The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-09

you will look upon with pleasuraole, and
l hope amused, interest"
| l glanced up the table at Bustard,
whose eyes were fixed with hawkiike
intentness upon Rawson.
"The colonel and Jenkins and / had
little wager about two weeks ago. Mrs.
Harlow" ,Rawson ran on, TO the effect
that your delightfully."- charming and
ever-ready hospitality was in great dan
ger OF being abused by chance visitors.
There is nowhere that know of
house that is more genially and gracious
ly wide open to all Corners than. your
own. You have been to US all the very
embodiment of the Lady BountifuI. But,
as / have intimated already, that very
gracious bounty lays you open to the
wiles of the selfish. Now Col. Bastard
and bet Mr.. Jenkins here 500 apiece
that circumstances were such that We
could carry off pretty much anything we
pleased from your house without your
even knowing that you had been robbed"
The colonel mopped a profusely per-
spring brow.
Il undertook to remove bodily your
set OF Burton's Arabian Nights" con-
tinued Rawson, while the colonel here
undertook to get away with your jewels
and that very precious copy of Shelleys
( 'Adonais' in your library. Jenkins here
maintained that we could not do it, or
if We could that you would soon discov-
er your loss. Well, how successful we
have been We now propose to show you.
for we are about to restore the missing
articles"
Again I glanced at the colonel He
was staring at Rawson like one supreme
ly fascinated, and his hand as it rested
on the table trembled slightly.
The colonel and l." Rawson went on
calmly, but with a CLINT in his eye that
l always noticed there in moments Of
intense action, will ask to be excused
for a moment that we may repair to our
rooms and secure the missing articles.
Are you-are you ready. Col Bustard2"
''Why-you-you lovely, you dear fel-
! lows" cried Mrs. Harlow, clapping her
hands ecstatically. You mean to say
that you-"
That we have been making an ex-
pertinent in crime for your benefit,
madam
An amazed silence settled over Us all
during the absence of our host and the
colonel, for which was sincerely CRATE
full Everybody was too breathlessly in
terested to speak. For myself, l await
ed their return most uneasily. There
was room for tragedy here. but fortu-
nately it did not msterialize. In few
moments, Rawson and the colonel re-
turned. the former stern and determined,
the latter very pale and an ill-concealed
wrath flashing from his eyes. With
them came one OF the hotel belIboys car
rying fourteen volumes OF Burton, all
I Rawson had managed to secure. The
restitution was made amid delighted ap-
plause.
Now" said Rawson, lust to to COM
plete this little transaction, since the
colonel and have lost
Lost" I cried Not bit OF it. You
got away with the things didn't you''
Yes" said Rawson, but Mrs. Har-
low discovered her loss, and we bet you
she wouldn't. That puts the colonel and
me on the losing side. and want to
pay up. There you are"
He tossed fve $40 bills across the
table
Colonel, it's your turn now" said
Rawson quietly
by Cad, sir, so it $50 it is" said
the colonel, taking SIoo bill out of his
wallet, and handing it over. Were
quits, Mr.. Juj-jenbins."
Thanks" said l. "I1l send the $500
to the Fresh Air Fund"
The next morning Col. Bastard left
the hotel and went to New York on an
early train.
How did you ever get on, Billie"
said |, as we saw the colonel riding off
in the hotel bus.
oh, nothing hard about that" said
Rawson. you see you and most of the
other people when you feel the need OF
interesting pictures travel abroad and
visit the galleries where they keep their
Rhbenses and their Rembrandts and their
Mike Angeles, and all the rest of that
antique bunch, but well, the Rogue's
Gallery in little old New York is fuller
OF human interest to me- BASTARD is
No. $50, series of 1909, in that dis
tinguished collection, and l knew him
for Shelton the minute set eyes on
him."
You let him off mighty easy" said I.
"Yes-I did" said Rawson, with q
shake of his head. Il didn't mean to at
first but when he told that tale about
Skeletons sacrificing his career to shield
a woman-well, old man"
do you believe it,? asked.
at rant sav that 7 doD sai5 PauSor