The Washington herald., 1914-03-01
Rsne. rose also. but caught the sleeve

Rsfies rose also. but caught the sleev,
| of his blazer.
What are you thinking OFF, I whis
pered savagely. II was nowhere nea,
the eleven. I'm no sort of cricketer.
shall have to get out OF thisr'
mot you," he whispered back. "Yol
needn't play, but come you must. II yot
wait for me after half-past six III tel
you why"
&. But could guess the reason: and I an
ASHAMED to say that 1t revolted me much
less than did the notion Of making q pub
lie fool of myself on cricket field. My
gorge rose at this as 1t no longer rose al
crime. and it was n no tranquil humor
that I stroIled about the ground while
Raffies disappeared in the pavilion.
Then the bell rang, ana I climbed to
the top of the pavilion to watch RafIles
letic prowess. IT was an intellectual treat.
and one with a special significance in my
eyes. What admired. and what I re-
member, was the combination of re-
source and cunning. of patience and pre-
cision. of headwork and handiwork.
which made every over an artistic whole.
II felt like bowling this afternoon" he
told me later in the hanson. But ] felt
venomous. Nothing riles me more than
being asked about for my cricket as
though 1 were a pro. myself"
Then why on earth go?"
ITO punish them, and-because We shall
be jolly hard up. Bunny. before the sea-
sons overt
| "Ah!' said /. "I thought it was that"
| ''Of course, it wasi 1t seems they're
going to have the very devil Of week
of it-balls-dinner parties-swagger
house party-generaI junketings-and OBJ
viously houseful OF diamonds as well.
Diamonds galore! AS a general rule moth
| ing would induce me to aouse my position
as a guest. I've never done 1t, Bunny.
| But in this case we're engaged like wait
ers and the band. and by heaven well
take our toll! Let's have a quiet dinner
somewhere AMI talk it over"
1T seems rather a vulger sort Of theft. /"
I could not help saying: and to this, my
single protest. Raffies instantly assented.
1T is a vulgar Sort" said he; but I
can't help that. And don't you run away
with the idea that all will be plain ssil-
ing: nothing will be easier than getting
some stuff, and nothing harder than
avoiding all suspicion. as, Of course. we
must We may come away with no more
than a good working plan Of the premises.
Who knows? In any case tnere's weeks
of thinking in it for you and me-"
But with those weeks will not weary
you further than by remarking that the
thinking was done entirely by Rafiies.
who did not always trouble to communi-
cate his thoughts to me.
1t was on Monday, the tenth Of August,
that We were due at chichester Abbey,
Dorset, and the beginning Of the month
found US cruising about that very coun-
ty. with fly rods actually in our hands.
The idea was that we should acquire at
once a local reputation as decent fisher
men, and some knowledge OF the coun-
tryside, with view to further and more
deliberate operations in the event OF an
improbable week. There was another
idea which Raffies kept TO himself until
he had got me down there. Then one day
we were crossing, and threw me catches
for an hour together. More hours he
spent in bowling to me on the nearest
green; and. If was never a cricketer at
least came nearer to being one. by the
end of that week, than ever before or
since.
Incident began early on the Monday.
We had sailed forth from a desolate lit
tie junction within quite a Few miles OF
Winchester. had been caught in a show
er, had run for shelter to a wayside inn.
A forid, overdressed man was drinking
in the parlor. and l could have sworn it
was at the sight Of him that Raffies re-
coiled on the threshold, and afterward
insisted on returning to the station
through the rain. He assured me- how
ever, that the odor of stale ale had al
most knocked him down. And l had to
make what could of his speculative,
downcast eyes and knitted brows.
Winchester Abbey is a gray, Quadrangle
lar pile, deep set in rich woody country
and twinkling with Triple rows of quaint
windows, every one OF which seemed
alight as we drove up just in time to
dress for dinner. The carriage had
whirled us under / know not how many
triumphal arches In process of construc-
ton. and past the tents and fiagpoles OF
juicy-looking cricket field, on which
Raffies undertook to bowl up to his repu-
tation. But the chief signs OF festival
were within, where We found an enor-
nous house party assembled, including
more persons OF pomp, majesty. and do |
minion than 1 had ever encountered in |
one room before. confess felt over
powered. Our errand and my own pre- /
tences combined to rob me of an address |
upon which have sometimes plumed my
self; and 1 have a grim recollection of |
my nervous relief when dinner was at |
last announced. I little knew what an Or !
deal it was to prove.
] had taken In a mucn less formidable |
young'lady than might have fallen to my |
lot. Indeed, began by blessing my good |
fortune in this respecr. Miss Melhuish /
was merely the rector's daughter. and |
she had only been asked 10 make an even |
number. I had simply TO listen, to nod, |
and to be thankful. When confessed to |
knowing very few of those present. even
by signt, my entertaining companion pro-