The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1893-09-07

for Miss Haines and her brother.
Promptly on the quarter hour there
was knock at the door, and opened
it and the pair walked in. Miss Haines
began saying how greatly obliged they
were as [ turned to shut the door, and
she was still talking when her "dear
brother" fetched me a clip over the
head with sandbag, and / knew no
more for fifteen minutes. When l
opened my eyes again [ had been
dragged around to the safe, was
tied hand and foot and "Mr. Haines
and were alone in the bank He sat
on chair smoking away as cool as you
please and evidently waiting for me to
come back to earth. He was man
about thirty years old, rather good
looking, but had wicked look in his
eyes. Even before he spoke L had fig
ured it all out and realized how had
been played for q chump. 1t was just
$50 by the clock when my visitor said:
"Come to, have you?" Well, that's
what L was waiting for. want you
to open this safe. -
"I'll see you in Halifax first.
"Going to get mad about it, are you?
I've got your keys, you see, but, of
course, don't know the combination.
You'll save me heap of trouble by
working the machinery. I'll loosen
your hands, but don't uttempt any
foolishness. I've come for the Doodle
in the safe, and Pm going to have it at
any cost.
"But you'll get it without any help
from me. -
He looked at me moment with an
evil eye and then took from his pocket
gag made of pine stick with a
string tied to each end. He rose up
as if he meant to apply it, but changed
his mind and sat down and said;
"Sister Nell said you were soft
one, but I hope you are not fool.
What's the use of forcing me to ex-
tremes? Not dollar of this money
belongs to you. If you open the safe
we'll make an even divide of the
Doodle, and / can leave you bound
and arrange things so as to make it
look straight to outsiders.
"And [ won't"
"Then I'll compel you by torture
After ] have held lighted candle to
the soles of your feet for five minutes
l think you'll listen to reason. 1t is
now 8.45. I'll experiment on the com
bination for fifteen minutes If / hit
it, all right; if not, I'll find way to
make you open the door!'
He knelt down in front of the safe
door, and, of course, it was my object
to keep him there until the hands of
the clock pointed to 9 and Tom shot
the bolt. Neither one of us uttered
word for five minutes. Then noticed
he was getting impatient and said:
''No doubt you'll hit the combina-
ton in time, and that will be bad for
mel"
GLOW bad for you?" he queried.
"Why, even if you leave Inc bound
and gagged people will be suspicious
that it was put-up job. If you had
been obliged to use powder and drills
it would have been different.
''Soyou think I'll strike it, do you?"
81 hope not, but you go at it like a
man who has been there before.
Where is Miss Haines?"
Miss Haines? Ha ha! hal Miss
Haines @left her kindest regards and
said she might call again Cookbook
ing girl, eh?"
II uuLulp tlht, CNCh tASNSA SAAS
worked this job on me-. #"
eyes, good looking girl and sharp
er than a steel trap. She thinks a
heap of that missing brother, Miss
Haines does There! / think I've
He thought he'd hit it, and he was
not far out of the way, but it wasn't
the hit he was looking for. Brother
Tom was just minute ahead of time
in shooting the bolt. The robber ut
tered a shout and clutched at the air
as he went down, and his heels had
scarcely disappeared when the door
swung back and l was making tremen-
dous efforts to get my hands free.
They were tied at the wrists, and be-
fore | had loosened them had rolled
over and over on the floor to reach the
o,,l tl,a ,,ao opJ m aEa the door