The Burglars' Club: A Romance in Twelve Chronicles

as one o'clock in the morning. Since half-past eight he had been alone in the building; and there in his snug privat

his hand the previous day by his cashier, together with sundry figures from his own private ledger, placed the fact beyond the region of dispute.

from Ph?nician pottery down to files of English newspapers when the Georges were kings. In his office he kep

ulation of letters was so large, and partially understandable how he came to have before him four bulky parcels of them, respectively endorsed with the names of Mary, Nell, Kitty, and Flip. The dates of thes

these particular letters was a batch of photographs, on which he gazed with tender reminiscence. Then there were other matters of more public character-a missive, for instance, from the P

ront, ready for the final holocaust. With the feeling of a

erest as he had felt for his letters. Once, it seemed, he had been worth close on a hundred thousand pounds. An infatuated bel

buttoned tightly up to the neck, with his cap brought down over his eyes, a man with a lamp-in short, a burglar. Sir John stared at

sed, the knight ind

urder to your othe

t would grieve me to have to a

he burglar as by his answer. Nevertheless, in his most m

gentleman in an int

rtinent!" fla

burglar should, I bel

inued the merchant. "We rarely keep enough mon

ps?" insinuat

not enough to make it worth your while. It

while in this world? 'Uneasy is the head that wears a crown.' You seem worried yourself

rejoinder. His visitor advanced to the bureau. The photographs immediately engaged his attentio

y grabbing at the telephone handle, turning briskly, and shouting down the receiver, "Help! Thieves! Help!" But before he had called again the bur

extremely unpleasant form of revenge for the want of confidence he had just displayed. But his v

prised you've done so well in things," he said. Then wit

x to him. The burglar rolled one knowingly between

eal cigars-such as you keep for your most eminent visitors

t, and produced a box marked "Topmann. Subli

ction. Then he took a cigar therefrom, inspected it with marked a

ars," the knight remarked, with a

the way from town to fetch

s a long way and a dangerous

e burglar, with pro

know of them?" asked Sir John

safe. You opened this box for a particular gues

Ribs

e Burglars' Club. It was my tur

e. "I've never heard of such an institution. And pray wha

much excitement left for us. We've started a Burglars' Club to help things on a bit. The entrance fee is a town burglary, the subject to be set by our President, and every other year each member has to keep up his

e never heard a more amazing thing in my life.

ldn't find our club if you wanted to. But you wouldn't split. A man

Lord Ribston should belong to such a club," he said. "No offence to you

would be likely to astonish you a great deal more than this little club of ours if you only knew of 'em?" Then, after a moment's pa

involuntarily to the pile of papers on the d

urst of confidence that aston

ve been in a good many myself in my time

mily. "I don't think so. There

pocket, and produced the box of cigars. "Try one of these," he said

You see," he explained, "it's my pay-day to-morrow. There's ni

sympathetically. "I know what it f

on't pay I must

hing rash. There's many a man lived to regret ever dreaming

hings like these," and he pulled out

inquiringly. "You've had these three years

d hasn't got any money," re

and he may have to-morrow. Why, man, he scooped

y so!" exclai

a man to remember these bits of paper, but I'm sure nothing would have pleased him more than to have paid you back your money if you'd suggested it at the time. He'

erefrom produced a bundle of promi

lar admiringly, as he examined them. "I wish I'd known you ear

aid Sir John. "He proposed me for th

eplied the burglar. "Dicky is

name in that light," sai

ng is worth its face value, and that's two thousand po

he knight's fa

12th, 1897, and it's now-oh, Great Scott!-it's now March 18th, 1903! Too late by a week! Old man, you are unlucky! Two

. "Why, he went out at my request to see if a concession I have there was worth

your co

corated with the signature of a President and the seal of a State. He han

forgive the insult, but really the provocation is simply awful. I've lived in the Argentine, and if this conc

open-eyed. "I can't

bout it myself. If you'll have me as equal partner with you in this concession matter, and leave me to m

e time had been wondering whether he were awake or asleep, or in a post-

out the cigar box. "Do have a

ly, but after trying in vain

partnership to fix up first thing, and I've to show these cigars at the Burglars' Club in the evening, and on Saturday I sail for South America with this precious document and a sharp legal practitioner. And I'll take your revolver with me in case the lawyer gets hoarse. Oh, I was forgetting. A telegram form, please. Where do you bank? County and C

. "Are there many as smart as you

stole the Bishop of Bister's crozier, and then you'll know why he is generally all there in the House. But c

his warehouse door he was promptly collared by a policeman, while another seized him firmly from behind. A th

r, with ostentatious sympathy. "

l you?" said the first polic

is indignant charge.

but something in the voice made th

it is,"

eir hold, and gazed ruefu

by this, Markham?"

t this chap red-handed, and he said he was working

te right. He is a

rough one of the packing-room windows, Sir John," he exp

, sadly. "I told you my friend would ex

him," sai

y, turned his men round, and was marching off with t

the box over, saluted even more

ar watched the retreat

for both of us to-night," s

replied

rned the cor