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Show THE SUNDAY MORNING 12 7 Raffles, Amateur Cracksman She By ! W. HORNUNG T forget nothing. I uierrlj don't want to hurt jour feeling. But look hero a aes voyage jou haU have. Well spend July In the Medltcmi-- THE GIFT OF THE emperor Kt.Sef tlx t. But you're playing cricket" Hang tto crlcketr Well, I thought you meant If uf course I meant it. Will yon Serin come?" Like a shot If you go." Mftt W OmIb SoIm Sm) And 1 shook bis hand and waved HEN tto king of tto caa- mine In farewell, with the perfectly lalanda made faces goud humored conviction that 1 should Victoria and a bear no more of the matter. It waa a monarch act passing thought, no mor no leas. 1 the cablea tingling with soon wished it wets mure. That week on tha found me wishing myaelf out of Enghi compliment exploit tha indignation la land fur good nnd alL I waa making not laaa than tha snr-pri-s nothing. I couhl but subsist on th for tha thing waa not ao common difference between tto rent I paid for a ft ha alnca torom But when It my flat and th rent at which I bad sublet It, furnished, for tto season, tnmapbnd that a gift ef peculiar waa to follow tha congratula- and tto season was near B end, and tion to give ! weight, tha Infer-anc- a creditors awaited me in town. Was It prevailed that tha whit potentate possible to to entirely boueet? I had and tha black had taken ahnnltanaoiia run no bills when 1 had inaoey In my leave of their fourteen acnaen For the pocket, and the mure downright disto me the leu ignoble. gift waa a pearl at price unparalleled, honesty But from Baffles of course I heard pickad aforetime by Britiah cutlaasea from a Folyiaa'ia aatting and present-a- nothing mor A week went by, and hy Brttlah royalty to tha aoreraiga half another week. Then late on tto whs acted thte opportunity of restoe-la- second Wednesday night I found a it to ha original poaaaranr. telegram from him at my lodgings t after seeking him vainly In town and Tha Incident would have baen a to tha praaa a few week later. dining with desperation at the solitary ' Bvan la June there wen leader le- club to which I still belongod. tear to Waterloo leadad the by North "Arrange typ tter, brga hcadllnm, Dally Chronicle devoting half Its liter- German Lloyd special," to wired, 0:2u ary paga to a charming drawing of tha a. m. Monday next; will meet yon Island capital, which tha new Fall Southampton aboard Uhlan with tickBall la a leading article headed hy a ets; am writing." pa sdrted the government to blow And writ to did, n light hearted jo ffindan. I waa myself driving a tetter enough, but full of serious sollcl-tud- e for me and for my health and poor but not dishonest quill at tha tint and tha tople of tha hour goaded prospects a letter almost touching in Bsa late satiric vane which obtained the light of our past relations, In the n batter place ttum anything I bad yet twilight of their complete rupture. He turned out Z bad let my flat In town said that to bad booked two bertha to and taken lncxpcnatva quarters at Naples; that wa were bound for Capri, Shames Dittos on tbs plea of a disin- which wu clearly the island of the ktua uteri; that wa would task there terested paaaloo for tha river. old boyP said Baffles together and for awblte forget." It Tint who moat needs coma and aea mo waa a chiming letter. I had never there), lying back In tbs boat white I sacs Italy; tha privilege of Initiation No mistake wa greatarslted and stowed. suppose they should to hi er than to deem It an Impossible counpay yon pretty well for than ehF try for tha summer. Tto bay of Naples "Not a penny.' Nosaana Bumy! I thought they wu never ao divine, and to wrote of lands forlorn," though tto paid so wall! Give them time and fairy poetry sprang unbidden to hia pen. To you'll get your chock." said I gloomily. com back to earth and proa I might Oh, a I shan It unpatriotic of him to choose a Tv got to to content with the honor think Germaa boat lint on no other line did In. to wrote of getting Tte editor say ao to as many word," I added. But you receive rack attention and accommodation far your money. There wu 1 gave tto gentleman his distinguished a hint of totter reason Raffles wrote, name. aa to bad telegraphed, from Itrctnen, Von don't mean to aay yonfro writand I gathered that tto personal use ten fur payment already?" of eomo little Influence with tto auNo. It waa thq teat thing I had In- thorities there had resulted In a matended to admit But I had dona It terial reduction In our fare waa She murder out Thera waa no Imagine my excitement and delight! aeuao in further concealment I had Z managed to pay wbat Z owed at written for my money toraaas I really Thamas Ditto to squeeze a small edi' needed It If to mnat know, I was tor fur a very small check and my cursedly hard upi Kafflaa nodded a tailor far on more flannel suit I though to knew a heady. I warmed remember that Z brake my last sovto my woe It waa no easy matter ereign to get a bn ef ftalllvans cigto keep year and np ao a raw free arettes far Baffles to smoko on tto lance of latter my part Z wai voyage. But my heart waa as light as field Z wrote nrithar well enough nor my puna on tto Monday morning, tto 111 anotigh for soccra Z suffered from fairest morning of an unfair summer, n persistent Ineffectual feeling nftur when tha iperial whirled mo through Vena Z aonld manag but h tto sunshine to the aea. . Myl did not pay. To personal paragraphs A tender awaited ns at Southampton. nod tto bane Jmwnallam Z canid not Baffle was not on board, nor did I nnd Z would net stoop. really look for him till wa reached Baffles nodded again, this time with tto liner's aid and then Z looked In amlla that atayad In hi eye aa to vain. His fare was not among the leaned tack watching me. I knew many that fringed tha rail; his hand to waa thinking of other things I waa not of tbs few that waved to Bad stooped t and Z thought Z knew friend Z climbed aboard In a sudden what to waa going to say. Ha had toavlnee Z had no ticket or tha monbald It before ao often. Ha waa aura ey to pay for on Z did not even !te aay it again. Z had my answer know tto numtar of my room. My toady, bat evidently ho was tired of heart waa In my month as 1 waylaid asking tto aamo question. Ill lids a steward and asked If a Mr. Raffles fell, to took np tto paper to had wu on board. Thank heaven be was! dropped gad Z sculled the leugth of tto Bnt where? Tha man did not know, old red wall of Hampton Court before wu plainly on some other errand, Z muat go. and But there spoke again. And they gave you nothing for was no sign of him on tha promenade these? Ify dear Bonny, they're ripl-to-l; dock and none below In tto saloon. Tto auoklug room wu oupty but fur not only qua verae but for your subject and potting it la a liitte Germaa with a red mustache nutshell. Certainty you'va taught ma twisted Into hia eye Nur w as Raffles more about It than I knew before. Bnt In hia own cabin, whither Z Inquired la It really worth 3CtOOO- -a aingte my way In desperation, but the sight of hia own name on tto baggage fearir A hundred, Z totter But that wu certainly n further reassurance. Why be himself kept In tto back(wouldn't act "A hundred thousand pound P said ground, however, Z could not conceive, Baffles with his eye shut And again and only sin later reasoua would sugZ made certain what waa coming, but gest themselves In explanation. 8o there yon are! Ive been looking again Z wu mistaken. If It's worth all that" to cried at teat, there would far you all over th ship!" to do getting rid of it at all. It's not Despite the graven prohibition I had tried the bridge as a last resort, and Ilka a diamond that you can subdivide. But Z beg your pardon. Bunny. Z waa there Indeed waa A. J. Baffles am ted on n akyllgbt and Ironing over one of forgetting." tto offleera long cbalrs. In which reAa se aaid no more about the In a white drill coat nnd clined gift, for pride thrives on an skirt a girl of a girl with n pale skin, slip no and would empty pocket, privation hnir and rather remarkable eye, bare drawn from me the proposal darkmuch 1 noted a he rose and quickdo which I bad ctjxvted Baffles to make. turned. Theronpon I cinilil think of ly My expectation had been half a hope, nothing but the swift grimace which though I only knew It now. But a start rf well feigned astondh! w touch again on what preceded ishment. Baffle to havo forgotten rrli-Ruffle. Where my apostasy." my lapse Into virtue." haveWhy, Runny!" you sprung from?" a he had lecu pleased to call It. We I a'aniniered something as he pinched were both a llule silent, a little conhand. my i eui-lwith hia strained. Ami Hie you coming In this ahtp? own thoughts. It waa month aluce Naples too? Well, upon my we had met, and aa I saw him off And to Mis-, Werner, may I Introduce word! toward 11 o'clock that Kuuday night I him fancied It was for more months Hut Ami be did so without a blush, dewo were eaylng good by. But a we walled for the train I raw scribing me us an old schoolfellow whom he bail not seen for mouth a. those clear cy.- - peering :it me under with willful circumstance and gratui1 uu-- t the atatlou lamp, mid wln-tous detail that tilled me at ouce with tlielr g.am-- Kaffli-hi, bead. and revolt. 1 felt coufualon, siiapk-loYou don't loot well on it. Hiiuity, us both, and 1 did fir blushing 1 never did beii-- tc aid he. In tills nut care. My address utterly desert'ilia me valley. You want u change or ed me, and I made no effort to recover air." It to carry the thing uff. All 1 would I wished 1 min'd get It. do wu to mumble such words a RafWhat you nelly want i a aea voy- fles nnd actually put Into my age." that I doubt not with n thoroughly evil And a wlirer at St. Moritz, or do grace. you recommend Cannes or Cairo? It's 'go you saw my name in the !it of all very well, A. J.. but yon forget passengers nnd In scr.r-- h of nir? I s m wlnt I t; Id you about my funK" n!d r.iiiiuj I though, I Wmi Vt! vgis m alg-ioi-- il d g god-no- ' . . h y cabin. Ive got a beauty on the proueinid deck, but they wouldn't proxuia to keep in by myself. We ought to see about It before they above In some alien. In any case we Hull bav s to get out of this." Tor a quartermaster had entered tto wtoelhuuse, and even white we bad n been speaking tLe pilot bad taken uf the bridge. As we descended. the tender left u with flying handkerchiefs and shrill gKidhya, sud aa we bowed to Mia Werner In the promenade deck there came a deep, alow throbbing underfoot and our voyage had begun. It did nut begin pleasantly between Baffles and me. Ou dock to bad over- borne uy stubborn perplexity by dint of a forced though forceful Joviality. In his cabin the glove were off. You Idiot," to snarled, you've given me away again!" How have 1 given you away?" Z Ignored tto separate insult tn bis last word. should have thought any clod coaid see that Z meant ns to meet by chance!" After taking both tickets yourself?" They know nothing about that on board. Besides, I hadn't decided when Z took tto tickets." Then yon should hav let me know when yon did decide. Ton lay your plans and never say a word and expect me to tumble to them by light of nature. How waa Z to know yon bad anything on?" Z bad turned the table with some effect Ruffles almost bung his bead. Tto fact la,' Bunny, 1 didn't mean you to know. You you've grown such g pious rabbit In your old age." My nickname and bis ton went far to mollify me. Other thing went farther, but Z bad much to forgive him IIow? Z OCTOBER EXAMINER, Without Liuzcuiy, you 4U fare tto more anxious to describe tor without injustice. I confess to some little prejudice against her. Z resented tor success with Baffle of whom. In oonequ(-nee- , I saw toss and lens each day. It is a mean thing to have to confess, hut there must have been something not unlike Jealousy rankling within me. Jealousy then was lu another quarter-crude, rampant, undignified Jealousy. Captain Von Ueumann would curl his mustaches into twin spire shout Ida whit cuff over his ring and stare at me insolent ly through bis rimless eyeglasses. We ought to have consoled each other, but we never exchanged a syllable. Tbe captain had a murderocs scar across one of ills cheek a present from Heidelberg, and Z used to thiuk bow be muat long to have Baffles there to servo the same. It waa not aa though Van Ueumann never had bla lunlug Raffles let blm go iu several times a day for the malicious pleasure of bowling blm out as to was getting set." Those were bis words when I taxed him disingenuously With obnoxious conduct toward a German on a German boat "YouD make yourself disliked on board! By Von Ueumann merely." But Is that wise when he's tto maa we've got to get next to." The wisest thing I ever did. To have chuinuied up with him would have been fatal tto common dodge." I was consoled, encouraged, almost content. I hud feared Baffles waa neglecting thing aud I told him so lu a burst Here we were near Gibraltar, and not a word since tbe Solent lie shook hi head with a smile. Tleuty of time. Bunny; plenijr of time. We can do nothing before we get to Genu and that wou't bo till Sunday night. The voyage la atill young and ao are we. Let's make the moat of things white we can." It waa after dinner on tto promenade deck, and, a Ruffles spoke, lie glanced sharply fora aud aft leaving me next mouicut with a step full of I retired to tto auioklmr purpose. roam to smoke and read In a corner aud to watch Von Ileumanu, who very soon came to drink beer and to sulk lu another. Few traveler tempt the Bed sea a' midsummer. Tto Uhlan was very empty Indeed. Bbe had, however, bit a limited supply of cabins on tbe pron enade deck, aud there was Just Hi excuse for my sharing Baffles' root I could have hud one to myaelf dovvi stair but I must be up abovi Raffles bad insisted that I should on the point, ao we were together I think, without suspicion, though ate without any object that I could see. On tto Sunday afleruoon I was asleep la ny berth tto lower one when tto curtuins were shaken by Raffle wb was lu hia shirt sleeves on demtaiid; not even now with the gusto of a man who savors such aa adventure for its own sake, hut doggedly, defiantly, through my teeth, aa one who bad tried to live L- neatly and failed. And white 1 was about it I told him much inure. Eloquently enough, I dare aay, I gave him chapter and verse of my hopeless strnggic. my Inevitable defeat for hopelesa and Inevitable they were to a man with my record, even though that record waa written only in one's own soul. It was tto oh) story of the thief trying to turn honest man. The thing v.aa against nature and there waa an ei.d of It Raffles entirely Unagreed with mi Hu shook hi head over my convention al view. Human cuture was a boar of checker reconcile oneor' Why to ultcruate black and white? Why sire to to all one tb.ug or sll tto otbe like our forefather uu tbe stage or ' the old fashioned f.ctljn? For h on all aquar part be enjoyed blm-iof the board and like 1 tte light tto r for the shade. My conclusion ' considered absurd. "But you err lu gj.d company, B moralists w. ny, far all the preach tto same twaddle. Old Vlr; w a the first end w ml offender of y alL I back niysi ,f to climb out Arcrnus any day 1 like, and sooner later I shall climb out fur g'tod. suppose 1 can't very well turn mys Into a limited liability company, Lu! could retire ami down and I1 blamelessly ever after. I'm not It couldn't he iloue on tbit i tlc Then you don't '.:!1 tbluk It too markable to sell?" W might take a fishery and b It up with smaller It would eo after months of 111 luck, Just as ' atllL were going to sell H e schooner. If yon were afraid of writing, I Jove. It would to the talk of the 1 pursued, It was your business to give dfle!" me tto tip the moment 1 set foot on "Well, we've got to get It first, board. Z would have taken It all right thte Von e a formld. Z am not so virtuous as all that" rose?" Was It my Imagination or did Raffles Mure so than to looks, and to ka look slightly ashamed? If ao It waa the check of the devil!' for the first and teat time in all the As he spoke a white drill skirt years I knew him, nor can I swear to past thl open stateroom dooi It even now." and I caught a glimpse of an nptoac That," said he. was tho very thing mustache beyond. I meant to do- - to lie in wait In my But la ha the chap we have to de room and get you as j ou pawed, but" with? Wont the pearl be lu ih You were tetter engaged?" purser's keeping? Bay otherwise." Raffles stood at the door, frowuln Tbe charming Miss Werner?" out upon the Bolent, but for an lustai. She la quite charming. to turned t me with a sniff. Must Australian girls are," said L My good follow, do you suppose th IIow did you know aha was one?" whole ship's company kuows theres l to cried. gem like that aboard? You aaid that I beard her siesk." It teas worth 10,UOO: In Berlin the y. Wtot's-hls-uam- nt 1 sli-ni- my-M-l- enc l . sen-satio- unpleasantness. It's a very old story, Bunny. I really forget la wbat book it comes; I'm only sura of the Testament. But Bamson w as the uulueky hero and one Delilah the heroine." And he looked ao knowing that I could not be in a moment's doubt as to bla meaning. Bo tha fair Australian has been playing Delilah? said I. In a very harm tea Innocent sort of way." She got his mission out of blm? Ye I'vo forced blm to score all tto points to could, and that waa hia great stroke, as I hoped it would be. lie baa oven shown Amy tbe pearl. Amy, eh! And she promptly told your Nothing of tto kind. What makes yon think so? I had the greatest trouble In getting It out of her. Hia tone should have been a sufficient warning to me. I bad not the tact to take It as such. At last I knew the meaning of his furious flirtation and stood' wagging my head and shaking my finger, blinded to his frowns by my own enlightenment. Now I see Wily worm! said I. through it alL How dense I've been!" Bure you're not slUl? now I understand wbat has me all the week. I simply esuldn't (thom wbat you saw In that Nrt; beaten fawd by Kyrl Bailee. THEBE WAS A. J. BAFFLES. Brute!" aaid Itnfflr langhlng. She lisa no more twuug than you have Her people are German; she lias bee. to scLixil In Dresden and la on tot way out wloue. Money?" I Inquired. Goufouud you!" to said, and, thoug! he was laughing. I thought It wa u point at which the subject might be changed. Well," I said, It wasn't for Miss Werner you wanted ua to play strangers, was It? You have sums deeper game than that, eh?" aupiioe I have." Then hadn't you better ten me what It Is?" Raffles treated me to the old, rautloua scrutiny that I knew an well. Tho very fumlllurlty of It. a Tier all three month set me smiling In a way that might have reassured him, for dimly already I dlvlm-- Ma enterprise. 1 It wont send boat Bunny T' you off In the pilot's Not quite." Then you remember the pearl you wrote the" did not wait for Mm to flnsh bla ecnicuce. You've gut It!" I cried, my face on fire, for 1 ciiught sight of it that moment lu the stateroom mirror. Raffles seemed token nltnck. Not yet. said he. but I uiesn to have It before we get to Naples." la It ou bonnl i" Tee." lint how- - whore- - who' got It?" "A little dert mm oCIiht. a whlpper-nape- r w ith unis porpomliouliir tacbcH." 1 saw him In the smoke room." That's the chap. He's ulwnys there, Herr I'upiniu Wilhelm vo-- i Uciimann. If you look nt (lie list. Well, hr the nnd he's Bvial envoy of the faking the pm-.-- l out with him:" You found this out iu No. Ill Herllu. Trom h I'm mull I know there. t., (ell you. Ilunuy, (hut I there cu L ii:M-rvi-. Rn-mc- purpose:" out h.iich.-.-g- . 'l 'You he : hanicd. You .luing the verj ih.ng I w.is rnih-- r h -uu w re g ' : g to pric-o-t il.g Oiler dry n:i he n--:- " "You wen- hepuig i; V sr.ij with lii e.i- -s v. open. wu Ills til. ti Mirp1: to he niutli more I relt. Yes." 1 ctiiwcred, I .;v..:e toon the idea, but I war-- t g g m j .. pore it." 1. "Yef y.1'1 would t, ,, the mi i!..v7" I -- Iin-lu- - i . . : C.r: i ." I'.t Vpper a I;' tlmsclf knows that Von Ueumaun bus t on him. And he has?" Must Then wo have only him to deal tav" rllhr . II answered me without a word, nmething white waa fluttering past ice more, and Baffle stepping forth, ude the prunieuudera three. st I do not ask to foot aboard a finer teainshlp than the Ubten of the Lloyd, to meet a kindlier cutlemau than her then commander better fellows than bit officer This much st least t me have the grace to admit-- 1 bated the voyage. It was no fault of anybody connected with the ship; It wa no fault of the weather, wbleb was monotonously Ideal. Not even in my own heart did the reawm Conscience and I were direside. vorced at Inst nnd the dorrre made With my scruples hud fled almolut all fear, and 1 was ready to revel bright rkb-- a and sparkling aea with the light detachment of Raffles himself. It was Baffles himself who prevented i.ie, bnt not Baffles alone. It was Itnfflea ami that colonial nilux on her way homo from school. What he could see In her hut that begs tbe question. Of course he saw no more than 1 il d, but to annoy me, or pcrtuii to piu.lsh me for my long , hr r.;i-- t torn hi buck on me and devote hm.self to llii chit from Houtbainptoii t i (lie Mediterranean, lliey were ulw.-ytogether. It was t'Hi nhsmil. At'er breakfast they would and go ou until 11 or 12 at night. Thi-ri- - was no Intervening bour nl whii-might not hear te-- r nasal laugh or ! - quiet voice talking soft nouw-usiii'u her ear. Of course It was la it eoncrivahle that a man like with bis know! edge of the wu:;. and hi experience of women- -a S' !" f bis character upon which I have ;.wely never touched, -i for It ..:mihiT volume Is It credible. 1 ak. f ,,r such a man could nonsense to talk by fluJ anything tho day togi-t!- - - to a giddy young schoolgirl? I v. : lil not to unfair for the world. 1 :ik I line admitted that the young had Her eye. 1 rnpp-s- . wore really fine, and certainly ihc sha; - of the little toown face wa chat- - ,g, so far a, mere contour can c1,;i.l I admit also more andaclty than - .red a tout, with enviable health. : tie and vitality. I to report any rosy not have ithi-of Ihis yours It's cpoc-hre r r if. aid .in Vre- - t Xord-eutxeh- h-- n def'-ctioii- c non-ion-- - des-rvc- i rn . 1 wc-tl-- .l f - I dura say"' You misunderstand me. The making bla century this afternoon. Ive had other flah to fry.' Z swung my legs over the side of my berth and sat forward, as he waa silting. all attention. Tto Inner door, a grating, waa abut and bolted and cur tained like tbe open porthole. We alia!) be at Genoa before nun "It's tbe place Bet, continued Baffle where tto deed's got to to done. Bo you alin mean to do HP Did I ever say I didn't? You Lava said so little either way. Advisedly a my dear Bunny. Why poll a pleasure trip by talking unnecessary shop? But now tha time baa It muat to dime at Genoa or coin not at all. Ou land?" "No, ou board, tomorrow night Tonight would do, but tomorrow la better In case of mishap. If we were farced to use violence wa could get away by tbe earliest train and nothing to known till the ship wu sailing aud You Ueumaun found dead or drugged" Not dcadP I exclaimed. Of course not, assented Baffle or there would he no seed for ua to bolt. But If wo should hare to bolt, Tuesday morning Is our time, when thte ship hits got to sail whatever hapBut I don't anticipate any pen violence. Violence la a confession of In all these terrible IneotniK'teni-e- . years bow many blowa bava you kuwn me to strike? Not one, I believe, but I bare been quite ready to hill my man every time If tto worst came to tbe wont. I asked him how to proposed to cm ter Von Ileumann'a stateroom unobserved, and even through tbe curtained gloom of ours bla face lighted up. Climb Into my bunk, Bnnny, and you shall see. I did so, hut could see nothing. Raffles reached across me and tapped tto ventilator, a sort of trapdoor In tha wall above hia bed, sorao eighteen Inches long and half that height It opened outward Into the ventilating shaft. That." said be, la our door to fortune. Open It If yon like. Yon won't see mnch, because It doesn't open far, but loosening a couple of screws will ih that all right The shaft as yon may see. Is more or less bottomless; you pass under It whenever you go to your bath, and the- top Is a skylight on the bridge. That- why this thing baa to be done while we're at Genoa, because they keep no watch on the bridge In port. The ventilator opposite ours la Von Ucnmann's. It again will only mean a ronple of screws, and there's a beam to stand ou white you work." But it anybody should look np from below?" It's extremely unlikely that anybody will be astir below so unlikely that we can afford to chance It. No. I can't have you there to make sure The great Is that neither of u from the time we tun shiuM lie in. A couple of ship' bays do sentr; go on these decks, aud they shall witnesses. By Jove, It'll to tl: biggest mystery that ever was made:" "If Von Ueumann doesn't resist." Kesln! Ho won't get the ebance. II drinks ton much beer tn sleep to light, end nothing I iy ehloroform a heavy slreper. Von'vc .. r..:: rT r 1 si-'-- u 7- -- a tuc u u! Vi k on his mustache between hi gaping i;.,k; intruder bad climterf hop- hia shin without eh-- lJ And here wa, htrge a a filU-rr- . wiVn a rkg i - '' tinge bk, a uoy . "I spoil of a hlibu.u-r.n... ..V" '' from a European aea chief. We gteat-.-,, t wa snag. W tuaM,,! ,. "74 g wda aster laia m of the great itua.ru. lenient wan greater. Ulrr than our most Muguhu. dteuii" wo had how to d i v as lu gem (which Baffle, LaJ mint, fr,, replacing .the we could stand the nd yet taka if asnore pie and this Raffle SJed. mL A lu- - incontinently that b, id ui- -,. Genoa and bolted with the would not bear of it. for a reasons which 111 be obuuu,. On tto Lr ' , whole I do nut think that thing van dlst'uveml or fore we weighed anchor, but I to sure. It is difficult to teiiewT. a maa could he chlonfi.rml la h steep and feel no tclltule no auspicious odor In the moraint Nevertheless You Ileumanu rail as penred though nothing bsd W peued to him, bis German cup ever hi eyea and bit mustache brushing tte peak. Aud by 10 o'clock we were quit of Genoa. The last lean, blue ehlaiM official had left onr deck,. Tb. t. fruit seller had been beaten off bucketful of eater aud cttrwn. u from bis boat. The last bad come aboard at the last monieai-- a fussy gray beard who t the big hip walling white be hagglnl withiu Iwntuiau over half a lira. But leugth wc were off. the tug was dtai, tbe lighthouse passed und Raffles aig I leaned together over the rail wifcfc lug our shadow on the puli- - gran, liquid, veiued marble that agu washed the veaacl'a side. You Ueumann uas having bis to. nlngs oure more. It w as part of tte design that be ahould remain iu a'd day aud so postpone the iueviublc bour. and. though the lady looked bored aud was forever glancing la sur tr. pa-j- direction, to seemed only too willing to avail himself of bis opportunities, But Raffles was moody and 111 at mis He bad not tto air of a sanvisfal mis I could but oplue that flic Impending parting at Naples sat heavily on ki spirit. He would neither talk to ms w would to let me go. Stop where you are, Bunny. 1'ti tbiugs to tell you. Can you awiml" A bit." vTon miles?" I burst out laughing. Nol Why do you oak?" Wa atoll to withiu a tea ulW wlm of tto store most of tto day." Wbat on earth are you driving it, Raffles? Nothing. Only I shall swim fork If tto worst cornea to tto wont I suppose you can't awlm under watte Ten? on settee. Achilles sulking lu bis bunk!" What else la there to do?" I asked blm as I stretched and yawned. 1 noted, however, the good humor of bl ton and did my tost to catch It 1 have found something els Bun ny. hr t of which it's perhaps unfair to remind o you. Von Ueumann will to past almost aa soon a I get my hand through his ventilator. I shall crawl in over his body, Bunny, iny bey!" "And I?" You will band me what I want and hold the fort in case of accidents and generally lend me the moral support you've made me require. It's a luxury, Buutiy, but i found it devilish difficult to do without It after you turned pi!" Ho said that Von Ueumaun was certain to sleep with a bolted door, which be, of courae, would leave unbolted, and spoke of other ways of laying a falsa scent while rifling th cabin. Not that Baffle anticipated a tiresome search. The pearl would be about Von Ueumann person In fact. Baffles knew exactly where and In what to kept it. Naturally I asked bow to could tors eomo by such knowledge, and his answer led np to a momentary tto u tot J5, 1905. at aUr I did not answer his question. 1 scarcely heard it. Told beads war bursting through iny skin. - Why should tbe wont corns to the worst?" I whispered. We amt found out are we? No." Then why speak as though wa were? We may be. An old enemy of ourt la on board. j : An old enemy?" Mackenzie." Never! ( Tto uun with tto beard who csaia aboard teat Are yon aura?" Bare! I was only sorry to see yoa didn't recognize blm too. I took my handkerchief to my ftc Now that I thought of it there had been something familiar In tbe oU mnu's gait a well as something rath Uyouthful for bis apparent year. no seemed unconvincing beard very that I recalled It In tbe light of th horrible revelation. I looked up an down tbe deck, but the old mau nowhere to be seen. That' tto worst of It" aahl lUfito I saw him go Into tbe captain' cabil twenty minutes ago. A vchfppereiuippcr vrtUi perpendicular But wbnt can have brought hits-mustachcf." cried miserably. Can It be a colad; Utile girl. I never dimmed It was donee. I it somebody else he's shook bis bead. part of tbe game." Bo you tLInk It was that and noth- -' Hardly this time. Ing more?" Then you think lie's sfler youl" Yon deep old dog of course I do!" I'vo toon afraid of it for so Yon didn't know she was tbe daughweeks. ter of a wealthy aquatier? Yet there you stand. There are wealthy women by tho Wbnt urn I to do? I don't want dozen who would marry yon tomortwim for it before I must. I brgln yj row." wish I'd taken your advice. Bunny, It doesnt occur to you that I might eft the ship at Genoa. But I tc w like to draw stump start clean and he smallest doubt that M,c Dve happily ever after In the bush?" till tss 'aldilng both ship aud atatlouran It m With that voice? It certainly tinea be That's why moment ist - I not!" "Bnnny! be cried so fiercely that I braced myaelf for a blow. Bnt no more followed. Do you think you would live happily?" I made bold to ask him. God knows! be answered. Aud with that to left me to marvel at hia look and tone and more than ever at tha Insufficiently exciting cause. . Of all the mere feats of cracksman-shi- p which I have seen Raffles perform t mice the most delicate and most difficult was that which he accomplished between 1 and 2 o'clock on tto Tuesday morning aboard the North German steamer T'hlan, lying at anchor In Genoa harlmr. Not a hitch occurred. Everything bad been foreseen; everything happened as I bad been assured everything must. Nobody was about below, only tbe ship's boys on deck nnd nobody on tbe bridge. It was twenty-fir- e minutes past 1 when Raffle without a stitch of clothing on his body, bnt with a glass vial, corked with cottonwood, between his teeth, and a tiny screwdriver behind his ear, squirmed feet first through the ventilator over bis ijerth, ami It was nineteen minutes to 2 when be returned, bead first, with the vial still between his teeth and tbe cottonwood rammed borne to still tbe rattling of that which lay like a great gray bean within. lie bad taken screw out and put them in again: be tod unfastened Von Ueumann' ventilator sud bad left It fast as lv bad found as be Instantly proceeded to make bis own. A fw V --. t )('! L-- rn It-- fast Ha took a cigarette and banded bo case, but I shook my besd na iP' . iently. saw I still don't understand, B you? after bo 'Why should be a ouldu't come all thl way stout a owel which was perfectly sate for le knew. Wbat a your own theory tines "Simply that he's been on my lB 'or some time,, probably ever rlend Crawshay slipped clean throupn n ils fingers lut November. There been other Indications. I am reaiiy ut 5T not unprepared for this. only bo pure suspicion. I'1' to bring anything home, and ill atvf him to find the pearl. Theory, my d here Buuuy? I know bow he's got I'd been iruule well as though Scotchman's skin, and I kn0T bo'll do next, no found out Id gm abroad and looked for a motive. found out about Von Ueumann m his mission, and there was his n rhnnce-l Great Slid dried. cot But altogether. mo cu a new Job wont do It. Bnnny. Mark mT u ,. he'll search the ship and oenrea fl when the 1os Is known. scorch in vaiu. And there a th icckonlng Hie wli!picrnapier fit abia. The fat will to in the ive minutes!" Yet there wns no ' ln eooflsrsben ruts, no searching of tto no whisper of what hnd happen stir I1 ihc air. Instead of was e portentous peace, and it me ih- -t Rr"" was- tint J'lt . ,ivi ill .... FouriceaJ (Continued na rage u B- |