The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-11-03
TIE STONE VAULT.

i have been with Morris and Cfrlnby
fve-and-twenty years come the first of
next month. / was forty when l came
here, and so i have a habit of being
exact about dates ON now within q
few weeks Of seventy five. But as for
being old, bless you, I'm younger than
the youngest CLERK. Tom Codgers,
who, what with late supners aud hard
drinking, has hand that shakes like
those old ledger leaves blowing in the
wind by the open window yonder.
Cold water, early hours. and ten
perance in all things, keep q man hale
mis- life through. Ifyou done believe
that look at me, I'm an example, SIR.
Yes, I've seen changes here. The
firm was Morris, Grinby & Boom,
when I came. though young Bloom
died three mooths after, and young
Grinby was taken into partnership.
We had FIRE here, too, and the OH .
ces have been rebuilt on q different
plan. All, yes-chanRes enough sad
and pleasant; but the strsngest aud
saddest of all was what happened to
poor Ben Wade.
Alb, dear me. Il did seem hard,
very hard, looking at It with human
eyes, and forgetting. Us we are apt to,
that God does everything for the best.
Perhaps you don't know how this
house is built. It's an old place, al
though the front and Offices are new
and those great balustrades were only
put up last year. Down below you
can judge how very old it is. Such a
cellar, sir-such massive walls, and
all paved with stone; and below the
cellar a small stone vault which Cod
gers, who laughs at serious things,
says the old firm built to be buried in.
My own opinion is, it was intended to
conceal valuables, for It has a great
and plated door and three locks, each
fastened with different key-that is
If they were ever fastened at all. The
vault was disused long before my time.
Well, sir, i hadn't been here six
months, when one day, or rather one
evening, for il was nearly skinner.
chants kept later hours In those days
Il had occasion to go down into the
cellar before going home. to give d.
rections to the porter about some
bales to be sent up in the early morn
ing next day.
Mike and were up at the north
end of the cellar, where the bales were
and l was giving him my orders when
at my elbow, as it seemed. l heard an
odd aound-a kind of Wheeling cough
smotnered in a moment.
I looked around, there was nobody
there-not a soul and | thought, how
our ears deceive US. to be sure, and
went on talking. But give you my
word l hadn't spoken three words
when there was that sound again. 1t
quite startled me.
mike" said l, did you cough?"
''No, sir" said Mike, II thought
your honor did"
1T must be Imagination, or some
sound from the Office overhead" |
said, but just then ough-ough. We
both heard it.
tits no good, yer honor" said
Mike.
There's some one hiding in the
cellar" said /.
So with Mikes lantern We went
over the great stone paved place, look
ing bahind boxes and bales, aud under
the steps. aud up the coal slide. But
not soul did we find, until, passing
the door of the vault, | heard it, this
time very faint and strange, and called
out to Mike.
"Who ever it is, is hidden in the
vault"
And with that we both turned stair
ward, and bolted into Mr.. Grinby' 8
Office together The old gentleman
Grinby senior He don't come to
the Office once a year now, for he's
past ninety. Old Mr.. Grinby was just
locking his desk and buttonipg his
overooat. He stared at us through
his glasses and calculated,
BLESS me, HUMPHREYS, is the house
mo, sir" said l, but there is some
one hidden in the stone vault"
BAH said Mr.. Grinby, II thought
you had more sense, Mr.. Humphries.
No one could exist ten minutes in the
stone vault. 1t is next thing to air
tits my belief, sir, that whoever i
is, may be choking to death, sir,
said; but there is some one there
Mike heard cough as we'll as i. "
VERY we'll, said Mr.. Grinby; "oal
the nearest constable, Nike. and
Mr.. Morris, are you in your Office, sir
Perhaps you'll come down with u
and assist in the capture of burgla
Mr.. Humphries has discovered in sh
air-tight stone vault below in the eel
lar" -.- .-..-
He was very satirical; SO was Mr.
Morris. But we all went down to
gether, the constable with US, anC
stopped before the stone vault. TIL
door was shut so tight that it took al
Mikes strength to force it open. An
Mr.. Grizzly, looking straight befor
him, shouted:
"Ha, ha, nobody, as | told you"
But the next minute he saw Wha
the rest OF us had already seem bun
die Of rags Ia One corner of the vault
down on the floor. And amidst th
rags was "a white face and q thi
hand, and bare, bruised and bleed
ing foot. Aud we dragged out int
such air as there was In the cellar
miserable wretch of little boy VIII
seemed quite dead.
Ue in the Office. however,we brougf
him 10 life, and got the story froI
him. He lived, il seems, among
thieves. and they planned to rob I
that night. and he, poor little midg
had slipped In somehow. aud hide
in the cellar, to open the door fC
them. never thinking any ono woul
come there that night.
Bat when Mike and l went dow
he took to the vault, and there woul
have smothered but for my hearin
him. / don't care to tell you how "
kept him, and filed the place wit
eonstables who, when the burglar
came, bounced out upon them, al
took them into custody. You ca
guess all that. It's the boy | have
teliy0u ab0ut-poor Ben Wade.
cana out during the investigation COZ
sequsnt upon the arrest, that the pot
child vas kept among the thieves l
force, aud that they used him cruell
Olcs a rufian of the gang had broke