The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-10-20

ent, but | shall certainly 90 I'D If
can find time
lie went up within five minutes. |
found him there on my return at dusk.
But he did not refuse my stall at the
Lyceum, which Raffles would not al
low me to use myself and presented
to him offhand without my leave.
And don't you bother any more
about me till tomorrow" snapped the
high, thin voice as he was off. 81 can
send for you now when want you,
and I'm hoping to have decent night
for once"
1t was half past 10 when we left the
fiat in an interval of silence on the
noisy stairs. The silence was I'm.
broken by our wary feet. Yet for me
a surprise was in store upon the very
landing. Instead of going downstairs
Rallies led me up two flights and so
out upon a perfectly fiat roof.
There are two entrances to these
mansions" he explained between stars
and chimney stacks, "one to our stair
case and another round the corner.
But there's only one porter and he
lives on the basement underneath us
and affects the door nearest home. We
miss him by using the wrong stairs.
and we run less risk of old Theobald.
got the tip from the postmen, who
come up one way and down the other.
Now follow me and look OUT
There was indeed some necessity for
caution, for each half of the building
had its L shaped well dropping sheer
to the base, the parapets so low that
one might easily have tripped over
them into eternity. However, we were
soon upon the second staircase, which
opened on the roof, like the first And
twenty minutes of the next twenty
five we spent In an admirable hanson,
skimming east.
Not much change in the old hole,
Bunny. More of these magic lantern
advertisements and absolutely the
worst bit of taste in town, though it's
saying something, in that equestrian
statue with the gilt stirrups and fix
ings. Why don't they black the buff
fers boots and his horses hoofs while
they are about it? More bicyclists, of
course. That was just beginning, if
you remember. 1t might have been
useful to us. And there's the old club
getting put into crate for the jubilee.
BY Jove, Bunny, we ought to be there.
/ wouldn't lean forward In Piccadilly,
old chap. If you're seen, I'm thought
of, and we shall have to be jolly care
full at Kellner's. All, there it is. Did
l tell you | was a low down stage
Yankee at Kellner's? You'd better be
another while the walters in the room"
We had the little room upstairs, and
on the very threshold I-even I-who
knew my Raf1les of old, was taken hor
ribly abaek The table was laid for
three. | called his attention to it in
whisper.
"Why, yep!" came through his nose.
Say, boy, the lady she's not comm,
but you leave that tackle where it's. If
I'm liable to pay. l guess I'll have
all there is to it,"
l have never been in America, and
the American public is the last on
earth that | desire to insult, but idiom
and intonation alike would have i'm
posed upon my ineXperience. | had
to look at Raffles to make sure that it
was he who spoke, and had my own
reasons for looking hard.
"Who on earth was the ladyT l in
quired, aghast, at the first opportunity.
"She isn't on earth. They don't like
wasting this room on two, that's all.
Bunny-my Bunny-here's to us both"
And we clinked glasses swimming
with the liquid gold of Steinberg, 1868,
but of the rare delights of that supper
l can scarcely trust myself to write
1t was no mere meal; it was no coarse
orgy, but a little feast for the fastidi-
GUS gods not unworthy Of Lucullus at
his worst And l, who had bolted my
skilly at NORWOOD Scrubbs and
frightened my belt in Holloway attic,
it was | who sat down to this inefable
repast Where the courses were few,
but each a triumph of its kind, 1t
would be invidious to single out any
one dish, but the jambon de West
phalie- au champagne tempts me sore
". And then the champagne that we
drank, not the quantity, but the quail
ty! Well, it was Pol Roger, 1884, and
was quite good enough for me, but
even so it was not more dry nor did it
sparkle more than the merry rascal
who had dragged me thus far to the
devil, but should lead me dancing the
rest of the way. / was beginning to
tell him so. | had done my honest
best since my temperance in the
world, but the world had done its
worst by me. A further antlthesis
and my final intention were both upon
my tongue when the waiter with the
Chateau Margaux cut me short, for he
was the bearer of more than that great
wine, bringing also card upon sill
yer tray.
"Show him up said Rafies lacon-
ically
"And who is this?' l cried when the
man was gone. Raffies reached across
the table and gripped my arm in his
disc. His eyes were steel nsints fixed
on mine.
bunny, stand by me- said he in the
old. irresistible voice "a voice both
stern and winning. "Stand by me,
Bunny-if there's a row.