Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-03-17


scarcely have seen more than the draw
ing room ceiling had he looked, but he
was not many houses distant when a
door opened and woman gasped so
that heard both across the road. And
| never shall / forget the subsequent
tableaux in the lighted room behind the
low balcony and the French Windows.
Rafies stood confronted by dark
and handsome woman, whose profile
! as / saw 1t first in the electric light Is
| cut like a cameo in my memory. 1t
had the undertaking line of brow and
nose. the short upper lip, the perfect
chin, that are united in marble oftener
than in the flesh, and like marble she
| stood, or, rather, like some beautiful
pale bronze, for that was her coloring,
and she lost none of 1t that could see,
neither trembled, but her bosom rose
and fell, and that was all. So she stood
| without f1inching before a masked ruff
| fan, who, / felt, would be the first to
| appreciate her courage. To me it was
| so superb that could think of it in
| this way even then and marvel how
Raffles himself could stand unabashed
before SO brave a figure. He had not
| to do so long. The woman scorned
him, and he stood unmoved. a framed
photograph still in his hand. Then,
with a quick. determined movement.
she turned, not to the door or to the
bell, but to the open window by which
Rallies had entered. and this with that
accursed policeman still in view. So
far no word had passed between the
pair. But at this point Raffles said
something, / could not hear what, but
at the sound of his voice the woman
wheeled. And Raffies was looking
humbly in her face, the Grape mask
snatched from his own.
Arthur she cried. and that might
have been heard in the middle of the
square garden.
Then they stood gazing at each other,
neither unmoved any more, and while
they stood the street door opened and
banged. 1t was the husband leaving
the house. q fine figure of man, but
dissipated face, and a step even now
distinguished by the extreme caution
which precedes unsteadiness. He broke
the spell. His wife came to the bal
cony, then looked back into the room,
and yet again along the road. and this
time / saw her face. 1t was the face
of one glancing, indeed. from Hyperion
to a satyr. And then 1 saw the rings
fash as her hand fell gently upon Raf-
f1es' arm.
They disappeared from that windowsl
Their heads showed for an instant in
the next. Then they dipped out of
sight, and an inner ceiling flashed out
under a new light. They had gone into
the back drawing room. beyond my
ken. The maid came UP with coffee,
her mistress hastily met her at the
door, and once more disappeared. The
square was as quiet as ever. / re-
manned some minutes where 1 was.
Now and then 1 thought heard their
voices I'm the back drawing room. l
was seldom sure.
My state of mind may be imagined
by those readers who take an interest
in my personal psychology. 1t does not
amuse me to look back upon ii. But
at length / had the sense to put my
self in Raffles' place. He had been
recognized at last; he had come to life.
Only one person knew as yet. but that
person was a woman, and woman
who had once been fond of him. if the
human face could speak. Would she
keep his secret? Would he tell her
where he lived? 1t was terrible to
think we were such neighbors. and with
the thought that 1t was terrible came
little enlightenment as to what could
still be done for the best He would
not tell her where he lived. 1 knew
him too we'll for that. He would run
foy- = In nd bn hofI oh
and 1 must not be there to give him !
away. 1 dragged the internal vehicle |
round the nearer corner. Then wait
ed-there could be no harm in that
and as last he came.
He was walking briskly. so l was
right. end he had not played the in
valid to her yet l heard him cry out |
with pleasure as he turned the corner |
and he flung himself into the chair with |
long drawn sigh that did me good.
"Well done. Bunny. well done. am
on my way to Earl's Court: she's |
capable Of following me. but she won't |
look for me in n bath chair. Home,
home. home. and not another word till |
we get there.'
Capable of following him? She over
took us before we were past the stu
dios on the south side of the square.
the woman herself in n hooded opera
cloak, but she never gave us a glance,
and we saw her turn safely in the right
direction for Earl's Court and the
wrong one for our humble mansions.
Raffies thanked his gods in a voice that
trembled. and FIVE minutes later we
were in the fiat. Then for once it was
Raff1es who filled the tumblers and
found the cigarettes, and for once land
once only in all my knowledge OF HIM
did he drain his glass at draft
You didn't see the balcony scene?"
he asked at length, and they were his
frst words since the woman passed US
on his track.
do you mean when she came inT'
NO; when came down."
81 didn't"
81 hope nobody else saw it," said