E-text prepared by Annie McGuire Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 30853-h.htm or 30853-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/30853/pg30853-images.html) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/30853/30853-h.zip) MRS. RAFFLES Being the Adventures of an Amateur Crackswoman Narrated by Bunny Edited by JOHN KENDRICK BANGS Illustrated by Albert Levering [Illustration: "'IT'S FINE, BUNNY,' SHE CRIED"] New York and London Harper & Brothers Publishers 1905 Copyright, 1905, by Harper & Brothers. All rights reserved. Published October, 1905. Contents CHAPTER PAGE I. THE ADVENTURE OF THE _HERALD_ PERSONAL 1 II. THE ADVENTURE OF THE NEWPORT VILLA 14 III. THE ADVENTURE OF MRS. GASTER'S MAID 28 IV. THE PEARL ROPE OF MRS. GUSHINGTON-ANDREWS 42 V. THE ADVENTURE OF THE STEEL BONDS 56 VI. THE ADVENTURE OF THE FRESH-AIR FUND 69 VII. THE ADVENTURE OF MRS. ROCKERBILT'S TIARA 84 VIII. THE ADVENTURE OF THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY 99 IX. THE ADVENTURE OF THE HOLD-UP 115 X. THE ADVENTURE OF MRS. SHADD'S MUSICALE 132 XI. THE ADVENTURE OF MRS. INNITT'S COOK 150 XII. THE LAST ADVENTURE 165 Illustrations "'IT'S FINE, BUNNY,' SHE CRIED" _Frontispiece_ "THIS I WOULD SELL TO THE SUFFERING POOR" _Facing p._ 4 "THE WHOLE CONTENTS AND THE PLATTER AS WELL FELL AT MY FEET" 13 "HER SLIGHT LITTLE FIGURE CONVULSED WITH GRIEF" 40 "AND THEN THERE CAME A RIPPING SOUND" 52 "I, OF COURSE, DID NOT TELL HENRIETTA OF EIGHT BEAUTIES I HAD KEPT OUT" 54 "'AFTER WHICH HE WILL COME TO NEWPORT'" 62 "MR. BOLIVAR WAS DULY IMPRESSED WITH THE EXTENT OF HENRIETTE'S FORTUNE" 66 ONE OF THE BENEFICIARIES AT PALM BEACH 82 "IT WAS NOT ALWAYS EASY TO GET THE RIGHT LIGHT" 90 "ALL WAS AS HENRIETTE HAD FORETOLD" 94 "'IF YOU WANTED A LAKE, MR. HIGGINBOTHAM, I--'" 110 "AS KEEN AND HIGH-HANDED A PERFORMANCE AS I EVER WITNESSED" 124 "ON HER WAY TO EARLY CHURCH I WAYLAID NORAH" 162 "HENRIETTE WAS TESTING THE FIFTY-THOUSAND-DOLLAR PIANO" 172 "MY MISERY IS DEEP BUT I AM BUOYED UP BY ONE GREAT HOPE" 178 Mrs. Raffles