Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-09-02

Even tnat little business last month
was sorlid affair. but il was neces-
sary. and / think its strategy redeem
cal IT to some extent. Now. there's
some credit and more sport in going
where they boast they're on their
guard against you. The Bank of Eng
land. for example. is the ideal crib.
but that would need half a dozen of Us
with years TO give to the job. and
meanwhile Reuben Rosenthall is high
enough game for you and me. We
know hes armed. We know how Billy
Purvis can fight It'll he no soft thing.
grant YOU. But what of that. my
good Bunny-what of that? y mans
reach must exceed his grasp, dear boy,
or what the dickens is Il heaven for:'
81 would rather we didn't exceed
ours just YET / answered. laughing.
for his spirit was irresistible and the
plan was growing upon me despite my
aCalms.
Trust me for that was his reply.
''I'll see you through. After all. / eX-
pect to find that the difficulties are
nearly all on the surface. These fel
lows both drink IKE the dcrn. and
that should simplify matters consid-
erably. But we shall SEE, and we must
take our time. There Will probably
turn out to be dozen different WAYS
in which the thing might be done ard
we shall have to choose between them.
IL Will mean watching the house for
at least a week in any case. 1t may
mean lots of other things that viii
take much longer, but give me Il week
and l will tell you more-that's 10
say, if you're really on
'Of course / am replied indig-
nIntly, but why should l give you Il
week? Why shouldn't we watch the
house together:'
because two eyes are as good as
four and take up less room. Never
hunt in couples unless you're obliged.
Bat don't you look offended, Bunny;
there'll be plenty for you to do when
the time comes; that / promise You.
You shall have your share Of the fun.
never fear, and purple diamond all
To yourself-if We're lucky"
On the whole. however this CONVEX
satiOn left me less than lukewarm. and
/ still remember the depression which
! saw the folly of the enterprise to
which / had committed myself-the
sheer, gratuitous, unnecessary folly of
il. And the paradOXes in which Raj
fies reveled and the frivolous caSuiS-
try which was nevertheless half sin
cere and which his mere personality
rendered wholly plausible ut the mo-
ment of utterance appealed very little
TO Inc when recalled in cold blood.
admired the spirit of pure mischief in
which he seemed prepared TO risk his
liberty and his life. but l did not find
ii an infectious spirit on calm rcliec-
ton. Yet the thought of withdrawal
WAS not to be entertained for Il mo-
mcnt. On the contrary. ! WAS impa-
ticnt of the delay ordained by Rnliles
and perhaps no small part Of my Sc
cret diSafrection came of his CALLING de-
termination to 90 without me until the
last moment.
1t made il no better that this was
characteristic Of the man anu OF his
attitude toward me. For Il month we
had been, | suppose. the thickeSt
thieves in all London. and yet our in
timacy was cUriOuSly incomplete
With all his charming franknesS there
was in Rallies vein of caprciouS re-
serve which was perceptible enough
to be very irritating. He had the in
stinctive secretiveness of the inveter-
ate criminal. He would make mys-
tericS of matters of common concern.
For example, 1 never knew how or
where he disposed of the Bond street
jewels. Oh the proceeds of which we
We're both still leading the outward
lives of hundreds of other young fell
lows about town. He was consistently
mysterious about that and other de-
tails, of which it seemed to me that
had already earned the right to know
everything. | could not but rcmcm-
Der how he had led me into my first
felony by means of a trick while yet
uncertain whether he could trust me or
not. That could no longer afford to
resent. but i did resent his want of
confidence in me now. ! said nothing
about it, but it ranked every day and
never more than in the week that sue
cecded the Rosenthall dinner. When
/ met Rafiies ut the club he would tell
me nothing. When | went to his rooms
he was out. or pretended to be.