The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-04-20
10 CATCH A THIEF.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE p


rs said Raflcs. "No, I'll be shot
IN do, He may come in with the
r,,,.rrathgm diamonds. You do what
-or Ike Bunny. but don't bulge"
VI certainly shan't leave YOU | re
al, IA ITO be knocked into the middle
"a payt week by a better man than
youre.t'
bad borrowed his own tone, and he
al MT like it, They never do. l
ts,o,oht for moment that Raffles was
60 to strike mc-for the first and
"a fine in his life. lie could if he
lIkei My blood was UP. was ready
a soud him to the devil. And l en-
nhosizcd my offense by nodding and
shrueging toward pair of very large
Indian clubs that stood in the fender
q either side of the chimney up which
4 had presumed TO glance.
In an instant Ratlies had seized tie
elnls and was whrIing them about lis
oray head in Il mixture of childish
nionc ana pucrilc hravado Which I
ehouId have thought him altogether
above. and suddenly. as watched
him his face changed. softened. lit up.
and he swu.g the clubs gently down
upon tn" bed,
FThcy'rc not heavy enough for their
slzc. said he rapidly. land I'll take my
oath they're not the same weight
H. shook one club after the other,
Win both lands. close to his ear. then
be- examined their butt ends under the
eIecric light | saw what he suspect.
ed now. and caught the contagion Of
bis suppressed excitement. Neither of
ns smoke. but Rafllcs hal taken out the
no,tablc tool box that he called a
mic and always carried. and as he
opeuod the gimlet he handed me the
einl he held insjlctycly tucked the
smal end under my arm and present
ed the other to Rallies.
rIIoI him tight" he whispered, smil-
ing He's not only better man than
Thought him, Bunny; he's hit upon a
bettrr dodge than ever l did, of its
kind. only l should have weighted
ihen evenly-to Il hair"
e. had screwed the gimlet into the
clrcuHr butt, close to the edge, and
now We were wrenching in opposite di-
reetiouS For a moment or more moth
ing happened. Then all at once some
fhirg gave. and Rallies swore an oath
as soft as any prayer, and for the min
ute after that his hand went round and
ronud with the gimlet, as though he
wen grinding Il piano organ. while the
end womned slowly out on its delicate
thrcad of fine hard wood.
Tile clubs were as hollow as drinking
h0rns, the pair of them, for we went
from one TO the other without pausing
to undo the padded packets that pour
ed out upon the bed. These We're de-
lleiouSly heavy to the hand, yet thickly
sWathcd in cotton wool. so that some
stnck together, retaining the shape of
the cavity as though they had been run
out of a mold, and when we did open
them-but let Rafiles speak.
He had deputed me to screw in the
ends of the clubs and to replace the
inter in the fender where we had
fonnd them. When | had done the
counterpanc was glittering with dia-
mOnds where it was not shimmering
win pearls.
s'lf this isn't the tiara that Lady May
WhS married ill.," said Raffles. "and
iha disappeared out of the room she
hanged in, while it rained confetti on
the steps, I'll present it to her instead
oil the one she lost. 1t was stupid to
zen these old gold spoons, valuable as
Len are. They made the difference in
The weight. Here we have probably
ia Kenworthy diamonds. | don't know
ia history of these pearls. This looks
I|ke one family of rings-left on the
Nasin stand perhaps-alas, poor lady!
md that's the lot"
Dur eyes met across the bed.
f'What's it all worth" l asked
hoarsely.
''lmpossible to say. But more than
all we ever took in all our lives. That
I'd swear to-"
FNore than alp
My tongue swelled with the thought.
"But it'll take some turning into
cash, old chap"
And must it be a partnership" l
asked, finding a lugubrious voice at
iength.
Partnership be hanged!' cried Raj
nes heartily. Lets get out quicker
nan we came in"
We pocketed the things between us,
kptton wool and all, not because we
Wanted the latter. but to remove all
Immediate traces of our really meritO-
rlous deed.
"The sinner won't dare to say word
when he does find out" remarked Raj
nes Of Lord Ernest, but that's no rea-
son why he should find out before he
must. Everything's straight in here,
nink. No; better leave the window
Qpen as it was and the blind up. Now
QQt with the light. One peep at the
Qfher room. That's all right too. Out
Nlth the passage light, Bunny, while
open"-
His words died away in whisper.
key was fumbling at the lock out
sIde.
Out with tout with it!'' whispered
~ lIles in agony And as | obeyed he
licked me off my feet and swung me
ppully, but silently. into the bedroom,
lRst as the outer door opened and
masterful step strobe in.