if
I!
TTIE OMAHA ILLUSTRATED IlEfi.
Mny 14. 1005.
Raffles Story
a nigtitblid. Nrt a sound. Bunny! We'll
Mrtil.c uic llf.- v ut uf !u'i. Ad!"
4 lie i! i .i3..:i i1 st-p li.ttl pi4FM 1 without a
i.iuji-. KaL.cs tlri-w a ilt-ip bieulli, and hla
bniu.;ii- (.;. I .l me sl'.wly rrliixrd.
ut .-.'111 not a nuui.il." I10 continued in
the V4.'.i Ali.niKr. "We'll take a rise out
if l.nn. w!:mcci' tit? Ih! u!T your shots
Ulid tol!ltV hi'1."
vnl, )u in iy v.-nti'lor at ivy doing so,
hut you run nrr t,.ic nu t A. J. ita files,
ll.ilf Ins i.r In y In 11 com ill .tin tilrlt
tf r,;nkln tin1 r -inn nrui'l'-r In tho lrnrtc-r.
Anl it wiis I'lipo. -. It i nut to follow una
wlio lt-d with B':"h it ft. Vou might ques
tion, hut .Mm t::uit follow first. So now,
when 1 h'linl l.i'n ktrk off liln own shoos
1 dl.l llin a miii-, nwl wns on tho stairs at
Ills hi-tils lufoip I rr(ill,nil what nn extra
ordinary way this ra of npproarhlna: a
utranner for nioin-y In the dead of nlRht.
Ilut obviously ItaCles fin-1 he were on cx
crptlonal tf-rtnn if Inilmvy, und I Cou'.il
not liut Infer thM they were In the h-iblt
of plnylnit prn'tic-il Jokes upon earh olhnr.
IVo grod our way so slowly upstairs
that 1 hud time to ma:r more than ono
note before we rriii'linl the top. The stair
was uncorpeted. The Fprr.nl finsers of
my right hand encountered nnthltiK 011 thn
dnnip wall; those of niy left trailed through
a dust thnt rould he felt on the Mnlstera.
An enle .lensntion lind been upon me Bine
we entered the hou:e It liirrensr-.l with
pvery step we elliubed. What hermit were
we going to (Mnrtle In hir cell?
We crime to a Inndltiff. The banisters led
us to the left, and to the left nguln. Four
steps more and we were on another and a
longer landing, nnd suddenly a match
Mazed from the Mark. I never henrd It
struck. Its flash was Minding. 'When my
eyes become accustomed to the llht there
was Ramos holding up the match with
one hand and shading it with the other, be
tween bare boards, stripped walls and the
open doors of empty rooms.
"Wh. re have you hrooaht me?" I cried.
"Tho house Is unoccupied!"
"Hush! Wait!" he whispered, and he led
tho way Into one of tho empty rooms. Ills
match went out as we crossed the threshold
and ho struck nnother without the slightest
noise. Then he stood with his back to me,
fumbling w'th something that I could not
see. Rut when he threw away the second
match there wfi some other light In Its
stead and slight smell of oil. I stepped
forward to look over his shoulder, but be
fore I could do so he had turned and
flushed a v!ny lantern In my face.
"Whnt's this?" ! gasped. "What rotten
trick nre you going to play?"
"It's played," lie answered, with his quiet
laugh.
"On me?"
"I'm afraid an. Hunny."
"Is there no one In the house, then?"
"No one but ourselves."
"Bo It was merely chaff about your friend
tn Bond street, who could let us have that
money?"
"Not altogether. It's quite true that
Danny Is a friend of mine."
"Dftnby?"
"The Jeweler underneath."
"What do you mean?" I , whispered
trembling like a leaf as his meaning, dawned
upon me. "Are we to get the money from
the Jeweler?"
"Well, not exactly."
"What then?"
The equivalent from his shop."
There was no need for another question.
I understand everything but my own den
sity. He had given me a dozen hints and
I had taken none. And there I stood, star
ing at him In that empty room: and there
Teaching Faculty pi Boyles College, Omaha
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MIS8 FLETCHER.
MISS TELLER.
MRS. B0YLE3.
V. W. BOTLE8.
U R. BUNN.
Xi. B. BOYLE3.
MTSS MTLLOWNET.
C. 11. BOYLE3.
F. E. GEORGE.
MIS8 CRAJTDALI
MISS HAYES.
made my heart stand still. Next moment I
saw the door wide open and Raffles stand
ing within and beckoning me with a jemmy.
"Door No. 1," he whispered. "Deuce
knows how many more there'll be, but I
know of two, at least. Wo won't have to
make much noise over them, either; down
here there's less risk."
We were now at tne Dottom of the exact
fellow to the narrow stone stair which we
he stood with his dark lantern, laughing at had Ju,t descended; the yard, or well, be-
ing me one part common to Dotn me pri
vate and the business premises. But this
flight lod to no open passage; instead, a
me.
"A burglar!" I gasped. "You you!"
"I told you I lived by my wits."
vWhy couldn't you tell me what you
were going to do? Why couldn't you trust
me? Why muBt you He?" I demanded,
piqued to the quick for all my horror.
''I wanted to tell you." said he. "I was
on the point of telling you more than
once. You may remember how I sounded
you about crime, though you have prob
ably forgotten what you said yourself. I
didn't think you meant It at the time, but
I thought I'd put you to the test. Now I
ses you didn't, and I don't blame you. I
only am to blame. Get out of It, my dear
boy, as quick as you can; leave It to me.
You won't give me away, whatever else
you do!"
Oh, his cleverness! His fiendish clever
ness! Had he follen back on threats,
coercion, sneers, all might have been dif
ferent even yet. But ho set me free to
leave him In the lurch. Ha would not
blame me. He did not even bind me to
secrecy; ho trusted me. He know my
weakness and my strength, and was play
ing on both with his master's touch.
"Not so fast," said I. "Did I put this
Into your head or were you going to do It
In any case?"
"Not In any case," said Raffles. "It's
true that I've had the keys for days, but
when I won tonight I thought of- chuck
ing It; for, as a matter of fact. It's not a
on man Job."
','That settles It. I'm your man."
"You mean It?"
"Yes for tonight."
"Good old Bunny." he murmured, hold
ing the lantern for one moment to my
face; the next he was explaining his plans
and I was nodding, as thought we had
been fellow cracksmen all our days.
"I know tho shop," he whispered, "be
cause I've got a few things there. I know
this upper part, too; It's been to, let for a
month, and I got an order to view and
took a cast of the key before using it.
The one thing I didn't know is how to
make a connection between the two; at
present there's none. We may make It up
here, though I rather fancy the basement
myself. If you wait a minute I'll tell you."
He set his lantern on tho floor, crept to
a back wlrdow and opened It with scarcely
a sound, only to return, shaking his head,
after shutting the window with the same
care.
"That was our one chance," said he; "a
back window above a back window; but
it's too dark to see anything, and we
daren't show an outside light. Come down
after me to the basement, and remember,
though there's not a soul on the premises,
you can't moke too little noise. There
there-listen to that!"
It was the measured tread that we had
heard before on the flagstones outsldo.
Raffles darkened his lantern, and again we
stood motionless until It had passed.
"Either a policeman," he muttered, "or
a watchman that all these Jewelers run
between them. The watchman's the- man
for us to watch; he's simply paid to spot
this kind of thing."
We crept very gljigerly down the stairs,
which creaked a bit in spite of
Uk. and we picked up our shoes
in the passage; then down some nar
row stone steps, at the foot of which Raf
fles showed his light and put on his shoes
once more, bidding me do the same In a
rather louder tone than he had permitted
himself to employ overhead. We were now
considerably below the level of the street.
In a small space with as many doors at It
had sides. 1 Three were ajar, and we saw
through them Into empty collars, but In
the fourth a key was turned and a bolt
drawn; and this one presently led us out
singularly solid mahogany door confronted
us at the top.
"I thought so," muttered Raffles, handing
me the lantern and pocketing a bunch of
skeleton keys, after tampering a few min
utes with the lock, "it'll be an hour's work
to get through that!"
"Can't you pick it?"
"No. I know these locks. . It's no use
trying. We must cut It out and It'll take
us au hour." ..
It took us forty-seven minutes by my
watch, or, rather, It took Raffles; and never
in my life have I seen anything more de
liberately done. My part was simply to
stand by with the dark lantern in one hand
and a small bottle of rock oil in the other.
Raffles had produced a pretty embroidered
case, Intended obviously for his raxors,
but filled InBtead with the tools of his se
cret trade, including the rock oil. From
this case he selected a "bit," capable of
drilling a hole an inch in diameter, and
fitted it to a small but very strong "brace."
Then ho took off his covert coat and his
blaier, spread them neatly on the top Btep
knelt oft them turned up his shirt cuffs
and went to work with brace and bit near
the keyhole. But first he oiled the bit to
minimize the noise, and this he did invari
ably before beginning a fresh hole, and
often In the middle of one. It took thirty
two separate borings to cut round the lock.
I noticed that through the first circular
orifice Raffles thrust a forefinger; then, as
the circular became an ever-lengthening
oval, he got hts hand through up to the
thumb, and I heard him- swear softly to
himself.
"I was afraid so!"
"What is it?"
"An iron gate on the side!"
"How on earth are we to get through
that?" I asked in dismay.
"Pick the lock. But there may be two.
In that case they'll be top and bottom,
and we shall have two fresh holes to make,
as the door opens inward. It won't open 1
inches as it is."
I confess I did not feel sanguine about
the lock-picking, seeing that one lock had
baffled us already; and my disappointment
and impatience must have been a revelation
to me had I stopped to think. The truth
Is that I was entering into our nefarious
undertaking with an Involuntary seal of
which I was jnyself quite unconscious at
the time. The romance and the peril of the
whole proceeding held me spellbound and
entranced. My moral sense and my sense
of fear were stricken by a common
paralysis. And there I stood, shining my
light and holding my vial with a -keener
Interest than I had ever brought to any
honest avocation. And there knelt A. J.
Raffles, with his black hair tumbled, and
the same watchful, quiet, determined half
smile with which I have seen him send
down over after over tn a county matchl '
At last the chain of holes was complete,
the lock wrenched out bodily and a splendid
bare arm plunged up to tht shoulder
through the aperture and through the iron
bars of the gate beyond.
"Now." whispered Raffles, "If there's only
one lock it'll be in the middle. Joy! Here
It is! Only let me pick It and we're through
at lost!"
He withdrew him arm, a skeleton key
was selected from the bunch, and then
back went his arm to the shoulder. It was
a breathless moment. I heard the heart
throbbing in my body, the very watch
ticking in my pocket, and ever and anon
the tinkle-tinkle of the skeleton key. Then
at last there came a single unmistakable
click. In another minute the mahogany
by an Iron curtain, the very sight of which
filled me with despair Raffles, however, did
not appear In the least depressed, but hung
up his coat and hat on some pegs In the
lobby before examining this curtain with
his lantern.
"That's nothing," said he, after a min
ute's Inspection; "we'll be through that
in no time, but there's a door on the other
side which may give us trouble."
"Another door!" I groaned. "And how
do you mean to tackle this thing?
Prise it up with the Jointed Jimmy. The
weak point of these iron curtains Is the
leverage you can get from below. But It
makes a noise, and this Is where you're
coming In, Bunny; this is where I couldn't
do without you. I must have you overhead
to knock through when the street's clear.
I'll come with you and show a light."
Well, you may imagine how little I liked
the prospect of this lonely vigil; and yet
there was something very stimulating In
the vital responsibility which It Involved.
Hitherto I had been a mere spectator. Now
I was to take part In the game. And the
fresh excitement made me more than ever
Insensible to those considerations of con
science and of safety which were already
as dead nerves In my breast.
So I took my post without a murmur In
the front room above the shop. The fix
tures had been loft for tho refusal of tho
Incoming tenant, and fortunately for us
they Included Venetian blinds which were
already down. It was the simplest matter
In the world to stand peeping through the
laths Into the street, to beat twice with my
foot when anybody was approaching, and
once when all was clear again. The noises
that even I could hear below, with the ex
ception of one metallic crash at the begin
ning, were Indeed Incredibly slight; but
they ceased altogether at each doublo rap
from my toe; and a policeman passed quite
half a dozen times beneath my eyes, and
the man whom I took to be the Jeweller's
watchman oftener still, during tho better
part of an haur that I spent at the window.
Onoe, Indeed, my heart was In my mouth,
but only once. It was when the waUnman
stopped and peered through the peep-hole
Into the lighted shop. I watted for his
whistle I waited for the gallows or the
gaol! But my signals had been studiously
obeyed, and the man passed on In undis
turbed serenity. In the end I had a signal
In my turn, and retraced my steps wtth
lighted matches, down the broad stairs,
down the narrow ones, across the area,
and up Into the lobby where Raffles awaited
me with an outstrtched hand.
' "Well done, my boy I" said he. "You're
the same good man In a pinch, and you
shall have your reward. I've got a 1,000
worth if I've got a penn'oth. It's all In my
pockets. And here's something else I
found In this locker; very decent port and
some cigars, meant for poor, dear Danby's
business friends. Take a pull and you shall
light us presently. I've found a lavatory,
too, and we must have a wash-and-brush-up
before we go, for I'm black as your
boot."
The Iron curtain was down, but he In
sisted on raising It until I could peep
through the glass door on the other side
and see his handiwork In the shop beyond.
Here two electric lights were left burning
all night long, and in their cold whits
rays I could at first see nothing amiss. I
looked along an orderly lane, an empty
glass counter on my left, glass cupboards
of untouched silver on my right, and facing
me the filmy black eye of the peephole
that shone like a stage moon on the street.
The counter had not been emptied by
Ruffles; its contents were, in the chubb's
safe, which he had given up at a glance;
nor hsd he looked at the silver, except to
choose a cigarette case for me. He had
confined himself entirely to the stsnp win
dow. This was In three compartments,
each secure, for the night by removable
panels with separate locks. Raffles had
removed them a few hours before their
time, and the electrlo light shone on a
corrugated shutter bare as the ribs of an
empty carcass. Every article of value wsls
gone from the one place which was invisi
ble from the little window In the doori
elsewhere ull was as It had been left
overnight. And but for a train of man-
gled doors behind the iron curtain, a bottle
banisters, not a trace of our visit did we
leave.
"Had it In my head for long?" said
Raffles, as we strolled through the streets
toward dawn, for all the world as though
we were returning from a dance. "No,
Bunny, I never thought of it till I saw
that upper part empty about a month ago.
and bought a few things in the shop to
get the lie of the land. That reminds me
that I never paid for them; but, by Jove,
I will tomorrow, and If that isn't poetic
Justice, what Is? One visit showed me
the possibilities of the place, but a second
convinced me of its Impossibilities without
a pal. So I had practically given up the
Idea, when you came along on the very
night and In the very plight for It! But
here we are at the Albany, and I hope
there's some fire left; for I don't know
how you feel, Bunny, but for my part I'm
as cold as Treats' owl."
He could think of Keats on his way from
a felony! He could hanker for his flresldo
like another! Floodgates were loosed within
mo, and the plain English of our adven
ture rushed over me as cold as tee. Raf
fles was a burglar. I had helped him to
commit one burglary, therefore I was a
burglar, too. Yet I could stand and warm
tnysolf by his fire, and watch him emptying
his pockets, as though we had done nothing
wonderful or wicked!
My blood froze; my heart sickened; my
brain whirled. How I had liked this villain!
How I had admired him! Now my liking
and admiration must turn to loathing and
disgust. I waited for the change; I longed
to feel It in my heart. But I longed and
I waited In vain!
I saw that he was emptying his pockets;
the table sparkled with their hoard rings
by the dozen, diamonds by the score,
bracelets, . pendants, aigrettes, necklaces,
pearls, rubles, amethysts, sapphires, and
diamonds always, diamonds In everything,
flashing bayonets of light, dazzling me
blinding me making me disbelieve because
I could no longer forgot. Last of all came
no gom, indeed, but my own revolver from
an Inner pocket, and that struck a chord.
I suppose I had something my hand flew
out. I can see Raffles now as he looked
at me once more with a high arch over each
clear eye. I can see him pick out the
cartridges, with his quiet, cynical smile, be
fore he would give me back my pistol
again.
"You mayn't believe it. Bunny," said
he, "but I never carried a loaded
one before. On the whole, I think it
gives one confidence. Yet It would be
very awkward if anything wont wrong; one
might use It, and that's not the game at
all. though I have often thought that the
murderer who has Just done the trick must
have great sensations before things get too
hot for him. Don't look so distressed, my
dear chap. I've never had those sensations.
Raffles Story
sUld 1 don t suppose I ever shall."
"But ti ls much ui have dotn- lefore?"
aid 1 ho.iiselt'.
"ltefore? My dear lluiiny. yon oiTend me!
tld It look lihe ft first atumpt? Of course
I have done it before." '
"Often?"
"Well- no! Not often enough to defctroy
the charm, at all events; never as a matter
of fact, unless I'm cursedly hard up. Did
you hear about the ThlmMeby diamonds?
Well, that was the lost time and a poor
lot of paste they were. Then there was the
little business of the Dormer houseboat at
llenley lust year. That was mine also
such as it was. I've never brought off a
really big coup yet; when I do I si. ull chuck
It uu."
Yes, I remembered both cases very well.
To think that lie was their author! It was
Incredible, outrageous. Inconceivable. Then
my eyes would fall upon the table, twink
ling and glittering in a hundred places, and
Incredulity was at an end.
"How came you to begin?" I asked, as
curiosity overeamo mere wonder, and a
fascination- for his career gradually wove
Itself Into my fascination for the man.
"Ah! that's a long story," said Ruffles.
"It was In the colonies, when I was out
there playing cricket. It's too long a story
to tell you now, but I wos In much tho
same fix that you were tn tonight, and It
was my only way out. I never meant It
for anything more; but I'd tasted blood,
nnd It was all over with me. Why should
I work when I could steal? Why settle
down to some humdrum, uncongenial billot,
when excitement, romance, danger and a
decent living were nil going begging to
gether? Of courso It's very wrong, but
we can't all li moralists, and the distribu
tion of wealth Is very wrong to begin with.
Besides, you're not at it all the time. I'm
sick of quoting Gilbert's, lines to myself,
but they're profoundly true. 1 only wonder
II you'll lllte the Ill's as much as I do."
"Uke It?" I cried out. "Not II It's no
life for me. Once Is enough."
"Vou wouldn't give me a hand another
time?"
"Don't ask me, Raffles. Don't ask mo,
for Ood's sake!"
"Yet you said you would do anything for
me! You asked tno to name my crime!
But I knew at the time you didn't mean It;
you dll n't go back on mo tonight, and that
ought to satisfy mo, goodness knows! I
suppose I'm ungrateful and unreasonable,
and all that. I uught to let it end at this.
But you're tho very man for 1110, Bunny,
the very man! Just think how we got
through tonight. Not a scratch not a
hitch I There's nothing very teriiblo In It,
you see; there never would be while Wo
worked together."
He was Ktamllng In front of me with a
hand on either shoulder; he was smiling
as ho knew so well how to smllo. I turned
on my heel, planted my elbows on the
clilniney-pleco and my burning head be
tween my hands. Next Instant a still
heartier hand had fallen on my back.
"All right, my boy! You are quite right
and I'm worse than wrong. I'll never ask
It again. Go if you want to, and come
again about midday for the ca.sh. There
was no bargain, but of course I'll get you
out of your scrapo especially after the way
you've stood by me tonight."
I was round again, with my blood on fire.
"I'll do It again," I said, through my
teeth.
Ho shook his head. "Not you," he said,
- smiling quite good-humoredly on my insane
enthusiasm.
"I will," I cried with an oath. 'Til lend
you a hand as often as you like t What
does it matter now? I've boen in It once.
I'll be In it again. I've gone to the devil,
anyhow. I can't go back, and wouldn't If
I could. Nothing matters another rap I
When you want me I'm your man!"
And that Is bow Raffles and Joined fel
onious forces on the Ides of March.
(End of First Raffles Storj.)
door and the Iron gate yawned behind us
Into the bottom of a deep, square well of and Raffles was sitting on an office table,
fog. A similar door faced It across this wiping his face, with the lantern throwing of wine and a cigar box with which liber-
area, and Raffles had the lantern close a steady beam, by his side. ties had been taken, a rather black towei
against It and was biding the light with We were now in a bare and roomy lobby In the lavatory, a burnt match here and
U body, when a short and sudden crash behind the shop, but separated therefrom there, and our finger marks on the dust
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