osse minute before
so that Was Why
7 bat was why. said Rafhes. noddinc;
bet he cic not smile and put down my
G.asS untouched.
They were following US thenr'
All I'D Palace Gardens"
J thought Won wound about coming
back over the hiIl."
Nevertheless enc CT them's in the
street below az this moment"
Nc. he was not foolfng me. He was
very grim. And be had not taken of a
u.lns perhaps nc did not think it worth
while.
plain olothes2" I sighed, following the
sartoIiai train Of thought even to the
lrathly arrows that had decorated my
person once already for a little aeon.
Next time they would give me double.
The skiily was in my stomach when /
saw Rallies face.
':Who said It was the police, Bunny2''
said he Its the Italians. They're only
after me; they won't hurt hair Of your
lfad. let alone cropping il, Have drink
apd oop't mind me. ! shall score them
OF before I'm done"
And III hcln your
20. old chap you won't This is nv
Own little show. I've known about 1t for
weeks. ] first tumbled to it the day
these Aeapolitans came back with their
organs. Though ] didn't seriously suspect
things then; they never came again,
those two. they had done their part.
That's the camorra all over. from all
accounts. The Count I told you about is
pretty high up in 1t by the way he