00," said Raffles Holmes. "You
see, I'm playing on the square, old man. Half and half in everything."

I squeezed his hand affectionately.

"But--he-ew!" I ejaculated, with a great feeling of relief. "I'm glad the
thing's over with.

"So am I," said Holmes, with a glitter in his eye. "If we'd kept that trunk
in this apartment another day there'd have been trouble. I had a piece of
lead-pipe up my sleeve when I called here Tuesday night."

"What for?" I asked.

"You!" said Raffles Holmes. "If you hadn't had that poker-party with you I'd
have knocked you out and gone to China with the Ward-Smythe jewels. Sherlock
Holmes stock was 'way below par Tuesday night."

VI
THE ADVENTURE OF THE HIRED BURGLAR

I had not seen Raffles Holmes for some weeks, nor had I heard from him,
although I had faithfully remitted to his address his share of the literary
proceeds of his adventures as promptly as circumstances permitted--$600 on
the first tale, $920 on the second, and no less than $1800 on the third,
showing a constantly growing profit on our combination from my side of the
venture. These checks had not even been presented for payment at the bank.
Fearing from this that he might be ill, I called at Holmes's lodgings in the
Rexmere, a well-established bachelor apartment hotel, on Forty-fourth
Street, to inquire as to the state of his health. The clerk behind the desk
greeted my cordially as I entered, and bade me go at once to Holmes's
apartment on the eighteenth floor, which I immediately proceeded to do.

"Here is Mr. Holmes's latch-key, sir," said the clerk. "He told me you were
to have access to his apartment at any time."

"He is in, is he?" I asked.

"I really don't know, sir. I will call up and inquire, if you wish," replied
the clerk.

"Oh, never mind," said I. "I'll go up, anyhow, and if he is out, I'll wait."

So up I went, and a few moments later had entered the apartment. As the door
opened, the little private hallway leading to his den at the rear burst into
a flood of light, and from an inner room, the entrance to which was closed,
I could hear Holmes's voice cheerily carolling out snatches of such popular
airs as "Tammany" and "Ef Yo' Habn't Got No Money Yo' Needn't Bodder Me."

I laughed quietly and at the same time breathed a sigh of relief. It was
very evident from the tone of his voice that there was nothing serious the
matter with my friend and partner.

"Hullo, Raffles!" I called out, knocking