The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-14

alone knew it for a fact, for night
after night had l pulled the rope up
after him when the rest of the DOR
mintory were asleep and Kept awake
by the hour 10 let 1t down again on
a given signal Well, one night he
was over-bold and within an ace of
1gnominious expulsion in the heyday
of his fame. Consummate daring and
extraordinary 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
a disereditable incident Eut l cam
not pretend to have forgotten ii in
throwing myself on this mans mercy
in my desperation. And | was WON
dering how much of his lenieney was
owing to the fact that Raffles had not
forgotten 1t either. when he stopped
and stood over my chair once more.
I've been thinking of that night we
had the narrow squeak" he began.
Why do you start?"
II 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?"
wi huOWt Sdiu 4. slightly puA-
zled by his tone I've made such a
mess of my own affairs that I trust
myself about as little as I'm liikely TO
be trusted by anybody else. Yet |
never in my life went back on
friend, l viii say that, otherwise. per-
haps, I mightnt be in such a hole
tonight"
Exactly said Raffles nodding to
himself, as though in assent to some
-
what | 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. l suppose neither you
nor | am really altered since you used
to let down the rope and l used TO
come up it hand over hand. You
would stick at nothing for a pal
WHAT"
AT nothing in this world" l was
pleased to cry.
mot even at crime?" said Raj
fies, smiling.
stopped to think, for his tore had
changed, and I felt sure he was chaff-
Ing me. Yet his eye seemed as much
In earnest as ever. and FOR my part
I was in, no mood for reservations.
No not even at that" l declared;
maine your, crime, and I'm your man."
He looked at me one moment in
NbIueI anu dfiDiIOI InOnltHI III uOuDl,
then turned the matter off with a
shake of his head and the little cynical
laugh that was all his own
You're nice chap. Bunny real
desperate character-what? Suicide
one moment any crime I like the
next! What you want is a drag,
my boy. and you did well to come
to decent law abiding citizen with
a reputation to lose. None the less
we must have that money tonight
by hook or crook"
Tonight Raffles?"
''The sooner the better. Every hour
after 10 o'clock tomorrow morning Is
an hour Of risk. Let one of those
checks get around to your own bank.
and you are dishonored together. No,
we must raise the wind tonight and
reopen your account the first thing
tomorrow. And I rather think know
where the wind can be raised
'At o'clock in the morning.
Yes"
"But how-but where-at such an
hour?'
From friend Of mine here in Bond
street"
Tie must be very intimate
friend."
eliminates not the word I have the
run of his place and a latch key all to
myself"
"You would knock him up at this
hour of night2
If he's in bed
.'And it's essential that should go
with your"
Absolutely
"Then I must; but I'm bound to say
I don't like the idea Rafhes''
''Do you prefer the alternate?" ask
ed my companion with a sheer. mo.
hang it, that's unfairr' he cried
apologetically in the same breath II
quite understand It's a beastly ordeal
But It would never 90 for you to stay
outside | tell you what. yau shall
have peg before we start-just one
There's the whiskey, here's a sipon,
and I'll be putting on an oyercoat
while YOU help yourself"
''Well, I daresay I did so with some
freedom. for this plan of his was not
the less dstasteful to me from it's APP
parent inevitability. I must own, how
ever, that 1t possessed fewer terrors
before my glass was empty. Mean
while Raffies rejoined me, with a COW
ert coat over his blazer, and a soft
felt hat set carelessly on the curly
head he shook with smile as passed
him the decanter.
when we come back" he said.
Work first, play afterward Do you
see what day II is?' he added. tear
ing a leaflet from a Shakespearian
calendar. as 7 drained my glass.
March Is. The ides of March. the Ides
of March. remember En- Bunny, my
boy? You won't forget them, Will
your
'And with a laugh, he threw some