The Washington herald., 1914-04-19
RB BY nV"
.W.MORNUNG

Raffies.
"How much did they have, Bunny
were his first whispered words.
"Maguire a good three fingers, and
the others at least two"
Then we needn't lower our voices
and we needn't walk on our toes"
! shook my fist in the paralytic face
of the most brutal bruiser of his time.
ale is safe till the forenoon, unles,
they bring a doctor to him." said Raj
! fics. 81 don't suppose we could rouse
him now if we tried. How much of the
fearsome stuff do you suppose | took
About tablespoonful! l guessed what
it was, and couldn't resist making sure
the minute | was satisfied, changed the
label and the position of tho two decan-
tiers, little thinking | should stay 10 see
the fun; but in another minute | could
hardly keep my eyes open. ! realized
then that | was fairly poisoned with
some subtle drug If left the house at
all in that state. must leave the spoil
behind, or be found drunk in the gutter
with my head on the swag itself. In
any case | should have been picked up
and run in. and that might have led to
anything"
so you rang me up"
at was my last brilliant inspiration
sort OF fash in the brainpan before
the end-and remember very little
about it. | was more asleep than awake
at the time"
you sounded like it, Raf1es, now that
one has the clew."
you thought that. and yet you came
like shot to do battle for my body
with Barney Maguirel Jack-the-Giant-
killer wasn't in it with you, Bunny"
1T was no credit to met was rath-
er the other thing" said |, remembering
my rashness and my luck. and confess
ing both in breath. You know old
Swigger Morrison?" added in final ex-
planation. Il had been dining with him
at his clubI'
Raff1es shook his long old head. And
the kindly light in his eyes was still my
infinite reward.
Il don't care" said he, how deeply
you had been dining: in vino veritas,
Bunny, and your pluck would always
outi | have never doubted it, and |
never shall. In fact, | rely on nothing
else to get us out of this mess"
My face must have fallen, as my heart
sank at these words. | had said TO my
self that We were out of the mess already
that we had merely to make a clean
escape from the house-now the easiest
thing in the world
"If we simply cleared out" continued
RaffleS, YOU would be incriminated in
the first place as my accomplice. and
once they had you they would have a
compass with the needle pointing
straight to me They mustn't have eth
er OF US, Bunny, or they will get us
both. And for my part they may as
wellw
| echoed a sentiment that was gen.
erosity itself in Raffles, but in my case
a mere truISm.
Its easy enough for ne" he went on
Il am common housebrcaker. and |
escape. They don't know me from Noah.
But they do know YOU: and how do you
come to let me escape What has hap
pened to you. Bunny That's the crux.
What could have happened after they
all dropped off :" And for minute Raj
fes frowned and smiled like a sensa-
tion novelist working out a plot: then
the light broke. and rransfgured him
through his burnt cork. I've got it.
Bunny" he exclaimed. You took some
of the stuff yourself. though Of course
not nearly so much as they did. You
dozed off in your turn. but you were
naturally the FIRST to come TO yourself
had flown; so had the gold brick. the
Jeweled belt, and the silver statuette.
You tried 10 rouse the others. You
couldn't succeed nor would YOU if you
did try. So what did you do2 What's
the only really innocent thing you could
do in the circumstances:
60 for the police" | suggested dubi-
ously, little relishing the prospect
There's telephone installed for the
purpose" said Rafles. Il should ring
them up, if | we're you. It's really the
most convincing story one could con-
ceive; but unfortunately there's another
point which will take more explaining
away"
And even Raffles looked grave enough
as nodded.
You mean that they'll find out you
rang me up"
They may" said Raffics. Il see that
| managed to replace the receiver all
right. But still-they may"
I'm afraid they will" said I. uncom-
fortablv. I'm very much afraid | gave
something OF the kind away You see,
you had not replaced the receiver: it was
dangling over you where you lay. This
very question came up, and the bruteS
themselves seemed so quick to see its
possibilities that | thought it best TO
take the bull by the horns and own that
| had been rung up by somebody. To
be absolutely honest. | even went so far
as to say thought it was RafflcS :"
you didn't Bunny
What could | say? ! was obliged
to think OF somebody. and | saw they
were not going to recognize you. SO
put up yarn about a wager we had
made about this very trap of Maguire's.
But it made all that part about the tele-
phone fit in rather we'll
Il should think it did, Bunny" muir
INJURED Raffies. in a tone that added sem
sibly to my reward But the bother OF
it is that there's still so much to do. and
to hit upon, and so precious little time
for thought as well as action
took out my watch and showed it to
Raff1cs without word. 1t was ) o'clock
in the morning. and the latter end OF
March In little more than an hour
there would be dim daylight in the
streets. Raf1es reused himself from
reverie with sudden decision.
There's only one thing for il, Bunny"
said he. I'VE must trust each other and
divide the labor. You ring up the po-
lice, and leave the rest TO me-.
"You haven't hit ,,Don auv reason f0r