Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-03-03

Inc Organization lucfcufDlt. lueu W
you remember the superior foreigner
who came to the door n few days aft
erward? You said he had velvet eyes"
II never connected him with those
two
"Of course you didn't, Bunny, so you
threatened to kick the fellow down.
stairs and only made them keener on
the scent. 1t was too late to say any
thing when you told me. But the very
next time l showed my nose outside /
heard camera click as l passed, and
the fiend was person with velvet
eyes. Then there was a lull. That hap
pened weeks ago. They had sent me to
Italy for Identification by Count Cor
bucci."
but this Is all theory" I exclaimed.
"How on earth can you know
Il don't know said Rallies, but /
should like to bet. Our friend the
bloodhound is hanging about the corner
near the pillar box. Look through my
window, it's dark in there, aud tell me
who he Is"
The man was too far away for me to
swear to his face. but he wore a covert
coat of un-English length. and the
lamp across the road played steadily on
his boots. They were very yellow, and
they made no noise when he took a
turn. strained my eyes, and all at
once l remembered the thin sOled, low.
heeled, splay yellow boots of the In
sidiOus foreigner with the soft eyes
and the brown paper face whom I. had
turned from the door as a palpable
fraud. The ring at the bell was the
first had heard of him; there had been
no warming steps upon the stairs. and
my suspicious eye had searched his
feet for rubber soles.
Its the fellow said. returning to
Raffies, and described his boots.
,Raffles was delighted.
"Well done, Bunny; you're coming
on" said he. "Now I wonder If he's
been, over here all the time. or If they
sent him over expressly. You did bet
ter than you think in spotting those
boots, for they can only have been
made In Italy. and that looks like the
special envoy. But it's no use specu-
Iating. must find out" Gov
How can your
"He won't stay there all night"
"WellY'
"When he gets tired of it shall re-
turn the compliment and follow him."
mot alOnet" said firmly.
"Well. we'll see; We'll see at once"
said Raff1es, rising. "Out with the
gas. Bunny. while take a look.
Thank you. Now wait a bit-yes, He's
chucked it; he's off already, and so
am Ir'
But L slipped to our outer door ana
held the passage.
II don't let you go alone, you know"
You can't come with me in pa
jamas.'
Now 1 see why you made me put
them onr'
Bunny. IL you don't shift shall
have to shift you. This Is my very
private one man show. But I'll be back
In an hour-there"
You swear?"
by all my gods"
L gave in. How could help giving
in? He did not look the man that he
had been, but you never knew with
Raffies. and 1 could not have him lay
a hand on me. I let him go with a
shrug and my blessing. then ran into
his room to see the last of him from
the window.
The creature in the coat and boots
had reached the end of our little street, |
where he appeared to have hesitated, |
so that Rallies was Just In time to see |
which way he turned. And Rallies was
after him at an easy pace, and had
almost reached the corner when |
my attention was distracted from the |
alert nonchalance of his gait. was |
that 1t alone had not long
ago betrayed him, for nothing about |
him was so unconsciously Characters |
tic. when suddenly 1 realized that Raj |
fics was not-the only person in the lit |
tie lonely street. Another pedestrian |
had entered from the other end, man |
heavily built and clad, with an astra-
khan collar to his coat on this warm
night and black SLOUGH hat that hid |
his features from my birdseye view.
His steps were the short and shutting /
ones of a man advanced in years and |
In fatty degeneration, but of a sudden
they stopped beneath my very eyes.
could have dropped a marble into the |
denied crown of the black felt hat. |
Then at the same moment Rallies turn
ed the corner without looking round,
and the big man below raised both his /
hands and his face. OF the latter saw
only the huge white mustache, like a !,
flying gull. as Raffies had described it,
for at a. glance I. OWNED that this was
his arch enemy. the Count Corbucci :
himself.
did not stop to consider the subtle
ties Of the system by which the real
hunter Jagged behind while his subordi-
nate pointed the quarry like sporting .
dog. i left the count shufiing onward
faster than before. and Jumped into
some clothes as though the fiafs were .
On fire If the count was going to fol-
low Rasdies In his turn. thenI would
l-7- 49, .