Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-05-31

whisky and a hunSred to one against
us if we go looking for it. A brush
with the heather would spoil every
thing, If it did no more. Besides, there
are the ladies'
1.-THE deuce there are!w
Ladies' with an i, and the very
voices for raising Cain. I fear, 1 fear
the clamor! 1t would be fatal to us.
Au contraire, if we can manage to
stow ourselves away unbeknown half
the battle will be won. If Rosenthall
turns in drunk it's a purple diamond
apiece. If he sits up sober it may be
a bullet instead. We will hope not,
Bunny, and all the firing wouldn't be
on m side; but it's on the knees Of
the gods"
And S o we left it when we shook
hands in Piccadilly-not by any means
as much later as I could have wished.
Rat1es would not ask me to his rooms
that night. He said he made it q rule
to have a long night before playing
cricket and-other games. His final
word to me was framed on the same
principle.
mind, only one drink tonight, Bun
ny; two at the outside-as you value
your life-and mine"
I remember my abject obedience and
the endless, sleepless night it gave me
and the roofs of the houses opposite
standing out at last against the blue
gray London dawn. l wondered whe,h-
er l should ever see another and was
very hard on myself for that little eX-
petition which I had made on my own
willful account.
1t was between 8 and 8 o'clock in the
evening when we took up our position
IN the garden adjoining that Of Reuben
Rosenthall. The house itself was slut
up, thanks to the outrageous lDrrtine
next door, who, by driving away the
n%eighbors, lad gone far toward delit-
ering himself into Our hands. prac-
tlcally secure from surprise Oh that
side, we could watch our house unlier
cover of a wall just high enough to see
over, while a fair margin of shrubs in
either garden afforded us additional
protection. Thus intrenched we had
stood an hour, watching a pair of light
ed bow windows with vague shadows
fitting continually across the blinds
and listening to the drawing of corks,
the clink of glasses and a gradual cres-
cendo Of coarse voices within. Our
luck seemed to have deserted us. The
owner of the purple diamonds was din
Ing at home and dining at undue
length. l thought it was a dinner oar
ty. Ratfles differed. In the end we
proved right. Wheels grated in the
drive, a carriage and pair stood at the
steps, there was a stampede from the
dining room, and the loud voices died
away, to burst forth presently from
the porch.
Let me make u position perfectly
clear. We were over the wall, at the
side of the house, but a few feet from
the dining room windows. On our
right II angle of the building cut
the back lawn in two %diagonally: ON
our left another angle just permitted
US to see the jutting steps and the wait
ing carriage. We saw Rosenthall come
out-saw the glimmer of his diamonds
before anything. Then came the pu-
gillst, then a lady with a head Of hair
like a bath sponge, then another, and
the party was complete.
Raffles ducked and pulled me down
IN great excitement.
"Ihe ladies are going with them" he
whispered. This is great
"That's better still"
"Thc G%ardenia.' the millionaire had
bawlel.
And that's best Of ALL" said Rallies,
standing upright as hoofs and wheels
crunrllcd through the gates and ratified
Off at II fine speed.
Now what| | whispered, trembling
with excitement.
They'll be clearing away. Yes, lrrr
come their shadows. The drawing
room windows open on the lawn. Bun
ny, us the psychological moment.
Where's TINT mnski"
produced II with II hand whose
trembling tried IN vain 10 still and
could hay" died for Rallies when Ie
mao" no comment ~ what he could