The Washington herald., 1914-03-15
E.W. MORNUNG ~9

II For the last time, he went on, as
his keys jingled back into his pocket.
"It goes straight into the strongroom
on board"
For the last timel If could but
send him out TO Australia with only
] its legitimate contents in his precious
. map easel If / could but succeed
where Raffies had failedl
Il We returned to the other room.
! Whisky and soda water became the or
der of the hour. l. scarcely touched it,
but he drank copiously, and before II I
left him incoherent- And the last train
} for Esher was the II so out of Wat
erloo.
j ! took hanson to my rooms. / was
; back at the hotel in thirteen minutes.
!. | walked upstairs. The corridor was
empty; | stood an instant on the sit
ting-room threshold, heard a snore
within, and admitted myself softly with
!: my gentleman's own key, which it had
been very simple matter to take away
with me.
! Craggs never moved; he was stretch
ed on the sofa fast asleep. But not fast
enough for me. | saturated my hand
kerchief with the chloroform / had
brought. and ! laid it gently over his
mouth. Two or three stertorous breaths,
and the man was log.
! i removed the handkerchief; I ex-
tractcd the keys from his pocket. In
!: less than five minutes | put them back,
after winding the picture about my
body beneath my Inverness cape. / took
some whisky and soda water before
went.
The train was easily caught-so easily
} that j trembled for ten minutes in my
hrst-class smoking carriage-in terror
of every footstep on the platform, in
unreasonable terror till the end. Then
at last | sat back and lit a cigarette,
and the lights of Waterloo reeled out
behind.
To think that | had succeeded where
Rafiies had failed! OF all our adven-
ttures this was the first in which ! had
played a commanding part; and. of
! them all, this was infinitely the least
discreditable. 1t left me without a con-
: scicntious qualm; had but but robbed
a robber, when all was said And l
had done it myself, single handed-ipse
egometl
! / pictured Raffles, his surprise, his
delight. He would think little more
OF me in future. And that future, it
should be different. We had two thou
sand pounds apiece-surely enough to
start afresh as honest men-and all
through me!
|. In glow i sprang out at Esher, and
took the one belated cab that was wait
ing under the bridge. In a perfect fever
beheld Broom Hall, with the lower
story still lit up, and saw the front door
open as | climbed the steps.
Thought It was you. said Raffles
. cheerily. Its all right. There's
bed for you. Sir Bernards sitting up
to shake your hand"
His good spirits disappointed me. But
. / knew the man; he was one of those
who wear their brightest smile in the
, blacklist hour. | knew him too well
by this time TO be deceived.
I've got it," | cried in his car. I've
} got it,"
Got WHAT" he asked me, stepping
back
The picturer
"What?'
The picture. He showed it me- You
had to go without it; | saw that. So
determined to have it. And here it
Let's see," said Raffles grimly.
| threw off my cape and unwound
the canvas from about my body. While
| was doing so an untidy old gentleman
made his appearance in the hall, and
! stood looking on, with raised eyebrows.
Looks pretty fresh for an old mas
ter, doesn't she?" said Raffies
. His tone was strange | could only
suppose that he was jealous of my sue
cess. .
so Crasgs said l hardly looked at
it myself"
! Well, look now-look closely. By
Jove, | must have faxed her better than
l thoughtp'
ITS copyr' l cried.
ITS the copy" he answered. "It's
} the copy I've been tearing all over the
country to procure. It's the copy |
faxed back and front, so that, on your
own showing, it imposed upon CraggS,
and might have made him happy for
life. And you go and rob him OF that"
. l could not speak.
How did you manage it," inquired
: Sir Mernard Debenham.
Have you killed him." asked Raj
flcs sardonically.
. Sir Bernard Debsnlam. and to him |
told my story, hoarsely. excitedly, for
. it was all that could do to keep from
breaking down. But as / spoke | be-
came calmer, and | finished in mere
bitterness, with the remark that an
other time Raffies might tell me what
he meant to do.
Another timep' he cried instantly.
MY dear Bunny, you speak as though
we. were going to turn burglars for a
d livingT
II trust you won't" said Sir Bernard,
smiling, for you are certainly two
very daring young men. Let us hope
our friend from Queensland will do as
he said, and not open his map case till
he gets back there. He will find my
check awaiting him, and shall be very
much surprised if he troubles any Of
US again"
1 Raffles and l did not speak till l was
in the room which had been prepared
for me. Nor was l anxious to do so
then. But he followed me and took
my hand.
Bunny" said he, don't you be hard
on fellow! l was in the deuce of a
hurry, and didn't know that l should
ever get what l wanted in time, and
that's fact But it serves me right
that you should have gone and undone
one of the best things | ever did. As
for your handiwork, old chap, you won't
mind my saying that didn't think you