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

was dressing for, dinner:
Be ihgyour. roofAsr tomorrow from moo,
and keep rest,of day clear. RAFFLEs.
It had been> sent OF from Waterloo
! at $40.
SO Raffies was back in town. At al
earlier stage of our relations should
have hunted him up then and there
but now l knew better. His Telegram
meant that he had no desire for my
society that night or the following
| forenoon; that when he wanted me ]
should see him sosn enough.
And see him I did toward l o'clocB
next day. was NWatching for him
| from my window In Mount street when
he drove up furiously in hanson and
| jumped out without a>word to the man
1 met him next minute at the lift gates,
and he fairly pushed me&back into my
! rooms.
Five minutes, Bunny" he cried.
mot a moment more"
And he tore Off his coSt\before fling
ing himself into the nearest chair.
"Pm fairly on the rush." he painted,
Having the very devil Of a time! Not
a word till tell you all L, one. l
settled my plan of campaiSa e5lerday
at lunch The first thing was TO get in
with this man.C raggs. You can't break
into place like the Metropolis; it's got
to be done from the inside. Problem
one, how to get at the fellow. Only
one sort Of preteXt would dot must
be something to do with this blessed
picture, so that might see where he'd
got it and all that. Well, couldn't go
and ask to see it out Of curiosity, and
I couldn't go as q second representa-
tive of the other old chap, and it was
thinking how could go that made me
such bear at lunch. But saw my
sway before we got up. If could only
lay hold Of a copy of the picture
might ask leave to 60 ard compare It
with the original SO down I went to
Esther to find out if there was a copy
in existence and was at Broom Hall
for one hour and a half yesterday aft
ernoOn.- There was no copy there, but
stheyemRst -eEistys-fgr,: Sir BernaBdr Aina-r
self there's copy thereD has allowed
a couple to be made since the picture
has been in his possession. He hunt
ed up the painters addresses, and the
rest Of the evening spent in hunting
up the painters themselves, but their
work had been done bn commission
One copy had gone ont of the country.
and I'm still on f..e track of the 9th
err"
Then you haven't seen -Craggs vet"
'Seen him and made, friends with
him, and if possible, he's the. funnier
old cuSs Of the two: but you should
study fem both. L took. the. bull by
the horns this morning, went in and
lied like Ananias, and it vas just
as we'll l did The old rufian sails
for Australia by tomorrow's boat.
told him a man wanted to sell me
copy Of the celebrated Infanta Maria
Teresa of Yelasquez; that I'd been
down to the supposed owner Of the
picture only to find that he had just
sold it to him. You should have seen
his face when l told him that. He
grinned all round his wicked old head.
Did old Debenham admit the sale|
says he, and when I said he did he
Chuckled to himself for about five
minutes. He was so pleased that he
did just what l hoped he would do,
he showed me the great picture-luck-
lily, it isn't by any means a large one
- ~, >,
iron map case in which he brought
over the plans Of his land in Bris-
bane. He wants TO know who would
suspect it of containing an old mas
ter too? But he's had it fitted with
a new Chubb lock. and managed to
take an interest in the key while he
was gloating over the canvas. I had
the wax in the palm Of my hand, and
shall make my duplicate this after
noon"
Raffles looked at his watch and
Jumped up, saying he had given me
a minute too much.
by the way" he added, you've
got to dine with him at the Metro
pole tonight"
az"
Eyes. Don't look so scared. Both
of us are invited. l swore you were
dining with me. accepted for US
both but l shant be there"
His clear eye was upon me, bright
with meaning and with mischief. 1
implored him to tell me what his
was
you will dine in his private sitting
ROOM" said Raffies. 1T adjoins his
bedroom. You must keep him sitting
as long as possible, Bunny, and talk
ing all the timer
In a fash l saw his plan.
You're going for the picture while
we're at dinner?
al am"
'If he hears your
"He shan't."
"But if be does!'
And 1 fairly trembled at the thought.
'If he does" said Raff1es, there will I
be "a collision, that's all. Revolver /
would be out,of place in the Metropole,
but l shall, certainly take life pre-
server"