The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-04-25
ANOTHER
"RAFFLES"
By CASPER GREEN

NC" haInes who was doing |
some daring things in the way of
entering houses in the city and sub
uros His exploits numbered 90 and
the police had not even caught sight
OF MIN as yet. Some of his victims
mao seen dark figure and fred at it,
put there had been no bloody trails to
ioiiow 10 success. He had robbed
nouseholders at dinner time and he
had robbed others as they slept the
sleep OF the just In the instance
most talked about. he had visited
seven different bedrooms in a country
mouse and robbed each one, and had
then sat down in the dining room for
luhch and smoke before depart
Ing. Half dozen Of the club mem
oers agreed that he must have nerves
OF steel, but the seventh was the ex-
ception. 1t was Howard Burt, a young
broker, who had sat quietly listening
for the last half hour.
Yes, It's all nonsense" he repeat.
ed as the others turned to him in
surprise. There Is no nerve in
robbing sleeping house, or in porch.
climbing when you know that there
Is not one chance in fifty of meeting
anyone upstairs"
| Thereupon arose discussion in
which there was considerable acrt-
mony, and in which the seventh man
held his own against the six so we'll
that one of them finally resorted to
bluff and said
| There is way to prove your
contention. Turn 'Raffes and give
US the honest results of the expert
ment"
There are six of YOU" slowly re
piled the young man. "Ill lay you
one hundred each that | enter some
house within week as a 'Raffies' and
bring to this club some article that
you will all recognize"
Done! Done. Done!" was shouted
al him from all sides, and with a
laugh he rose and left the club TO
keep an engagement.
The family of General Birney, oc-
| cupying a manor house ten miles out
of the city, consisted of the general
and his wife, both of whom We're we'll
along in years, their son, Fred, who
was in an insurance Office in the city
and Edith, who had finished her educa
ton at Vassar and had returned home
to wait the great event of the life OF
every young woman, matrimony. Raj
fes had visited the houses to the east
and west, but had deferred his call or
the general. There was plumber there
but it was taken by the general tC
signify that the robber was afraid to
tackle an old veteran of the wars, who
had turned the family bedroom into
an armory and had had the HOUSE
rugged out with all sorts of burglar
alarms and electric bells and trap'
for the unwary
Some young ladies', while watin,
for prince charming turn to poetry
Others write a play. Miss Edith hat
had the plot of comedy drama il
her head ever since she was ten year.
old. The time had now arrived t.
develop it, For month she hat
been resting and thinking all day ant
working with her pen until IL or
o'clock at night There came par
ticular night when she was bothered
more than usual She had brough
her hero under such cloud of sus
picion that it seemed as if caree
must end in his being dubbed by
policeman and dragged 10 Jail, ant
the girl was thinking deeply when ;
slight noise behind her made he
turn. She turned to see "Raffles.
She was in the library on the frs
floor, and father. mother. brother ant
servants were all on the second an
. third, sound asleep. Raffes wa
masked, but there was no trouble Il
figuring out that he was not the hire
man who had come In to tell her tina
one of the horses in the stable had tn
collie or that he was the gardener wit
the announcement that cow ha
broken into the grounds and eaten u
her favorite rose bush.
II was well for Miss Edith that sh
had been writing a play in which he
heroine swan rivers, jumped owe
cliffs and pursued the James brother
to their lair. She represented tn
, heroine 1t would not do for her
faint away in the presence OF one ro'
Der. who did not even display pisto
The two looked at each other for ha
a minute, and then Raffies quietly So
down in a chair few feet away.
the same moment the young lady r
membered that there was revolvt
in drawer of the desk at which sf
4 was writing. She had used it Whe
- posing in the place of her heroine.
You are up late observed Rafie
after he was comfortably seated.
who are you. and why are yc
here?" she asked in reply.
Just Raffles, if you please. II
first question will answer the Sc
- ond."
He had a pleasant voice. He hs
an aristocratic foot and hand. VIM
he lounged carelessly. his attitude WI
that OF a gentleman. AS her hrst chi
of fear PASSED away, the girl notice
these things. They counted IN n
favor. but only TO an extent. III
- newspapers and the police had sa
that Raffies was a gentleman. If yc
nust he robbed, il is better 10
robbed by a gentleman than by
tramp. but it is still better not to
robbed at all. Miss Edith figure
that the intrduer must have been
- the house for some time, and that
2 had made up his bundle of plund
I nd was ready 10 lave when he hi