The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-10-07
HOW PHIL CAPTURED A BURG
LAR.

HOW PHIL CAPTURED A BURG.
LAR.
1 am Phil Morris. fourteen years old.
and the youngest clerk in Covert Say.
ings-Bank. The cashier is my uncle
Jack, and he began at the bottom.
where am. when he was a boy HE
says that a boy had better grow up
with country bank than 60 West and
grow up with the country. He thinks
there's more money init.
"If there's anything in you," he
said one day, you'll work your way
up to be bank President at some time"
Uncle Jack says, and does such queer
things sometimes that people say he's
odd. They tell about his being so
wrapped up in our bank that he never
had time to hunt up a wife. l notice.
though, that when father, and mother
died and left nae, a wee little baby.
Uncle Jack found time to bring me up.
and give me good education, to boot.
Oh. he's as good as gold or Govern
ment bonds, Uncle Jack is.
We live in rooms over the bank,
where old Mrs. .Halstead keeps house
for us. Underneath, we do the bust
ness. There's heaps of money IN our
two big vaults. Last summer and.
mind you. this was while 1 was away
on vacation-two men broke into the
building. They came up stairs and
into Uncle Jacks room. One had q
bull's-eve lantern that he flashed in
Uncle Jacks face as he sat up in bed.
and the other pointed big pistol right
at his head. .
s.Tell us where the vault keys are, or
I'll shoot you" he said.
"Oh, Uncle jack broke in, when
he was telling me about it, "what d'd
you dop''
What would you have doneH' he
asked, in his odd way. :.
II know what I soomld1a't have done. -
answered him, Strengthening up bit
81 wouldn't have given 'em the
keys"
s.Ahr' Uncle Jack says, kind of half
doubtful, and then went on: "Well. l
told them to shoot away. And they
knew as we'll as I did that shooting
wouldn't bring them the keys. So when
thew found they couldn't frighten me,
the scoundrels tied me, and went off in
rage, with my watch and pocket-book:
That was last summer. One night
along in the fall Uncle Jack started OIL
down town. "Its Lodge night, and
NAV not be back until late" he said.
"You won't mind staying alone
great boy like you.'' And of course
said "No."
But somehow, after mrs. Halstead
went to bed, found l did mind it.
don't know what made me feel 80 fidg
ETY.. Perhaps it was reading about
bank robbery in Bolton, which is the
next town TO Covert. 1t was thought
to be the work of Slippery Jim. a noto
rious burglar. And while was think
ing about It. / dozed off in Uncle Jack
easy-chair.
"Ow-w-wr' sung out all at once
And if you'd woke up of a sudden t.
see rough looking man, with a sloucf
hat pulled over his eyes, standing RICH
in front of you, you'd have done tn
same. ''What-what do you wan
here?' sort of gasped; and tried t.
speak so he wouldn't hear my teetl
knock together. :.
i ..The vault keys-where are they?
he answers, short and grutf. And the'
he kind of motioned with his hand
suppose to show the revolver he wa
holding.
! Twas pretty badly scared; but all tn
same, l didn't mean he should hav
4 those vault keys, if he shot the top Q
my head of. <, - 80
.Come, hurry up," he said, with
sort of grin. And noticed then tina
he had red whiskers, and some of hi
upper teeth we're gone, so that b
didn't speak his words plain.
Il should know you anywhere,
thought. STRATEGY, Phil Norris"
said to myself. bracing up inside; for
story I'd read about how lady caugh
. live burglar came across me like
flash. please don't shoot. sir" i b
gan to say, with all sorts of demi-sem
! quavers in my voice-''please dom
indeed I'll show you where they,.E
kept" So, making believe to shak
} all over, Itook the lamp and led "a
l.way into Uncle sJAcHs bedn0peh. 18Th
k-k-k-eys are ID thithere. sif," 1stol
. him.
III You should have seen how my 6age,
= trembled when pointed to the ittl
storc-room that opened out Of Ii
? chamber. The keys were there tru
/ enough, but rd-Eke to see any ono e,
& | cent Uncle Jack or / find them. SUI
o pose you have of such things as seer
Z panels.
The store-room floor is lower tbs
{ the chamber floor. Many atime. whe
ell haven't been thinking. I've steppe
down with q jar that almost sent N
backbone up through the top of n
head. S.s4
d .In there, eh?" said my bold bur,
= lar, quite cheerful like, and pushed
j me to the open door.
al set the lamp down, and my hea
began to beat 80 that was almo
a afraid he could hear it. ''Now ,
. never" whispered.
1t was all done quicker than y