The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-03-20
A SAFE ABOUT TO BE CRACKED
The Brave Boy Found the Telephone
at the Risk of Discovery and
Called up the Police
His $50 Reward.

Larry Dolan thought it the coolest
night he had ever experienced as he
spun along the wide suburban avenue
in the face Of the bitter northwest wind.
Larry was a messenger employed by the
Mutual District Messenger company,
and as his station covered a large SUI
burban area he was often called upon
to make long rides upon his bicycle to
answer the calls of the patrons of the
company. In nearly all of the rich SUI
burban homes We're the little electric
call boxes which enable the owners to
summon messenger by turning a
crank.
He had been in the service about a
year, in fact ever since his arrival in
America from AUD Ireland" as he
called it. He had been quick to learn
the ways of his adopted country and
on account of his shrewdness and indus
try was considered one of the best boys
in the service.
bad luck to the man that called for
a messenger this night" said Larry to
himself. as he coasted down a grade,
stcadying his bicycle with his feet while
he rubbed his ears vigorously with his
disengaged hands. In his long night
rides he had contracted the habit of
talking to himself, "to kape me COM
pany.' as he expressed it, "Cowid as it
is and late, too, he ought to be ashamed
| TO ask anyone to come this distance. Be-
sides, don't believe he meant to ring
| for bye onyhow, as the annunciator
only fluttered bit and did not turn in
a full call" In fact, this circumstance
had led the night clerk to suspect that
| it was not a call and he was once on the
point of telling Larry not to answer it.
1T makes me mad to think all this Is
for Colonel Collamore." muttered larry,
the most disagreeahle ould curmud-
geon on the line. Didn't he have me
taken to the station house last summer
charged with shtealing his pears whin
I'd been to his place to answer a call?
There's no telling how it would have
ended, either, il the mounted policeman
on the beat had not come in with the
very bye from the Reform Farm that
he had caught with Il basketball of the
coloners pears. An the colonel niver SO
much as said L beg your pardon, Larry,
for the hurt to me feelings. AS for
that he does not seem to know me
name and only says when he sees me,
Hello, twenty-six is that you?' Bad
luck 10 him and the cowld weather TO-
gether."
Having restored the circulation in his
bcnumbed ears Larry increased his
speed and with head bowed against the
cutting wind sped out the avenue at a
rate which soon brought the dark out
lines of the Collamore villa to view This
was a large. three-story Queen Anne
house sitting back some distance from
the avenue and surrounded by trees and
shrubbery.
As he rode up to the side entrance lie
was surprised to see no light in the
Colonies library and Office. The only
| light visible was ore that shone from
Il second story bedroom. The absence
of a light in the library led Larry to be-
lieve that tie call had been Il mistake.
for IL a messenger We're needed the
Colonel would be in that room which he
used as an office. Larry knew that tho
colonel would likely be alone, for the
family were in Florida for the winter
/ He dismountcd and leaning his bicy
Gle against the carriage block was abou
to ring the bell when ne was startled tt
see that Il window leading into the II
brary was open.