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Show Nine Points of the Law. WILL," Kai'". "h:it ilo von make ot' it ? ' ' 1 rv:.,i the tulorticm.nt otu-o iimro bctoro rcl It TCis in the '.'i-t column ot' tin- Jnilv TclcrHih, ani i: ran : TWO TIIOVANP IVUNPS r.KW.tu-Tl'e r.KW.tu-Tl'e above sum hmn be eanuM by un-or.e un-or.e qu.iltried to undertake ,!elu-;iie mls-eoon mls-eoon and pre;ivd to run certain ri.l;.--. Apply by telesrum. Security, l.oiulon. "1 thitt's," siikl 1, " it V the most e-Mraordituuy ad ert iMuent that ever ot into print ! ' ' Raffles smiled. "Not e,uite all that, l-uniiv; still, xxraordiuary enough, 1 raut ou." " Look at the figure! ' ' 'It i? certainly lare." "Au.1 the mission and the risk!" "Yes; the combination is frank, to sv the least of it. Hut the really original orig-inal point is requiring applications by telegrs'ii to a telegraphic a.i.lresl There's something in the fellow who thought of that, ami something in hi.-, game: with one word lie chokes off the million who answer an a 1 ertise-nient ertise-nient every day when they can raise the stamp. My answer cost nie ti e bob: but then I prepaid another." "You don'; mean to sav that vou 'vt applied?" "Kather,"' said Raffies. "I want i'AV as much as anv map." "Put your own came?" Well no. Bunny. 1 didn't. In point of fact I smell something interesting and illegal, and you know what a cautious cau-tious chap 1 3ui. 1 signed myself L !ass-rool. !ass-rool. care of lliekey, OS Conduit Mreet; that's my tailor, and after sending the w re I went round and told him what to expect. He promised to send the reply along the moment, it came. 1 siiouidn 't be surprised if that's it!" And ho was gone before a double knock on the outer door had done ring-irg ring-irg through the rooms, to return the rext minute with an open telegram and a "face f ull of news. "What do you thick?" said he. Security's Se-curity's thc.t 1'elinw Addenbrooke. the police court lawyer, and be wants to see me instanter! "Do you know him. then?" "Merely by repute. I only hope he doesn't know mo. He's probably tin-on? tin-on? man who would have the cbeek. to put in an advertisement like that, and the one man who can do :r without exciting suspicion. It's :dmpiv in his line, but you may be sure there's something some-thing shady at the bottom of it. The odd thing is that I have long male ui my mind to go to Addenbrooo my-cl:' i: accidents ?houl i happen." "And you're going to him now!" "This minute." said Raffles, brushing brush-ing his ba: "and r.o are you." Mr. Bennett Ad-ionbrc-oke o'c ipied subsrant a! offices in Wellington street. Strand, and was out when we nrri-'ed. but he had only just gone "ovv the way to the court:" and five minutes sufficed to produce a brisk, fresh-colored, resoiute-looking man. with a very confident, rather festive air. and b'ack eyes that opened wide at the sight of Raffles. "Mr. Glas-pool?" exclaimed the lawyer. "My name." said Raffle-, with dr ef frontery. "Not up at Lord's, however!" said the other, siyly. "My dear sir. T have seen you take far too manv wickets to make any mistake!" For a single moment Raffles looked venomous; tlien he shrugged and smiled, and the smile grew into a little cynical chuckle. "So you have bowled me our in my turn?" said he. "Well. I don't think there's anything to explain. I am harder hard-er up than I wished to admit under my 'wn name, that's all. and I want that 1000 reward. "Two thousand." said the solicitor. "The matter, however, js of a strictly private and confidential character." And he looked very hard at me. "Quite so," said liaft'W "Rut there was-something about a risk,''1 "A certain risk involved." "Then surely three heads will be better bet-ter than two. I said wanted that 1'.'00; mv friend here wants thp J other. .Mum you lmo lii mime, too.' I hould gio him mv real one, limine." Ml. Addenbrooke raised his eyebrows oei the uird 1 found for him, thou lie 1 unininicl upon it with Ins linger nail, and his cmlmi't.'isMiicul expressed it. -el I' in a pu..-l,-.l .-mile. " The tact 1-. 1 fmd my-elf in a .lit I ficulty," he coiil'o.od at a.-t. "Yours i the fust reply 1 have receive,!; poo pi i' Ulo can alien! to sen. I long tele guini.- ilon 'i rush to the ud ci t i-enionts in the Pailv Telegraph: but. on the other hand, 1 was not quite pi, 'pared to hear tioin men like yoiiielo-. lan-didly, lan-didly, and on con-idei at ion, I inn not sure that you are the stamp of men for me men who belong to good club-! I rather intended to appeal to the or ad enttiroiis olaes. ' ' The black eyes gleamed -hicudly. " Y c are not profe.-sioual rogues, if that's what you menu." said Radio-, smiling. "Hut on our lieameuus we are; wo would do a good ileal for n thousand thou-sand pounds apiece, eh, Hmnn J" "Anything." I mut mured. The solicitor rapped his dc-k. "I'll tell you what 1 nam ou to do. You can but refm-e. It's illegal, but it's illegality iu a good cause; that's the n.-k. and my client is prepared pre-pared to pay for it. He will pay for the attempt, in citse of failure; the .notiey is as good as yours once you consent con-sent to run the risk. My client i- sJr Bernard liebenhani of Hrooiu Hall ' f!sher." I "I know bis sou," 1 remarked. Raffles know him. too. but :nd nothing, noth-ing, and his eyes drooped disapproval in my direction. Benuett Addenbrooke turned to mo. "Then," said he, "vou have the privilege of knowing one of the most complete young blackguard- about town, and the fons et origo of the whole trouble. As you know the -on, you may know the father, too. at aii events by reputation: and in mat ea c I needn't tell you that, ho ;s a icrv peculiar pe-culiar man. He live- alone in a -tore-house of treasures which no eye- but his ever behold. He is said to have the finest collection of pic t tin's in the tonth of England, though nobodv ever sees them to judge: picture-, .ti, Idles, and furniture are hi- hobby, and he is undoubtedly very eccentric. Nor can one deny that there has been eon-id- erabic eccentricity in hi.- treatment of I b.s son. K0r years Sir IVrnard paid j his debt.-, and the other day. without tue siightc-t warning, not on'v r-t u-od to do so any more, but absoknelv stnppod tiie hd allowance. Ye!!, I'll toil you what ha- happened." The lawyer drew hs .-hair nearer ours, and leaned forward with a hand on either knee. "On Tuesday of la-t week I lad a teiegram from Sir Bernard; I was to go to him at once. I found him wait: iug for me in the drive; without a word he led m0 to the picture gallon-, which was locked and darkened, drcw rp a blind, and stood simply pointing !o an empty picture frame. It was a long time before I could get a word out of him. Then at last ho told me that that frame had contained one of the rarei-t and most valuable pictures in England in the world an origiual Vein-quo.. They -ay at the National Onllcry that the picture is practically pri'-eless. And Young Dehenham has sold it for five thonsand pounds!" "The deuce he has," said Raffles. I inquired who had bought it. "A Queensland h'i'islator of the T.an,o of 0ragfi the Hon. John Montagu Craggs, M. L. C., to give him his full title. Xot that we knew anything about him oo Tuesday test; we didn't even know for certain that Yroung Deb-enham Deb-enham had stolen the picture. Hut he bad gone down for mouey on the Monday Mon-day evening, had been refused, and it was plain enough that he had helped himself in this way; he bad threatened revenge, and this wa.- it. Indeed, -when I hunted him up in town on the Tuesday Tues-day night, he confessed as much in the mo.-t brazen manner imaginable. But he wouldn't toll me who was the purchaser, pur-chaser, and finding out took the rest of the week; but I did find out, and a nice time I've had of it ever since! Backward and forward between E-her and the Metrupolo, r here the Queens- lander is staying. sonietinicM twice a .la.i; throats, offer-., prayers, en I rent ion, not one of l hem a bit of good ! ' ' "Hut." -aid h'al'l'les, ",-uioly it' n clear I'll .',' Tile ,-alo illegal; yoil can pay linn back his money and I'orco hint to give llic picture up." "I!actl; but not without an action an. I a public scandal, and that my client cli-ent declines to face. 1 am lo get it ba. k by fair menus or foul. He giv es mo carte blanche in Hi utter, fi ml, I erilv holioM', would throw in a blank check it ii-k.,1. He offered one to the t,iiiccn-landcr. but Crngg-, sim ply tore it in two; the one old bin- is as much a character as the other, and between the wo of them I'm at my u its ' end. ' ' "And you wi.-h us to steal this picture pic-ture .' ' ' It uns magni I'icently said; the lawyer law-yer flushed from his hair to his collar. col-lar. "1 knew you wore not the men!" ho groaned. "1 never thought of men of your stamp! Hut it's not Mealing," ho exclaimed heatiWIv; "it's recovering recover-ing stolen property. H.-ide-, Sir Bernard Ber-nard will pav hiiu five thousand as M.on as he has the picture; and, you'll see, old Craggs will be ju-t as loth to let it come out a- Sir Bernard hint-self. hint-self. Xo, no it "s an enterprise, an a.hentuie, if you like but not teal-i teal-i it g. " "You yourself mentioned the law," ir.unuurc.l Kaffle-. "And the risk." 1 added. "We pay for that," he paid once u.oie. "Hut not enough." said K-'ifflcs, .-li. .king his head. "My good sir, consider con-sider what it means to us. Double your stakes, and 1 for one am your man. ' ' Ad Ion rook e wavcie.l. "I'o Mm think you could I'rmg it off!" j "YYc cnuid trv." 1 "Ant a. .li would really run the risk for tour liiou-and pounds.'" ! Unities looked at me. I nodded. " V, e would," said he, "and blow tLo I O.i.ia! "It's more than 1 can a-k mv client I to pay," .-aid Addenbrooke. growing firm. "Then it's more than vou can expect u.- to ri.-';." "Say three thou?aud if vou succeed suc-ceed "IV.ar is our figure, Mr. Addon-brooke. Addon-brooke. ' ' "Then I think it should be nothing if von fail " " Doubles or iii t-!" cried IvaffVs. "Wed. ti.at's s;.o.ti!ig. Done!" I A ideubrooko opened his lip., half ro-e, then sat back in his cl'air, and looked long and .-hrewdly at Kaftles -never once at me. "Damme. I believe you're mv verv man! ' ' be said. " . The bargain was ciinched at the Cafe Royal, where Benne't. Addenbrooke insisted in-sisted on playing host at an extravagant extrava-gant luncheon. I remember that he took his whack of champagne with the nervous free. Inm of a man at high pressure, pres-sure, and have no doubt 1 kept him iu countenance by an eipial indulgence; but Kaftles, ever an exemplar in such matter-, was more abstemious even tnan his wont, and very poor company to boot. 1 can -ee him now. his eve's in In-plate thinking thinking. At the close Katfie- apologized for his preoc cupation. called for a timetable, and announced his intention of catching the 3:02 to ?iier. "You must ex-.-n e me. Mr. Addenbrooke." Adden-brooke." "..aid he, "but I have mv own idea, and for the moment T should' min-h prefer to keep it to myself. But. speak to Sir Bernard I raust.'so will you write me one line, to him on your card 3 Of course, if you wish, you must come down with me and ho-ar'what I sav; but 1 really don't pee much point in it." And as usual Raffies had bis wav. though Bennett Addenbrooke showed' some temper when he was gone, and I myself shared his annovance to no small extent. That day saw no more of Raffles, but a telegram reached mc when I was dre-sing for dinner: "Be in your rooms tomorrow from noon and keep rest of day clear. Raffles." Raf-fles." It had been soul off from Waterloo at fi: 111. His telegram meant that be had no deire tor my societv that night, or the following forenoon; "that when he wanted want-ed me. I -hould see him soon enough And see him I did, toward 1 o'clock next day. I was watching for bim from my window in Motmt street, when ho drove up furiously in a hansom, and jumped nut without a word to the man T met him next, minute at the door, and he iairly pushed mc back into my rooms. J "Five minutes, Bnnnv!" l,e cried. ' ' Xot a moment more. " And he tore off his coat before fljnn-. ing himself into the nearest chair. " 'I'm fairly on the rush." he panted-"having panted-"having the very devil nf a time! ot a word till I tell you all I've, done I settled my plan ot campaign vesterday at, lunch. The first thing was'tn get in with this man Craggs. Only one sort of pretext would do it must be cnil,e. thing to do with this blessed picture so that I might see where he's got it and all that. Well, T couldn't go and ask to see it out of curiositv, and I couldu t go as a second representative of the other old chap, and it was thinking think-ing how I could go that, made me -ueh a. bear at. lunch. Bui. ! saw mv wav be-fore be-fore we got up. If 1 ,.,,,, ' v ,.1V hold of a, copy of the picture T iuigh't ask leave to go and compare it with the original. So down I went to Kshor to find out if there was a copv in existence, ex-istence, and was at. , Broom ITali for one hour ami a half ve-terdav afternoon more was no copv there, but thov must exist, for Sir Bernard himself has allowed al-lowed a. couple to bo made since (lie picture has been iu his pos-essinn He hunted up the painters' addresse.-. and the rest of the evening 1 spent in lmnt-m: lmnt-m: "I' the painters themselves; but their work had been done on com in is. sion: one copv had gone out of the country, and I'm still on the track of t he other. ' ' "Then vou haven't -ecu (Yarn's yet?" "Seen him and made friends with him, and if possible lie's the funnier old ii-s of the two; but von should tudv : em both, r took the bull t.v the horns I this morning, went in and lied like &&zZa ;;:-h 'i- ibssJ "Worth fifty thousand pounds, my boy and I got it for fiveJ" Aiiama.-. and it was .in-t as well f did the old riillisn saiU for Australia bv tomorrow's boat. told him a mail "ant.-d to sell mo a copv of the celebrated cele-brated Infanta Maria Teresa of Volas-0,1107., Volas-0,1107., that 1 'd been dowu to the supposed sup-posed oivnor of the picture, onlv to tied that he had nist ...Id it to him. You should have seen his face when I to!.; him that! Ilo grinimd all round his wicked old head. 'Did old Debenbam admit the sale!' says he; and when I said be had he chm-kb-d to himself for about five minutes. He was so pleased that he did iu-t what I hoped he wouid do; he showed me the' great pioturo luckily it isn't by any means a large one--also the ca-se' he's got it in. It's an iron map case in which he brought over the plans of his land in Brisbane; he wants to know who would suspect it of containing an old master, toof But he's had it fitted with a new lock, and 1 managed to take an interest in the key while he was gloating over tha canvas. I had tho wax in the palm of my hand, and I shall make mv duplicate dupli-cate this afternoon." Rattles looked at his watch and llMtmeH or. cj.-lnn V, I 1 .. . i i '".-'"fi urtu gucn me a minute- too much. "By the way," he added, "vou 're got to dine with him at tho Aletropole tonight ! " "Ti" "Yes; don't look so s-irC(L Both of up arc invUeI I fwopr yon were dinin.c with mo. I accepted for us boih; but I shan't he there," His rlear eye was upon me, bright with meaning anj with mischief. I Implored him to tell me what his meaning was. "Ton will dine in hta private attUnp room, said Raffles; "tt adjoins his hpd-i room. 1 ou must keep him sitting as Ions as possible. Bunny, and talkine all the time'" In a flash I saw hfs plan. "You're jroinp for the picture while we re at dinner?" "Yes." "If he hears you!" "If he does," Fald Raffies. "there will be a collision, that's ajl. Revolver would ho out of place in the IMtropole. but I bhall certainly take a life preserver." "But it's phastly!" j ,rled. "To sit and Ik to an ut tor ntra npr a nd to know that you're at work In the next room !" "Two thousand apiec," said Raffle?, quietly. He put on hl.c mat and his hat. "What time have I to be there?" I askfd hi in. with a erm n "Quarter to elffht. There will be a telegram from me sayiner 1 can't turn up. He's a terror to talk: you'll have no diliiculiy in keeping the bull roiiine; hut lip;jd Mm off his pi.mire fM- all vou' re worth. If he offers to show it to vou, pay yun must no." "Where I tlnd you when get a y "I slwill be down at l-her. I hone to cntch the !:;-V' "But surely I ch n see you a ga i n t h i c afternoon?" I cri-d in a. ferment, for his hand Mas on the door. "I'm not half coached up yet! know I shall make a mpss of it !" "Not ynu," he said atain, "but T shall If I waste any more time. I've got a di'iu-e nf u lot of rushing about to do yet. Vj iitii come down tn lusher yourself by the last train.' That's tt down you conic with 1 lio In test news! Til tell old Rebenha in I r r:spec' .vou : he shall give us hot h a bed. Ry Jove ! he won't be able to do us; too well if he's got his picture." "If:" I uroancd. as lie nodded bis adeu; j and he left IIIC limn Wifb Plinrehflnulnn si.-k win, fear. fn H perfectlv pitiable condition of pure stage fright. F'ir. after all, T bad only tn act mv Pint; unless Raffles failed where he never did fail; unless Raffles, the neat and noiseless, was for once clumsy and Inept, all t had to do was Indefvi to "smile and smile and be a villain." I practiced that smile iinlf the afternoon. J rehearsed putative parts in hypothetical converea-I converea-I ions. sot up stories, i dipped In a bonk on Queensland nt the club. And at last it was 7:45. and I was making mv bow to a somewhat elderlv man with a small bald head and a retreating brow. "So you're Mr. RatTles's friend?" said1 , be. overhauling me rather rudelv with I I his light small eyes. "Seen anything of I him? Expected him early to show m something, but he's never come." No more. fldint!y. had bis telegram, and niy t roubles w ere beirit'tn ng ea rly. ! vtM I I'ad nor seen Unifies since I n',-o -k tolling the tnit r. wit h unction 'hilp I .r.ni.j. Even as we spoke t'r.ere cmr a kno.-k, a t ti":- door; it the '"''fffH it; n t la -i. Hi1, a ftr reading it Mrnr-olf, the Qien-lander handed it tu me. ' ' a ; 1 - J n--,x of town"' h g r 1 1 1 1 1 b ! e- i . ".l'ldiln i!r.ef; of n-i r relative!'' "V ii," hp continued. "I suppose it can't i-c helped. f'ont know whv he ''vj'dn't come and 'hvp his dinner first. Well, must just dine without i'im. and hr'H f-ae to buy his pic tn h poke after all. Slippy you know wat he came to se me a bout? Sorry I shan't see ''I -n a cam. for his own ake. Ilk1 Itaff'es -took to him aniazlntlv. He's a ' Vuic. I.Ike eynb's? One myself. Rank bad form of his mother r his aunt, and I hope Fhe wiil go and kick the bucket." Rut nevr shad 1 forget the private agonic c,f t;!0 situation, the listening to my host with one pir and for RafTb-s wJth i he other: Once I heard him though the rooms were not divided by the old-fashioned folding doors, and though the door that did divide them was not only shut, but rich I v curtained, I could rave sworn I heard him once. I spilt my wine and laughed at the top of my oi-'e at some cnarse sallv of mv bost. And I heard nothing more, though my ears were on the strain. But later, to my horror, when the waiter had finally withdrawn. Craggs himself spranc up Hiid r- is bed to his bedroom without a word. I sat like stone till he returned. "Tboueht i heard a door gn," lie said. "Must have been mistaken imagination imag-ination enve nie rjuite a turn. UafTls tell you priceless treasure I got In there?'- With the confidential garrulitv of a man who has dined too well, he pluneed into his darling topic, and I looked pa-t him at the clock. It was only a quarter quar-ter to ten. In common decency 1 oould not go yet. Po there sat and learned what originally orig-inally fire.j my host's Hiubltion to po-s- pess what he was pleased to call a "real. ; genuine. twin-screw. double-funnelled, , copper-bottomed old matner."' "Rut you must see it. Next room Tills way," he said. : "Isn't it packed up?" I inquired hastily. has-tily. "Ick and key. ' That's all." "Pray don't trouble." I urged "Trouble be hang-d:" said he. "Come ainng. ' And all at once 1 that to resist him further would be to heap suspicion i upon myself against the moment of im- pending discovery. I therefore followed 1 him into his bedroom without further I protest, and suffered him first ir. ho.,.- me the Iron map case which stood in one corner; he took a craftv pride fn this receptacle, re-ceptacle, and I thought he would never cease descanting on Its Innocent appearance appear-ance and its Ic-lt. t seemed an interminable intermi-nable age before the key was In the latter Then the ward clicked, and my pulse stood still. "Ry Jove!" I cried next instant. The canvas was in its place among the mnps : "Thought It would knock you " aid Craggs. drawing it out and unrolling it for my benefit. "Grand thing, ain't it? Worth fifty t housa nd pounds, my bov and I got tt for five." He dug me in the ribs, and seemed fn the mood for further confidences. Mv appearance checked him, and he ruhbed his hands Heaven knows what T contrived to say at last. Struck speechless first by my relief, I continued silent from a very dif-ferenf dif-ferenf cause. A new tanifle of emotions tied my tongue. Rafties hud failed--liaftles had failed! Could I not succeed'' "uns it too late? Was there no way" fo lonp." he t'aid. taking a la-t look at the ranva? before he rolled it up "so Joni Mil we set to Brisbane." The flutter I as in as he closed the cape! "For the layr time." he went on. h!- ke;.s .hneied ba--k inro his po-,-kei. "It bo'1? 5tnilht into the ftroi.frwm on bcard." j For the last time! If I cr.u:d but nd him out to Auptralia with "oiv it. h-'irti-tr-Hte ontems in his precioii- man -a.p: If I - ould but .succeed wh'-rp Raffle had failed : We returned to th i h e r rev 'm . Whisky and soda wt'T hoc:tm t)'e r-der r-der of the hour. I s.-arcev touched it. but he drank copiouslv. and before i t lert him incoherent. And the Jast train for l-bfr was the out of Waterloo. I took a hansom to mv rooms. I was PM.-k at the hotel in thirteen minutes. I walked upstairs. The corridor was emp-tv; emp-tv; t .Mod for an instant on the sitting-room threshold, heard a t-nore within, with-in, and admitted mvself softlv wltii mv pentlenmn's own key, which it had been a very .simple matter to take awav with me. Oracgp never moved: he was stretched on the .nfa fast asleep. But not fast Miouirh for mc. I saturated mv hand-kerrnlef hand-kerrnlef with the chloroform I had brouRiit. and I laid it gentlv over his ui'.ijth. T -v, or ihrc ;M-rtoroiJ:-. hrcutu:-.. mid U.r man ah;- a loir. J icino-d th. hit lidl-ndli;f. I eyn-ft.-l-"l lie kf - from Li.'- In ti,nh tl - inifiuU'h I pul Ihi-Nj hack, nfter v.'.ni-I v.'.ni-I in pi. f ,m- a bout in . i,oi t-nea t h in " Iif.''-t net-. ,t . took .-.oJie nl :,)'... and ,.-Uu- I .vcnl. 'I'll'- t r i'i Mai- . a i I a uiil - -s 1 t i ia t I j m J i (! J t-,i- r'eii miiitjt -: :;; hir-f 'la;. f.'.mloiit.' 1 r).t r, .f-rtitr I -r (...,t;o, ,, ,,n t;,.. r,l.tf.rni. In uji-i uji-i t-a'-iia i.m- t -r:'oi till I iohJ. TI.cij a ' iw-i I 'ii' I. a-k and lil a . 'Ia rr-t t e. i(nj tl.f liin ' of W aterloo re' Ud oi l";liit.d To i. Ink thai I had Mj--e--d d ::, rt. V.a J fb , hwd fall d : Of all our wl'.ov lure, li.iH v:Hs the JirM in wiiw-n I had played a 'oin i r ia ri'l i u pa'; and, of Ue-m all. Iliii; naf l'i!liilt'-l" ln- iral d T -,d J t -fo. R cf't me ylt hoi 1 1 a -r.if-r-n I'njf d 'Jalm : I had but robnr d a i r.hbr, - h n ad was j-ald. And 1 had doner iL ni;-.iel', t little hand'-d phe ..irK't : J pifture.j Itaffb-.. .-iirprise. his de-liKht. de-liKht. He w ould think a Jiu 'c more of roe in future. And ibat future, -t --liouJd be different. We had two thousand pound a piece surely enough to Mart afresh honent men and all through nie ! In a glow I f-prnnc: out at Efiher, and took the one belated cab that v.as waiting wait-ing und'-r tin: biio'fre. In a perfect fever I beheld Hrooin hull, with the lower story stil lit up. and haw the front door open hf I 'iilrlf.ed the StPpj. Thought it was you." -aid Raffles cheerily, "It's all npirt. There's a bed for 'r.u. Sir Bernard's titling up to hake your ha nd." H is pof u pirit di.ca ppointd me. But I knew the man; he was one of those who wea i t hr ir bright e-i. bmile in the blackest hour. 1 knew him too well by this time to be deceived. "I've got it.'" 1 cried in h'm car. "I've Sot it !" "Got what?" he asked, step-ping back. "Tiie picture:" "What?" "The picture. He showed it nm 'You had to srr, without it; I saw that. o I determined to have it. And here it is." "Let's see," said Raffles grimly. I threw uu my pe and unwound the canvas from about my bod v. While I was doimr so an untidy old gentlemaji made his appearance m tiie hall, and stood lo.kinir on with raised eyebrowa. "Looks prttv fiesii for an "old master, mas-ter, doesn't she?" said Raffles, i Hit tone was stranp5. I could only ; suppo;-;; that he was jealous of my suc-! suc-! cess. "So Craggs said. I hardly looked at it myself." "Well, lok now look u!olv. Bv Jove, f must have faked her better than I thougrit:" "It b a copy!'' I cried. "It's the copy." he answered. "It's the copy I've beeri tearing all over the country to procure, it's the copy I faked back and front, so that, on your own showing, it imposed upon C'ragET?, and might have mad'- him happy for life. And you jro and rob him of that." I could not speak. "How did you manage it?" inquired .ir Bernard T'eh ?nha m. "Have you killed him?" asked Raffles Raf-fles frardonicaily. I did not look at him; 1 turned to Sir Bernard Dehenham, and to him I told my story, hoarsely, excitedly, for it was all that I could do to keep from breaking down. But as I spoke j became calmer, and I finished in mere bitterness, with tie remark that another time Raffles might tell me what he meant to 4o. "Another rime! he cried Instantlv "My der Bunny, you speak as though we were going to turn burglar for a living" liv-ing" "I trut y.ou won't." said Sir Bernard, smiling. "fr you are certainly two verv daring young men. Let us hope our friend" from Queensland will do as he said, and not open his map case til! he pet. hgck there. He will find mv c'ne-k a wait in? him, and I shall be very much surprised if he troubles any of U5 aeain.'" Raffies and T did not peak till I was in the room whi--li had been prepa red for me. Nor wa T anxious to do so then. But he followed mc and took my band. "Bunny." said he. "don't you be hard on a fellow! I was in the deuce of a hurry, and didn't know that 1 should ever ept wiia t I wantPd in time, and that's a fact. But it serves me right t ha t you should have gone and undone one of the b-st t nines I ever did. As for you- handiwork, old chap, you won't mind my saying that I didn't think you had it in you. in the future " "Don't talk to me about the future!" T cried. "I hate tiie whole thing! I'm goinc to chuck ii up!" "So a m I." said Raffles, "when I've made my pile." (Copyright, by McClnre N'e'wepaper Sjn- |