Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1906-03-25

apples out of an old woman's pasKcr. Even that little business last month was sofdid affair but it was nv'cs- sary. and think it's strategy redeem. ed It 10 some extent Now, there's some credit and more sport in iii!s Where they boast they're on their guard against you The Bank of Eng land. for example, iS the ideal crib. but that would need half d dozen of lis With years 10 give to the job and meanwhile Reuben Rosenthall is high enough game for you and me We know he's armed. We know how Billy l grant you. But what of that, my good Bunny-what of that? 4 mans reach must exceed his grasp. dear boy. or what the dickens is a heaven for?"
 T would rather we didn't exceed ours just yet" l answered, laughing, for his spirit was irresistible and the plan was growing upon me despite my qualms.
 Trust me for that" was his reply 'i'll see you through. After all l ex- pect to find that the difficulties are nearly all on the surface. These fel- lows both drink like the devil, and that should simplify matters consid- erably. But we shall see. and we must take our time. There will probably turn out to be dozen different ways in which the thing might be done and we shall have to choose between them. 1t will mean watching the house for at feast week in any case, It may mean lots of other things that will take much longer, but give me a week aud will tell you more-that's to say. if you're really on."
 "Of course I am," I replied indig- nantiy, but why should I give you a week? Why shouldn't we watch the house togetheri''
 Because two eyes are as good as four and take up less room. Never hunt in couples unless you're obliged. But don't you look offended. Bunny; there'll be plenty for you to do when the time comes; that I promise you. lou shall have your share of the fun. never fear, and purple diamond all to yourself-if we're lucky"
 On the whole, however, this conyer- sation left me less than lukewarm, and l still remember the depression which came upon me when Rallies was gone l saw the folly of the enterprise to which l had committed myself-the sheer, gratuitous. unnecessary folly of 1t. And the paradoxes in which Raf- fes reveled and the frivolous casuis- try which was nevertheless half sin cere and which his mere personality rendered wholly plausible at the mo- ment of utterance appealed very little to me when recalled in cold blood. admired the spirit of pure mischief in which he seemed prepared to risk his liberty and his life, but I did not find it an infectious spirit on calm reflec. tion Yet the thought of withdrawal was not to be entertained for a mo- ment. On the contrary, I was impa- tient of the delay ordained by Rallies, and perhaps no small part of my se- cret disaffection came of his galling de- termination to do without me until the last moment.
 It made it no better that this was characteristic of the man and of his attitude toward me. For month we had been. l suppose. the thickest thieves in all London. and yet our in- timacy was curiously incon .olete With all his charming frankness there was in Rallies vein of capricious re. serve which was perceptible enough to be very irritating. He had the in Stinctive Secretiveness of the inveter. ate criminal. He would make mys- tories of matters of common concern where he disposed of the Bond street jewels. on thc proceeds of which we were both still leading the outward lives of hundreds of other young fel lows about town. He was consistently mysterious about that and other de- had already earned the right to know everything. I could not but rcmem- Der how he had led me into my first felony by means of trick while yet uncertain whether he could trust me or not. That I could no longer afford to resent. but l did resent his want of confidence in me now. l said nothing about it, but it ranked every day and never more than in the week that sue ceeded the Rosenthall dinner. When met Rallies at the club he would tell me nothing. When went to his rooms ae was out, or pretended to be.
 Gro Be Continued.)