Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-05-31
A COSTUME
PIECE
No. 2 of the Series
IcoNTINUED.l

So AANN tiiiN ltl bAl AS
not say? He boasted of his rise. he
Dragged of his riches. and he black
guarded society for taking him up for
his muney and dropping him out Of
sheer piQue and jealousy because he
had so much. He mentioned names.
too, with the most charming freedom
and Swore he was as good a man as
the old country had to Show-pace the
old Bohemians. To prove it he point
ed to a great diamond in the middle of
his shirt front with 4 little finger load
ed with another just like it. Which
Of our bloated princes could show a
pair like that? AS a matter of fact.
they seemed quite wonderful stones,
with a curious purple CLEAN to them
that must mean a pot Of money. But
old Rosenthall swore he wouldn't take
100000 for the W and wanted to
know where the other man was who
went about With f25,OOO in his shirt
front and another f25.OOO on his little
finger. He didn't exist. If he did he
wouldn't have the pluck to wear them.
But he had-he'd tell us why. And
before YOU could say Jack Robinson
be had whipped out a whacking great
revolver"
Not at the table,"
"-At the table. In the middle Of his
speech. But it was nothing to what
he wanted to do. He actually wanted
Us to let him write his name in bull
lets on the opposite wall to show US
Why he wasn't afraid to go about IN
all his diamonds! That brute Purvis,
the prize fighter, who is his paid bully,
had to bully his master before he
could be persuaded out of it. There
was quite a panic for the moment.
One fellow vas saying his prayers
under the table, and the walters bolted
to a man"
What a grotesque scene"
"Grotesque enough, but l rather wish
they had let him 90 the whole hog and
blaze away. He was as keen as knives
to show u how he could take care of
his purple diamonds, and do you know,
Bunny, I was as keen as knives to
See."
And Rat1es leaned toward me with
q sly, slow smile that made the hidden
meaning of his visit only too plain to
me at last.
$50 you think Of having a try for his
diamonds?"
He shrugged his shoulders.
1T Is horribly obvious, I admit But
yes, l have set my heart upon them.
To be quite frank, I have had them on
WV 1r~r1f1~o1 f~~ ~,~o 49, 49,
couldn't hear SO much of the man and
his prize fighter and his diamonds
without feeling it a kind Of duty to
have a go for them, but when it comes
to brandishing a revolver and practi-
cally challenging the world the thing
becomes inevitable. 1t is simply thrust
upon one. I was fated to hear that
challenge, Bunny, and I, for one, must
take it up. I was only sorry l couldn't
get on my hind legs and say SO then
and there
"Well," l said, II don't see the ne
cessity as things are with US. but Of
ourse I'm your man."
My tone may have been half hearted.
I did my best to make it otherwise.
WI ~ q OoiSiS q Iilc1u SluCe jul
Bond street exploit, and we certainly
could have afforded to behave our
selves fer some time to come. We had
been getting along so nicely; by his ad.
vice I had scrubbed a thing or two:
inspired by Raf1es, I had ever done an
article on our own jewel robbery, and
for the moment I vas quite satisfied
with his sort Of adventure. ] thought
we ought to know when we were well
off and could see nc point in our run
ming fresh risks before we were
obliged. On the other hand, I was anX-
aous not to show the least disposition
10 break the pledge that I had given a
month ago. But it was not on M
manifest disinclination that Rafles
fRStened.
Necessity, my dear Bunny? Does
the writer only write when the wolf
Is at the door? Does the painter paint
for bread alone? Must you and 7 be
driven to crime like Tom Of Bow AMI
Dick Of Whitechapel? You pain me,
my dear chap. You needn't laugh, be-
cause you do. Art for arts sake is n
vile catchword, but I confess it an-
Deals to me. In this case my motives
are absolutely pure, for l doubt if we
shall ever be able to dispose OF such
peculiar stones. But If I don't have a
try for them-after tonight shall
never be able to hold up my head
again"
His eye twinkled. but it glittercd
too.
"We shall have u work cut out"
was all I said.
"And do you suppose should be
keen on it. If We hadn't?" cried Rallies.
seMy dear fellow, l would rob st. Pauls
cathedral If | could, but | could no
more scoop a till when the shopwdikcr
wasn't looking than | could bag the
apples out Of az old woman's b. basket.
Even that little business last month
was q sordid affair, but it was ncccs-
sary. and | think its strategy redeem