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

frankly criminal point
@3OE of view, are of least use
t@2f$S} for the comparatively
pure purposes of these
papers. They might be appreciated in
trade journal Qf only that want
could be supplied by skilled manipu-
lators OF the jimmy and the large light
bunch, but as records of unbroken yet
Insignificant success they would he
found at once too trivial and too tech
meal. IL not sordid and Improbable into
the bargain. The latter epithets and
worse have indeed already been APP
piled, if not TO ,Raffies and all his works
at least to mine upon Raffies, by more
than one worthy wielder OF virtuous
pen i need not say how heartily
disagree with that truly pious opinion.
So far from admitting single word Of
IL maintain IL is the liveliest warning
that am giving to the world. Rallies
was q genius, and he could not make
it pay! Rallies had invention. resource,
Incompatible audaeity and a nerve in
ten thousand. He was both strategian
and tactician, and we all now know
the difference between the two. Yet
for months he had been hiding like u
rat in hole. unable to show even his
altered face by night or day without
risk unless another risk were cOurted
by three inches Of conspicuous Grape.
Then thus far our rewards had Oftener
than not been no reward at all. Alto
gether it was a very different story
from the old festive, unsupported club
and cricket days, with their nocteS ann
broSianae at the ALBANY
And now in addition to the eternal
peril Of recognition there was yet an
other menace of which knew nothing.
/ thought no more of our Neapelitan
organ grinders, though did often
think of the moving page that they had
torn for me out of my friends strange
life in Italy. Rallies never alluded to
the subject again, and for my part 1
had entirely forgotten his wild ideas
connecting the organ grinders with the
Camorra and imagining them upon his
own tracks. heard no more of it and
thought as little. as 1 say. Then one
night in the autumn shrink from
shocking the susceptible for nothing
but there was q certain house in Palace
gardens, and when we got there Raj
feS would pass on. could see no soul
In sight, no glimmer in the windows.
but Raff1es had my arm, and on we
went without talking about it. Sharp
to the left on the Noting Hill side,
sharper still up Silver street, little
lacking west and south, plunge
across High street, and presently we
were home.
"Pajamas first" said Raffies, with as
much authority as though it mattered.
1t was a warm night, however, though
September, and did not mind till L
came in clad as he commanded TO find
the autocrat himself still booted and
capped He was peeping through the
blind, and the gas was still turned
down, but he said that / could turn it
up as he helped himself to a cigarette
and nothing with 1t.
MAY I mix you one?" said /.
'No, thanks"
whats the trouble?'
eve were followed"
Never
you never saw It."
"But you never Looked round"
81 have an eye at the back OF each
ear, Bunny"
helped myself, and fear. with less
moderation than might have been the
case minute before.
$50 that was why
''That was why" said Raff1es, nod
ding, but he did not smile, and I put
down my glass untouched.
"They were following US them"
"All up Palace gardens"
st thought you wound about coming
back over the hill"
Nevertheless one of theR's in the
street below at this moment"
No, he was not fooling me. He was
very grim. And he had not taken. or a
thing. Perhaps he did not think It
worth while.
plain ciothes" 1 sighed, following
the sartorial train OF thought even to
the Ioathly arrows that had decorated
my person once already for little
aeon. Next time they would give me
double. The skiily was In my stomach
when I saw Raffies' face
'Who said It was the police. Bunny"
said he sIts the Italians. They're |
only after me. They won't hurt hair |
Of your head, let alone cropping it..
Have drink and don't mind me.
shall score them or before I'm done"
"And I'll help your
NO, old chap, you won't. This is my |
own little show. I've known about it |
for weeks. / first tumbied to it the
day those Neapoiitnns came back with
their organs, though 7 didn't seriously
suspect things then. They never came
again, those two; they had done their
part. That's the camorra all over. !