Evening star., 1918-02-17


the arrangements of his hall. Futher-
more, he gave him. in his own blum.
dering way. the hint which enabled
the professor to secure DR.. Coleman
as the chairman of his committee OF
The same evening Bill PUNK sur
prised the signor by a proposal
Would you think of trying some
asked.
You mean yon are willing to act a
a medium said the signor.
"Aya. just act on the square: and the
neighbors knows me, they does
Bill Pluck was not specially prepos-
sessing. but he had the advantage OF
being known. So when he offered to
come on for 4 shilling and a pot OF beer
night during the week. the signoI
Jumped at the offer. AS q matter OF
fact he only performed on the first
night OF the engagement.
There was a very fair attendance that
first night. On the platform sat the
committee of inspection round table
DR.. Coleman conspicuous among them
Bill Pluck was the last called amid a
roar of applause and laughter. He was
brought forward and seated sheepishly
in chair with a glare OF light on has
face, in full view of the committee and
audience. DR.. Coleman especially
watched him with fixed attention. There
was a smart young man on the plai-
form-not q member of the committee
who also seemed much interested He
was probably reporter. for he TOOK
out his notebook when Bill Pmck was
called and began writing rapidly In
shorthand moment afterward
Signor Montifero bade his subject M
his eyes intently on the revolving mir
ror, by which he was to be daZZled and
daZed into the meSmeric trance.
For few minutes the man stared
fi1edly and vacantly as directed. Then
his eyelids dropped and closed and his
h h Ivafr .l nd "a
''Oh. oh! OH Grief the figure in the
chair, pointing in kind OF ecstasy OF
delight-"it is wonderful"
The signor reused himself to meet
his good fortune Here was a man
really hypnotiZed at last.
whats wonderful" he said. What
do you see?"
The Kubla Khan ruby" was the an
swer in the same hollow monotone.
in a voice which he tried to make
steady: where do you see it,
In the shop window of MI: Bodas
of Bond street Look, look! 1t IS
blaze of red light. There is crowd
pushing their way through the crowd
Can you see who they arer'
Let me-et me-yes. One OF them
is Don Coioso, the modern Atlas
other is the small man, jules Herman
des, whom he used to swing over his
head"
This caused another thrill among
the audience, for Don coioso and his
night of the daring robbery.
What do you see now"
Now he strikes with his walking
stick. He has broken the thick glass
like paper. He has torn the WIRE graz
ing like cobweb. See. the little man has
grabbed the ruby and slipped off like
a weasel through the throng. The po-
lice are breaking through the crowd.
Now they have caught Don Coloso.
goes with them like a lamb"
do you follow them"
Il follow them They turn down a
quiet street together. Don Coloso
is no one in the street Now in a mo-
ment he f1ings the police round They
are like children in his hand. He dashes
their heads together. He f,ings them
from him. He is off like a fash He
has disappeared.
Look again-do you see him nowo'
"Dimly. He seems waiting in the dark
for some one who does not come He
clenches his hands and his teeth He dis
appears. l see him again more clearly
1t is at the Euston railway station. Now
he has black leather bag in his hand
He is watching some one. 1t is the
slight man who stole the ruby Don CO.
loso does not speak to him. The slight
man buys ticket. Don Coloso buys a
ticket The slight man gets into a car
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. to the engine. Don
Coloso gets into the last carriage at the
extreme end of the train. 1t is a very
long train. The two men are very far
apart. The train is off,"
DO you followr'
Il follow. We have stopped at Rugby.
l know the station we'll The end of the
long train tails away from the platform
into the dark night The slight man does
not leave his carriage. But see, shadow
dips out from the last carriage of the
train How quietly he goes, He is down
on the rails behind the train. He ties
his bag under the buffer with strong
twine: he slips off his boots and ties them
up with his bag He climbs like cat 10
the roof of the carriage. and SO is car
ried away into the night"
Watch him
81 am watching. He crawls like a
great eat along the ridge of the rush
ing train. counting the lamps as he goes
He is close to the engine now. He lifts
the carriage lamp from its place and tries
to balance it on the swaying curve of the
roof but ii goes over with crash on to
the line. hear the man curse under his
breath. But he takes a railway reading
lamp from his pocket: he lights it with a
flaming Vesuvian and turns the light
the carriage below there is a man sleep
ing quietly. The hight CLEANS white on
his face. Again it is the slight man who
stole the ruby.
There is an evi1 look in the eyes that
CLEAN down at him. and from the thin
lips comes a low growl OF JOY, like a
wild beast feeding. Again the man on