The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-11-09
THE STONE VAULT.


I have been with Mr.. Morris an
Grinby five and thirty years, come th
first of next month. / was forty whe
came here, and so have been exac
about dates, am now within e fey
weeks of seventy-five. But az fo
being old, I am the youngest clerk
Tom Codgers, who, what with lat
suppers and hard drinking, has han,
that shakes like those old ledge
leaves blowing in the wind by tn
open window yonder.
| Cold water, early hours, and tenn
perance in everything, keeps a maj
hale his life through. If you dom
believe that look at me; I am an ex
ample, sir. Yes. have seen change
here. The firm was s.Morris & Bloom
| when / came, though young Bloom
| died three months after, and young
Grinby was taken into partnership
We had fire here, too, and the off
ces have been built on different plan
All, yes-changes enough, sad anG
pleasant; but strangest and sadest ol
all what happened to poor Ben Wade
All, dear me. 1t did seem hard
very hard, looking at it with human
eyes, and forgetting, as we are apt to
that God does everything for the best
Perhaps you don't know how thIt
house is built. It is the old place, al.
though the front and Offices are new
Those great balustrades were only put
up last year. Down below you can
judge how very old it is. Such eel
lar, sir,-such massive walls and all
paved, with stone Yanlt, which Cod
gers. who laughs at serious things,
says the old firm built to be buried in.
Ny own opinion is, it was extended
to conceal valuables, for it has great
and plated door and three locks, each
fastened with a different key-that is,
if they were ever fastened at all. The
vault was disused long before my
time. Well, sir, / hadn't been here
six months, when one day, or rather
one evening, for it was nearly six
Merchants kept later hours in those
days--I had occasion to go down to
the cellar before going home, to give
directions to the porter about some
bales to be sent up in the early morn
ing next day.
n Mike and were 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, / heard an
odd sound-a kind of wheeling cough
smothered in q moment.
/ looked around, there was nobody
there-not a soul, and thought, now
our ears deceive US, to be sure, and
went on talking. But / give to you
my word, hadn't spoke three words
when there was that sound again. 1t
quite startled me.
stMike," says I, Hdid you cough ?"
"No, sir" said Mike. 81 thought
yer honor did" |
"It must be Imagination, or some
sound from the Office overhead" I said,
but just then, ough-ough. We both
heard it.
cts no good, yer honor" said
Mike.
There's some one hiding in the
CELLAR" says I.
So with Mikes lantern we went
over the great stone-paVed place, look
ing behind boxes and bales, and under
the door of the vault. 1 heard it this
time very strange and faint, and calling
out to Mike:
Whoever it is, is hidden in the
vault"
And with that we both turned stair
ward. and bolted into Mr.. Grinby's
Office together. The old gentleman,
Grinby Senior, does not come to the
office but once year now, for he's
past ninety. Old Mr.. Grinby was just
locking his desk and buttoning his
overcoat, He stared at US through
his glasses, and CALCULATED:
Bless me, Humphries is the house
on fire ?" Tf-
:" No. SIR" said I, "but there is some
one hidden in the stone vault"
!" Bah |" said Mr., Grinby, II thought
ron had more sense, Mr.. Humphries.
No one could exist ten minutes in the
tone vault. 1t is next thing to air
light"
S NAV be choking to death, sir, I said,
,ut there is someone there. Mike
heard a cough as well as !"
I" Very well" said Mr.. Grinby 'scall
he nearest constable, Mike, and MIR.
Norris, are you in your Office, sir
you'll come down with us
md assist in capturing burglar Mr.. |
has discovered in the air.
light stone vault below the CELLAR
He was very satirical SO was Mr..
Norris. But we all went down togeth-
II. the constable with us, and stopped |
,efore the stone vault The door was
hut so tight that it took all Mixes
trength to force it open. And Mr..
5rinby, looking straig ght before him,
houted:
{" Ha, ha, nobody, as l told YOU"
But the next moment he saw what |
he rest had already seen-a bundle of
ags in one corner of the vault, down
IA the floor. And amidst the rags |
vas white face, and thin hand, and
bare, bruised and bleeding foot
And we dragged odtinto such air as
here was in the cellar, a miserable |
wretch of little boy who seemed
lutte dead.
Up in the Office, however, we
brought him to life, and got the story |
rom him. He lived, it seems, among |
hieves, and they had planned to rob |
Is that night, and he, poor little midge
lad slipped in somehow, and hidden |
n the cellar, to open the door for them |
lever thinking anyone would come
here that night.
But when Mike and l went down |
le took to the vault, and there would |
rave smothered but for my hearing /
i'm. / don't care to tell you how we /
zept him and filed the place with I
who, when the burglars
;ame, bounced out upon them and
ook them into custody. You can |
yuess all that. It's the boy / have to
ell you about-poor Ben Wade. 1t
,ame on during the investigation con-
Iequent upon the street, that the child
was kept among thieves by force, and
hat they used him cruelty. Once q
,uffian' of the gang had broken Lis