The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-01-11
IT WAS A GRAND SUCCESS
Continued from page 4.


two. In that case they'll be top and
bottom, and we shall have two fresh
holes to make, as the door opens in
ward. 1t won't open two inches as it
u.s."
confess I did not feel sanguine
about the lock picking, seeing that one
lock had baftied us already, and my
disappointment and Impotence must
have been revelation to me had /
stopped to think. The truth is that l
was entering into our nefarious under
taking with an involutary zeal of
which was myself quite unconscious
at the time. The romance and the peril
of the whole proceeding held me spell
bound and entranced. My moral sense
and my sense of fear We're stricken by
a common paralysis. And there l
stood, shining my light and holding
my vial with keener interest than l
had ever brought to any honest avoca-
ton. And there knelt A. j. Rafles,
with his black hair tumbled and the
same watchful quiet, determined half
smile with which had seen him send
down over after over in a county
match!
At last the chain of holes was COM
plete, the lock wrenched out bodily and
and splendid bare arm plunged up to
the shoulder through the aperture and
through the bars of the iron gate be
yond.
'Now," whispered Raf1les. eff there's
only one lock it'll be in the middle.
Joy! Here it is. Only let me pick it,
and we're through at last"
Ee withdrew his arm, a skeleton key
was selected from the bunch, and then
back went his arm to the shoulder. 1t
was a breathless moment. heard the
heart throbbing in my body, the very
watch ticking in my pocket and ever
and anon the tinkle-tinllle of the skele-
ton key. Then-at last-there came q
single unmistakable click In another
minute the mahogany door and the
iron gate yawned behind us, and Raj
fles was sitting on an office table, wip-
ing his face, with the lantern throwing
steady beam by his side.
We We're now in a bare and roomy
lobby behind the shop, but separated
therefrom by an iron curtain, the very
sight of which filled Inc with despair.
Raffles, however, did not appear in the
least depressed, but hung up his coat
and hat ON some pegs in the lobby be-
fore examining this curtain with his
lantern.
"That's nothing" said he after min
ute's inspection 'We'll be through
that in no time, but there's door on
the other side which may give us trou-
ble.'
..Another door," l groaned "And
how do you mean to tackle this thing:"
"Pry it up with the jolnted jimmy
@aThe weak point of these iron curtains
is the leverage you can get from be-
low. But it makes noise, and this is
where you're coming in, Bunny. This
is where couldn't do without you. l
must have you overhead to knock
through when the streets clear. III
come with you and show Il light"
Well, you may imagine how little l
liked the prospect of this lonely vigil,
and vet there was something very
stimulating in the vital responsibility
which it involved. Hitherto had been
a mere spectator. Now l was to take
part in the game. And the fresh ex-
element made me more than ever in
sensible to those considerations of con
science and of safety which We're al
ready as dead nerves in my breast.
So l took my post without a murmur
in the front room above the shop. The
fixtures had been left for the refusal
of the incoming tenant, and fortunate
" for us they Included Venetian
blinds, which Were already down. Il
was the simplest matter il. the world tt
stand peeping through the laths into
the street, TO beat twice with my foo
when anybody was approaching ant
once when all was clear again. Th,
noises that even l could hear below
with the exception of one metallic
crash at the beginning, were indeed
incredibly slight, but they ceased alto
gether at each double rap from my toe
and a policeman passed quite half
dozen times beneath my eyes and tn
man whom took to be the jeweler'
Waterman oftener still during the bet
ter part of an hour that spent at tn
window. Once, indeed, my heart was i
my mouth, but only once. 1t was whe
the Waterman stopped and peere
through the peephole into the lighte
shop. waited for his whistle. / wait
ed for the gallows or the Jail! But IN
signals had been studiously obeye(
and the man passed on in undisturbe
serenity. In the end had a signal i
my turn and retraced my steps wit
lighted matches down the broad stairs
down the narrow ones, across the are
and up into the lobby where Rattle
awaited me with an outstretched hant
"Well done, my boy!" said III
"You're the same good man in a pincl
and you shall have your reward. "
got 81, 600 worth if I've got a pennotl
It's all in my pockets. And here
something else l found in this locker
very decent port and some cigar
meant for poor dear Danby's bushes
friends. TIE a pull, and you sha