The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-03-11

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not conceal, and his infatuatiOn for
the cup was, as he declared, a very
pure passion, since the circumstances
,debarEeds him from the chief Joy OF the
average collector, that OF showing his
/ treasure to his friends. At last, how
ever, and at the height Of his craze,
Rafffes and reason seemed to come to-
gether again as suddenly as they had
/ parted company in the room Of gold
Bunny" he cried, filngfng his news
paper across the room, I've got an
idea after your own heart. 1 knew
where can place it after am
do you mean the cupY'
Il do"
Then congratulate you"
Thanks
Upon the recovery OF your Senses
Thanks galore. But you've been
confOundedly unsympathetic about this
thing, Bunny. and l don't think 1 shall
tell you my scheme till I've carried Il
sOut."
quite tfme enOggh,p said I.
cit VIII mean yOar Iettnx me Iooses
tfor an hour OF tive under cloud OF this
very night TomorrOws Sunday, the
jubilee's on Tuesday. and old TheO-
bald's coming back for It."
Ut doesn't mHch matter whether
he's'back or not ff-you go late enough"
IT mustn't be late. They don't keep
open. No, it's no use your asking any
questions. Go out and buy me a big
box Of Puntley g. Halmer's biscuits
any sort you Hke--Only they must be
theirs, and absolutely the biggest box
they sell"
''Aly dear man.
mo questions, Bunny. You do your
part and III do mine"
Subtlety and success We're in his
face. 1t was enough for me, and
had done his extraordinary bidding
within a quarter Of an hour. In an
other minute Rafies had opened the
box and tumbled all the biscuits into
the nearest chair.
Now newspapers
/ fetched a pile. He bid the cup OF
gold a ridiculous farewell. wrapped it
up in newspaper after newspaper, and
finally packed it in the empty biscuit
box.
"NOw some brown paper. 1 don't
want to be taken for the grocer's young
man.
A neat enough parcel it made when
the string had been tied and the ends
cut close. What was more difficult
was to wrap UP Raflfss himself in such
a way that even the porter could not
recognize him If they came face 20
face at the corner. And the sun was
still up. But Rafies would go, and
when he did 1 should not have known
him myself.
He may have been an hour away.
1t was barely dusk when he returned,
and my first question referred to our
dangerous ally, the porter. Rafies had
passed him unsupported In going, but
had managed to avoid him altogether
on the return journey, which he had
completed by way Of the other en-
trance and the roof. 1 breathed again.
"And what have you done with the
cup?"
placed it,
''How much for2 How much forP
"Let me think. I had a couple OF
cabs and the postage was a tenner.
with another twOpence for registration.
Yes, It cost me exactly FIVE and eight"
at cost you? But what did you get
for IT, RafHesT
Nothing my boy"
"NOthingr'
"Not a crimson cent"
81 am not surprised. I never thought
It had a market value. told you so
in the beginning" / said irritably.
''But what on earth have you done
with the thingT
sent Il to the queen"
you haven'tp'
Rogue Is a word with various mean
ings, and Raf1es had been one sort OF
rogue ever since L had known him, but
now for once be was the innocent va
riety, a great gray haired child, run
ming over with merriment and mischief
"WelI, I've sent IL to Sir Arthur
Bigge to present to her majesty, with
the loyal respects OF the thief, IL that
will do for you" said Rallies. Il
thought they might take too much
stock Of me at the 6. p. D. II 1 ad-
dressed It to the sovereign herself.
Yes, 1 drove over to St Martins le
Grand with it, and registered the box
into the bargain. Do thing properly
II you do it at ALL"
But why on earth 1 grOaned. edo
such a thing at aIlT'
"My dear Bunny, we have been
reigned over for over sixty years by
Infinitely the finest monarch the world
has ever seen. The world Is taking
the present opportunity OF signifying
the fact for all II Is worth. Every ma
ton Is laying It's best at her royal
feet. every class in the community Is
doing its little level-except ours All
I have done Is 70 remove one reprOach
from our fraternity"
At this I came round, was infected
.(ContinRed On. Page Teal
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