The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-02-18

W. IlOuSaAu apiece Salo hames
quietly.
Upon my soul, believer shall give
it away!'
Not you. Bunny. know;you better
than you know yourself"
He put on his coat and his hat.
What time have 1 to be there7' !
asked him, with a grOan.
Quarter to 8. There will be a teIe-
gram from me saying, can't turn up.
He's terror to talk You'll have no
difficulty in keeping the ball rolling.
But head him off his picture for all
/ you're worth. If he offers to show il
! you, say you must4 go. He locked I'D
/ the case deliberately this afternoon, and
there's 10 earthly reason why he should
unlock it again in tfis hemisphere
Where shall fnd> you when get
away?"
81 shall be doRp atSEsher. 1 hope
| to catch the 9.55''
''But surely. can, see you again this
afternoon?' Fl cried in a ferment, for
his hand was on the door, I'm not
half coached up yet! know 1 shall
1 make a mess Of it,
mot you" hes said again, "but shall
If l waste any more time. I've got a
| deuce of Il lot of rushing about to do
/ yet. You won'tsfnd meeat my rooms.
! Why not come down to Esher your
self by the, last train? That's ft-dOwn
| you come with the latest news! I'll
! tell old Debenham to expect you. He
shall give us both bed. By Jove, he
| won't be able to do us too we'll IL he's
got his picture"
"If!' grosned as he nodded his
adieu. And he left me limp with ap-
prehension, sick with fear, in a per-
fectly pitiable condition Of pure stage
fright.
For, after all, had only to act my
part Unless Raf1es failed where he
never did fail, unless Raffles the neat
and nOiseless was for once clumsy and
siRspt, all 1 had to do was indeed to
'fsmile and smile and be a villain" I
practtced that smile half the afternoon.
rehearsed putative parts in hypothet-
ical conversations. 1 got up stories.
Il ulDpCu III Il DOOh O1l NyuCcl1blduu dL
fthe club. And at last it was 7:45 and
1 was making my bow to a somewhat
elderly man with small bald head
4 and a retreating brow.
80 you're Mr. Raff1es' friend? ?" said
he, overhauling me rather rudely with
his light, small eyes. "Seen anything
Of him? Expected him early to show
me something, but he's never come"
No more evidently had his telegram.
and my troubles were beginning early
1 said hao not seen Raffies since l
O'clock, telling the truth with JUNCTION
while could. Even as we spoke there
came knock at the door. 1t was the
telegram at last, and, after reading it
himself, the Queenslander handed it to
me.
Called out Of town. he grumbled.
Sudden illness of near relRtiveI What
near relatives has he gOt?"
knew Of none, and for an instant 1
Quailed before the peril of invention.
Then I replied that l had never met
any Of his people and again felt fOrti-
fed by my veracity.
Thought you were bosom pals?' said !
he, with (as l imaginedJ a CLEAN OF
suspicion in his crafty little eyes.
only in town. said l. 1--WE never !
been to his place"
WELL" he growled, 81 suppose it !
can't be helped. Don't know why he |
couldn't come and have his dinner first. |
Like to see the deathbed I'd 90 to with
out my dinner. It's a full skin billet IL !
you ask me- Well, we must just dine /
without him, and he'll have to buy his /
pig In a poke after all. Mind touching !
that bell? Suppose you know what he I
came to see me about? Sorry 1 shan't |
see him again, for his own sake. !
liked Rahles-toOk to him amazingly !
He's a cynic. Like cynics. One my /
self. Rank bad form Of his mother or |
his aunt, and ! hope she will go and /
kick the bucket"
I connect these specimens Of his con-
versation, though they were doubtless
detached at the time and interspersed
with remarks Of mine here and there.
They filled the interval until dinner
was served, and they gave me an I'm
preston Of the man which his every
subsequent utterance confirmed. It
was an impression which did away
with all remOrse for my treacherous
presence at his table. He was that ter
rible type, the silly cynic, his aim a
commentary on all things and
all men, his achievement mere vulgar
and unintelligent scorn.
III bred and i'll informed, he had ION
his own shOwing) fiuked into fortune
on rise in land Yet cunning he pos
sessed as well as malice, and he chuc-
kIed till he choked over the misfortune
Of less astute spectators in the same
boom. Even now l cannot feel much
for my behavior to the
Hon. J. NJ. Craggs, II. /. G.
But never shall forget the private
agonies Of the situation, the listening
to my host with one ear and for