Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-05-31
= M y Rafffles,
ST.. 6he Amateur
SsgRR11IV Craftsman
= EWu4ntW By E. w. HORNUNG
By E.. w.

but that would need half a dozen of us
with years to give to the job, and
meanwhile Reuben Kosenthan is high
enough game for YOU and mo. We
know he's armed. We know how Silly
Purvis can fight. It'll be no soft thing.
1 grant You. But what of that, my
good ~Bunny-what of that: 4 mans
reach must exceed his grasp. dear boy,
| or what the dickens is 4 heaven for"
81 would rather we lidM', aNreel
ours just vet" | answered. laughing.
for his spirit was irresistible and tie
| plan was growing upon me despite my
qualms.
Trust me for that" was his reply.
"Ill see you through. After ali. l ex-
pect to find that the difficulties are
nearly all on the surface, These fel.
lows both drink like the devil, and
that should simplify matters consid-
erably. But We shall see, and we must
take our time. There will probably
turn out to be a dozen different ways
in which the thing might be done ana
we shall have to choose between them.
1t will mean watching the house for
at least a week in any case. 1t may
mean lots of other things that will
take much longer, but give me a week
n l will tell you more-that's to
say, If you're really on"
"Of course 1 am" 1 replied indig-
nantly, but why should give YOU a
week: Why shouldn't we watch the
house ~together:"
because two eyes are as good as
four and take up less room. Neve.
hunt in couples unless you're obliged.
But dom You look offended. Bunny:
there'll be plenty for you to do when
the time comes; that l promise You.
Q shall have your share of the fun,
never fear, and a purple diamond all
to yourself-if we're lucky"
On the whole, however, this CONVEX
sation left me less than lukewarm. and
l still remember the depression which
came upon me when Raffies was gone.
l saw the folly of the enterprise to
Which had committed myself-the
sheer. gratuitous, unnecessary folly OF
It. And the paradoXes in which Raj
hes reveled and the frivolous casuis-
Try which was nevertheless half sin
cere and which his mere personality
rendered wholly plausible at the mo-
ment of utterance appealed very little
to me when recalled in cold blood. l
admired the spirit of pure mischief in
which he seemed prepared to risk his
Hharfv and hjc ffo h,,t T 1:1 - e.
it an infectious spirit on calm refec-
ton. Yet the thought Of withdrawal
was not to be entertained for q mo-
ment. On the contrary, l was impa-
tent of the delay ordained by Rallies.
and perhaps no small part Of my Sc
cret disaffection came of his CALLING de-
termination to do without me until the
last moment.
1t made it no better that this was
characteristic Of the mar and Of his
attitude toward me. For a month we
had been, / suppose. the thickest
thieves in all London. and yet our in
tlmacy was curiously incomplete.
With all his charming frankness there
was in Raf!es a vein of capricious re-
serve which was p~erceptible enough
to be very irritating. He had the in
St!nctive SerretivenesS Of the inveter-
ate criminal. He would make mys-
terles of matters OF common concern.
For example. never knew how or
where he Iii "0osed Of the Bond street
Jewels. on TIE proceeds Of which we
were both still leading the outward
lives Of hundreds of other young fel-
lows about town He was consistently
mysterious about that and other de-
tails, Of which it seemed to me that |
had already earned the right to know
everything. ! could not but remem-
Der how he had led me into nv first
felony by means Of a trick while vet
uncertain whether he could trust me or
not. That I could no longer afford to
resent. but l did resent his want Of
confidence in me now. I said nothing
about it, but it ranked every day and
never more than in the week that sue
ceeded the Rosenthall dinner. When
l met Raft1es at the club he would tell
me nothing. When | went to his rooms
he was out, or pretended to be.
One day he told me he was getting
on well, but slowly. 1t was Il more
ticklish game than he had thought.
but when / began to ask questions he
would say no more. Then and there,
IN my annoyance, | took NY own de-
cision. Since he would tell me moth
ing of the result Of his visits. ! deter
mined to keep Il on my own account,
and that very evening found my way
to b ~millionairc's front gates.
The house he was occupying is. |
believe, quite the largest in the st.
Johns wood district. 1t stands in the
angle formed by two broad thorough
fares, neither Of which, as it happens.
Is q bus route. and | doubt if many
quieter spots exist within the four
mile radius. Quiet also was the great
square house, in its garden Of grass
plots and shrubs; the tents wo"n low.
the millionaire ana his friends obvious,
~ spending their evening elsewhere
The garden walls were only n frw
feet high. III one there was a sllr
door opening into Il glass plasagc, IN
the other. two Nvr-balrcd, grained an!
vanished gates. one Ht either end Of