The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-19

thing more. and our Elysium woulc Dc
complete"
sand what may that PEP" inquired.
"a bottle of that wonderful old madeira
that your pater used to bring out on nlsn
days and holidays But / suppose mats all
gone long since"
mot quite. fancy. l brought the re-
malnder of the governors wine win me
when | came here, and | am pretty sure
there was a dozen or so of the old madeira.
can't saw whereabouts in the cellar 1t
lies. but if you'll come down and hold
candle for me I'll see if can lay my hand
upon a bottle
The time was about o'clock on De-
cember evening. The place was my pri-
vate sitting-roOm on the first floor OF the
Whittlebury Bank. of which l had been
anpointed manager some two years pre-
vious
Dick Macpherson, my visitor. was an
old schoofelIow. who had just completed
a three years term of service as surgeon
on her Majesty's ship Orion, and pending
an appointment to another ship had come
down to spend week or two with me at
Whittlebury.
Dick was character In his way. He
was accustomed to describe himself a
tboroug hbred mongreI-balf Scotch, half
Irish; half sailor, half surgeon. Though
still young. being barely 30 he was not
only exceptionally skllful in his own pro-
fession. but had useful amateur knowl
edge of several others.
He was a clever mechanic. aud his
knowledge of chemistry. like Sam Weller.
of London, was extensive and peculiar"
His special hobby. however. was cleo
tricity, which he maintained to be not only
the Eight and power, but the medicine OIL
the future, and he was never so happy as
when devisng new uses for it.
He had been greatly Disguised on his
arrival to find that the bank was unpro-
vided with electric bells, and gave me no
peace until l consented to let him supply
the deficiency. And already, In one cor
ner of my sitting-room, lay a collection OF
bells, batteries. wires and pushes, TO be
used in the execution of the work.
The building, l may here state, had not
been originally erected for bank, but
was an old fashioned private house. which
had been adapted TO that purpose.
The basement consisted OF four roomy
vaults, originally intended as cellars.
Three of them. indeed were still used for
that purpose-one for coal. one for my
private store of wine and one as recep-
tacle for lumber, while the fourth had
been converted into strong room."
The walls and floor of the ''strOng room"
were lined with concrete; the arch of the
wooden door replaced by double door of
wrought iron, secured by combination
locks.
Within stood couple of strong sales
one large. one small-Of the most approved
construction. The only daylight admitted
tO the vault found its way through four
circular pieces of thick glass. each six
inches in diameter, let into the flooring of
the room above (my private office, and the
on J access to the basement, including the
strong room, was by spiral iron stairs lead
ing from the same room.
The ground flor consisted of two rooms
only, the larger being the public office of
the bank. the other my private Office,
above mentioned. The latter was small
loom at the rear of the building and had
originally been a kitchen.
When. however. the house was adapted
to its present purpose the kitchen had been
transferred to the topmOst floor, where
also were the apartments of The earetaker-
sturdy freshman named O'Grady-aud
his wife.
There were three rooms on the interme-
date floor, two being bedrooms and the
third the room in which We were seated
on the evening of my story.
lighted candle and we made our way
downstairs to the cellar. After some little
search we came upon bin which / found
to contain the last survivors of the famous
madeira.
took out bottle. and was just closing
struck my ear.
First came two or three strokes, as of
hammer. but dull, as if the striking imple-
ment was muff1pd in some way; then the
''scrunch" of chisel; and finally a drop
ping sound, as OF falling mortar.
With warning glance at Macpherson l
opened the door of the strong rooI1 adjoin-
ing and silently stepped inside. The
sounds were here more distinctly audible;
and we could fix with tolerable certainty
the spot from which they proceeded, which
was the lower part of the lefi-hand wall.
Closing the door | led the way up the
spiral stairs into my private office.
What do you make of that, Mac" I
said. as placed the bottle on the table.
Judging by the sound. l should say
some one was chipping hole through the
wall. presumably to rob the bank" replied
Macpherson.
THAT is precisely my own impression.
What a stroke of luck that you should
have CHANGED to ask for that bottle of ma
deira. Well. forewarned is forearmed; we
shall be ready for them. I'll Just go and
get my revolver and then I'll mount guard
while you go and fetch the police"
Macpherson looked at me thoughtfully.
Excuse me, old man, but wouldn't that be
a little bit premature? In the first place it
is lust possible that the sound we have
heard is capable OF some innocent inter-
probation and we may get laughed at for
raising false alarm. In the second place
if our underground friend is but glar.
wouldn't it be as we'll 40 let him make the
case. little clearer against himself?
II don't know what thickness Of wall he
had to tackle, but judging by the look of
the material and the very small quantity
of stuff that seems to fall after each blow,
/ should fancy he had still longish job
before him."
That's true enough. That wall is
eighteen inches thick, and of the toughest
concrete made. or course. we don'tknow
how long the gentleman on the other side
has been pegging away at 1t, but. judging
from the sound, he has good deal to O
yet"
"Then we need not decide anything in ae
hurry. Pull that cork. Geoff, and we'll ser
If we can't devise some sort of trap fo
him. There's nothi G like glass of good
wine to help the imagination"
Help yourself, Dick. but you must ex-
cuse my not Joining you. Nothing stronger
than water will pass my lips till this mat
ter is over"
Every man to his TASTE" replied Dick.
holding the wine critically between him
self and the light, then slipping it with
e.