The Burglars' Club: A Romance in Twelve Chronicles

down amidst voc

cannot keep the radium as a memento, but, according to our rule, it has to be returned to Professor Blyth at once. This particular burglary has been so satisfactory t

srs. Christie's rooms since November last. The highest bid from the United Kingdom was ￡45 10s., at which price the precious manuscript did not change hands. We now hear that ￡2,000 has been offered and accepted. The pur

eeted the reading

n a coincidence that these two matters should come together. It is a national disgrace that the manuscript of that remarkable, I believe unparalleled-er-effort of Mr. Bunyan should leave the country. For one

was a good-looking, straight-built man of thirty or thereabouts. He was of an unobtrusive disposition, but was obviously well-informed, for in the smoke-room after dinner,

r. Five minutes after the arrival of the post the news

ed a Peerage on the bookshelves. This volume was now thoroughly investigated, and it was learnt that James, Lord Roker, was heir to the Earldom of Challoner, and that he was born on April 25th, 1870. Hi

ed annoyed by his arrival was Mr. Joh

he's only got to drop his handkerchief for Marion to pick it up. I call it a bit thick of him. I'm glad she's away for the day. I asked him to loo

r know anything during the day, for he went to Rylstone the fi

usual that evening, but they were lost on Lord Roker, who, after ha

teness. "Will you sit there? Cigar, sir? I can recommend the

r indicated. "I have been away in the country all day, so I haven't seen much of t

my purchases here. This room is furnished with Heppendale an' Chipplewhite's masterpieces, collected by my daughter. Paintin's by Jones an'

ighted to do so

peare's tomb an' see over Windsor Castle, and then think I've done the old country. I wanter know the people who inhabit her to-day, and you can't get to know them on board trains. That's why I've come to

. But I may say I'm pretty well

y legislator, I belie

eplied Lord Roker; "bu

your pertic'le

or profession, I hav

imed Mr. Pilgrim, with marked intere

d in the doorway, was a living

he light playing on

daughter," sa

miled and

a very serious deliberation

to assure her, fearful lest this

he chair h

u gotten at York?"

ou guess. Three gra

d Mr. Pilgrim. "S

s clocks, and the dear

t," said her father

hire an astrologer to regulate them and start them fair. Mr. Tullitt says he works best on board your railroad car, as noise suits him, so I shal

'm gettin' some valu'ble informat

s himself an injustice," she said,

hook hi

t, neither

do all the ti

nd-er-once a year I see the E

hoots and fishes and hunts, and once

Eton and H

e, I reckon. An' what do you do when

lists of kill

tin'," said Mr. Pilgrim. "

and f

fry, sir. Did you never

I might turn my attention to elephants, bu

his guest, but Lord Roker b

et your dollars?" th

r. I don't mind telling you the

lla

unds st

you never wanter make that thre

ne as that. I asked him to make it five, but he would not. Some

ease in your allowance. Did you never think of

ev

. "Well, I reckon it takes all sorts of swallows to make a s

inherited all he ha

original ancest

tune to capture a Royal Prince, two dukes, and a marsha

r," said Mr. Pilgrim. "Reckon he'd have tack

d Roker is tired of answering questions. Don't

orried you too much, my lord. It isn't every day that I get the chance of interviewin' a future hereditary legislator. I promised

nd Mr. Tullitt busy at his desk. He open

wife to the Tower of London for beheadin' purposes. He had it penned in Latin to frighten her m

ten thousand dollars for that, an' I'd have paid twenty before missin' it. You see, my name is John Pilgrim, an' it see

cribe my record. If it wasn't irreverent, I'd have called the autobiography I'm writin' by the name of that book; bu

ely intervened. The rest of the evening was spent in conversation, and in listening to coon songs witchingly sung by Miss Pilg

be kind enough to look round in the mornin'. I shall make a few notes of t

Pilgrim, fixed on an enchanting vision of brown a

he seemed to be working against time. A pile of correspondence lay around him. He finished t

rd; I have this

en sheet to Lord Roker

match. Birds are more suited to the bore of my gun than elephants. If I had a Maxim I might tackle elephants. I am in receipt of an income

rd last

.......

.......

........

he secretary courteously. "Kindly fill in the figures, and initial the sheet if you f

stics, and then inserted the figures required. T

all of 'em,"

and placed it methodically in

e about?" Lord Roker as

shed a tear at the residence of the late Charlotte Bront?. A wonderful man is the boss, my lord. It take

ng," said Lord Rok

. Outside proper business there were twenty begging letters from tramps and prodigals, eighteen asking for subscriptions, and two whic

espass any longe

pulled out

bell exercise now to keep me in form. Good-mornin', my lord."

before had this happened to him, and, singularly enough, she also was an American-a dark-eyed Boston girl he met in Rome. He had been refused because his position and his prospects rendered the match an impossibility-to her f

ope of success by running the risks attendant on the burglary? If she could give him the slightest hope he would resign his membership of the Burglars' forthwith. It was ridiculou

yed in a foursome in the morning. In t

it was owing to this distraction that he foozled some of his drives, and twice got badly

she said as they returned. "It strikes me that yo

r played worse, and I was th

very seriou

er

ing I could

day, and most of last night, I have be

ort of

to resign my membersh

that

sometimes the conditions of membership seem impossible

e the co

t one is that you have to be a

ne, aren't you?"

y rate, I may not al

Judging from the document dad showed you, Henry the Eighth wanted to be a bachelor again,

have to make up my mind without delay. And y

to be very careful before you think of changing your state. Te

n!" exclaime

and showed him the miniature of a nice, clean-looking lad. "He

ed Lord Roker, w

ogwood dyes black. When I marry Teddy, the two firms will amalgamat

ord Roker; "or,

some big game shooting. I guess you like it, whatever you told dad. You've done things. Mrs. Stilton t

t was ye

e flies settle much. Gracious! but it's six o'clock, and I've letters to ma

er enigmatically, as he watched he

at his disposal. The next day he spent chiefly on the links. He did not allow his thoughts to linger regretfully on his hopeless love. He gave his whole attention to the game, and retrieved his reputation by beating the professional's record. In the evening he played his part in progressive bridge with

to the room, and t

flickering in the grate. A pile of letters, addressed and stamped, was ready for the post. A ba

ed, and lit the gas in order to add to Mr. Tullitt's reputation for over-work. Then he turned to the drawer in which the Bunyan MS. was kept. It was locked. He produced a bundle of keys, and finally opened

ng to find the Bunyan MS. below; but he was

ere. He opened every drawer and portfolio, looked on every shelf an

went off at the hour and the half-hour with alarming wheezes and groans. When they had finished with 3.30 he had to admit himself beaten. The manuscript had no doubt been removed to another room. It

dro that the Bunyan MS. had been stolen from Mr. Pilgrim

hich entry had been made, but no clue to the thief had been left

owed a literary instinct in the thief which was as surprising as it was unusual, for it would be impossible for him to ma

ad been on the same errand. He had not dallied over the enterprise, and he had won the stakes for which he played, and now he, Lord Roker, would have to appear empty-handed at the Burglars'-he, a founder of the Club, w

d a fire. He sat down before it now to finish his cigarette, and moodily watched the

urnt paper projecting from the grate. It was perhaps three inches long, and two across. Half of it was ash that

fragment he held in his han

ontents on the fire, putting it out, and deluging the hearth. Th

red. Roker handed him the fragment,

'tin' fires," said Mr. Pilgrim, gri

ire?" he asked the

That's Jen

ow on his knees searching the grate for mo

inutes Jen

s fire?" Mr. Pil

s,

paper did yo

sterday morning with some old rubbis

on my floor!" cried Mr. Pilg

so I got some out of your waste basket. There was a dirty lot of rubbishy paper lyin

did you lay with

his one, and the

y one of the lot that

wasn't anythink imp

grim sa

irl. It just cost me ten th

. "Oh, sir, I'm that sorry. But all I can say, sir, is that it wa

ause, he added, "I'm much obliged to you, Roker. Now come along. I mu

as usual-this time taking down a l

ABOUT THAT HOLE

13

ary, "You said you were readin' that blamed Bunyan MS. the night b

ling than any man I'd come across, so I rather fancied him. While I was reading, you may remember calling me to your room to take down that cable to Boston and the letter of confirmation. It was 12.30 when I left you, and I'd clean forgotten about th

work. If you can't tell the difference in the handle of a Bunyan MS. and your notes on Charlotte Bront? in the dark, you might know a banana from a potato in daylig

etary co

ht have done it myself. It comes of working so late. Dad, I guess there's plent

that's gone to light Hydropathic fires because my secretary doesn't carry

e secretary, and Lord Ro

able to show the Bunyan MS. at the