Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-11-01
THE STONE Vault.

/ ILL JAONA fAOL1s
I have been with Morris and Grinby
five and thirty years, come the first OF
next month. | was forty when [ came
here, and so I have habit of
/ being exact about dates; am now with
4 in a few weeks of seventy-fYe But as
for being old, I am younger than the
youngest clerk, Tom Codgers, who,
what with late suppers and hard drink
ling, has hand that shakes like those
old ledger leaves blowing in the wind
| by the open window yonder
| Cold water, early hours, and temper
ance in everything, keeps a man hale
his life through. II you don't believe
| that look at me; i am an example, sir
Yes, I've seen changes here. The firm
was morris, Gr1nby & Bloom, when
[ came, though young Bloom died
three months after, and young Grinby
was taken into partnership. We had a
rebuilt on different plan. All, yes
changes enough, sad and pleasant but
the strangest and saddest of all was
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 this
house is built. It is an 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 Gel
lar, sir,-such massive walls, and all
paved with stone; and below the cellar
small stone vault, which Codgers,
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 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, I 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 occa-
sion to go down into the cellar before
going home, to give directions to the
porter about some bales to be sent up
in the early morning next day.
Mike and ] were at the north end of
the cellar, where the bales were, and
[ was giving him my orders, when at
my elbow, as it seemed, heard an odd
sound-a kind Of wheeling cough
smothered in q m0nent
[ looked around, there was nobody
there-not a soul, and [ thought, now
our ears deceive us, to be sure, and
went Oh talking. But [ give to you my
word, hadn't spoke three words when
there was that sound again. It quite
startled me.
Mike, F" says I, "did you cough?''
:'No, sir, said Mike, "I thought
yer honor did,
cit must be imagination, or, some
sound from the Office overhead, Isaid,
but just then, ough-ough. We both
heard it.
s'It's no good, yer honor,1 said
Mike.
"There's some one hiding in the cell
lar, " says [.
So with Mikes lantern we went
over the great stone-paved place, look
ing behind boxes and bales, and under
the steps, and up the coal slide. But
not soul did we find until passing
the door of the vault, I 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 fIr. Grinby's
Office together The old gentleman,
Grinby Senior, does not come to the
Office but year now, fer he's past
ninety. Old Mr.. Grinby was Just lock
ing his desk and buttoning has. over
coat He stared at us through his
glasses, and calculated: .E.8
e Bless me, Humphries is the house
on fire ~ . st
"No, SIR" said I, "but there is
some one hidden in the stone vault"
"Bah!" said Mr.. Grinby, " Thought
you had more sense, Mr.. Humphries
No one could exist ten minutes IN the
stone vault. 1t is next thing to air
tight. ,
cit is my belief, sir, that whoever i
is may be choking to death, sir,
said; ''but there Is some one there.
Mike heard a cough as well as L"
Very well, said Mr. Grinby; Fcal,
the nearest constable, Mike, and-Mr.
Morris are you IN your Office, sir. Per
haps you'll come down with us and as
slst IN the capture of burglar Mr.
Humphries has discovered in the air
tight stone vault below the cellar.
He was very satirical so was Mr.
Morris. But we all went down toeeth.
| er, the constable with us, and stopped
before the stone vault. The door was
shut so tight that it took all Mikes
strength to force it open. And Mr.
Grlnby, looking straight before him
shouted:
Ha, ha, nobody, as told you
+ But the next moment he saw what
the rest had already seen-a bundle O.
rags IN one corner of the vault, dovr
on the floor. And amidst the rags wa:
the white face and thin hand, and I
bare, bruised, and bleeding foot. AnG
we dragged out into such air as there
was in the cellar miserable wretch O
little boy who seemed quite dead.
Up in the office, however, we brongh
him to life, and got the story from him
tie lived, it seems, amongst thieves
and they had planned to rob us tha
night, and he, poor little midge, haC