The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-23

- ,OCIETY persons are not likely
 ~ to have forgotten tho
 - series of audacious rob
 berries by which so many
 of themselves suffered in turn
 during the brief course of
 brief season. Raid after raid
 was made upon the smartest
 houses in town, and within a few weeks more than one exalted head had been shorn of its priceless tiara. The Duke and Duchess of Dorchester lost half the portable pieces of their historic plate on the very night of their graces' almost equally historic ball. The Kenworthy dia- monds were taken in broad daylight dur ing the excitement of a charitable meeting on the ground floor. and the gifts of her belted bridegroom to Lady May Paulton while the outer air was thick with pris- matic shower of confetti. It was obvious that all this was the work of no ordinary thief. and perhaps inevitable that the name of Rallies should have been drag ged from oblivion by callous disrespecters of the departed and unreasoning apolo- gists for the police. These wisacres did not hesitate to bring dead man back tc life because they knew of no living one capable of such feats. It is their heed less and inconsequent calumnies that the present paper is partly intended to refute. As matter of, fact our joint innocence in this matter was only exceeded by our common envy, and for long time, like the rest of the world, neither of us had 4t- -fa-l. .e T, person who was following in our steps with such irritating results.
 T should mind less' said Rallies, If the fellow were really playing my game. But abuse of hospitality was never one of my strokes, and 1t seems to me the only shot he's got When we took old Lady Melrose's necklace, Bunny, we were not staying with the Melroses, if you recollect."
 We were discussing the robberies for the hundredth time but for once under condi- tions more favorable to animated conver- sation than our unique circumstances per- mitted in the flat. We did not often dine out. Dr. Theobald was one impeachment, the risk of recognition was another. But there were exceptions when the doctor was away or the patient defiant, and on these rare occasions we frequented a cer- tain unpretentious restaurant in the Full ham quarter, where the cooking was plain but excellent and the cellar a surprise. Our bottle of 'S9 champagne was empty to the label when the subject arose. to be touched by Rallies In the reminiscent manner indicated above. I can see his clear eye upon me now, reading me weighing me. But I was not so sensitive to his scrutiny at the time. His tone was deliberate, calculating preparatory; not as I heard 1t then, though a head full of wine, but as it floats back to me across the. gulf between that moment and this.
 "Excellent filleti said I grossely ESQ you think this chap is as much in society as we were, do you?"
 I preferred not to think so myself We had cause enough for jealousy without that. But Rafles raised his eyebrows an eloquent half inch.
 ''As much, my dear Bunny? He is not only in it but of it; there's no compari- son between us there Society is in rings like a target. and we were never in the bull's-eye, however thick you may lay on the ink I was asked for my cricket. I i1ayen't forgotten it yet But this fel- lows one of themselves, with the right of entree into houses which we could only enter in professional sense. That S obvious unless all these little exploits are the work of different hands, which they as obviously are not. And it's why I'd give e5O0 to put sail on him tonight"
 Not you" said I as I drained by glass in festive incredulity.
 .'But I would my dear Bunny. Waiter! another half bottle of this" and Rallies leaned across the table as the empty one was taken away 'I never was more seri- ous in my life.' he continued below his breath. "Whatever else our successor may be he's not dead man like me or a marked man like you If there's any truth in my theory he's one of the last people upon whom suspicion is ever like ly to rest and oh, Bunny, what a part ner he would make for you and mer' Under less genial influences the very idea of third partner would have filled my soul with offense but Rallies had chosen his moment unerringly and his arguments lost nothing by the flowing accompaniment of the extra pint. They were, however, quite strong in themselves. The gist of them was that thus far we had remarkably little to shsw for what Rallies would call tour second innings" This even I could not deny. We had scored few Tong singles" but our "best shots had gone Straight to hand" and we were "playing deuced slow game Therefore we needed a new partner-and the metaphor failed Rallies It had serv- ed it's turn I already agreed with him. In truth was tired of my false position as hireling attendant and had long fan cied myself an object of suspicion to that