The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1897-01-08

80 wen gag nm, SAID Jim, ana me anu
him went down and turned our lanterns
round row ING, iookin eve. everywhere but there
WHATS the matter with the fool?
growled Jim, and Went back and tried to
send him down again, hut he just
wouldn't so, so Jim cursed him and come
himself, and he and me begun to get the
safe door ready to blow up. ,4.es
THAT'S u thing as takes time and care,
Judge, but we Went at it with will and
never 4 word. 1t was 80 still you could
almost hear your heart beat, when all of
sudden come Il smothered cry like a
woman's, We stopped work and looked
ut each other, Jim's face white and
scared.
Lord, what was that?' he said.
"I often hears Fem OH the street like
that. said l.
"'That warn't on the street: it sounded
nothin' outside in this place.
Nonsense said I, don't you make a
fool of yourself, too, and spoil all, end
went to work again.
II could see how his hand trembled for
while and then got steady again.
""That must have come through the
room upstairs he said presently. Queer,
though; it sounded so close
Then we worked on and there warn't
nothin' more to be- heard. Rest of the
gang might all have been dead men. for
all the sound they made. and we didn't
say nothin'; and SO the night went on.
AT last we had it all ready. and were
only waiting for the signal to blow it up
and then-money enough to make lis all
rich. Tahiti such as you can realize
the excitement and the strain of such n
moment. TO know it's all there, ready,
and then to have to wait! It's easier
walkin' over red hot Goals. It's all right
to go on and work. but to stay still and
only breathe and listen gives a man the
shiyers.
Presently Jim caught my arm.
Say, l thought l heard voices, did
you! he whispered.
The men upstairs / said.
Sounded down here. Have your pis-
tol ready.
Il took my lantern and went round the
vault again carefully. and then held it up
to examine the walls. Then l shook my
head. There warn't no way we could
hear no one.
Its the queerest place ever was in
said Jim, and, by .Iove, III be glad when
we are out of it. Why don't that signal
come? Suppose. there's any hitch?
swear heard voices again.
'Just then come the signal and Jim be-
gun to apply the dynamite; but bis hands
and excited his own Wifs Wouldn't know Nv
him.
"'The money, the money; he wills
pered, we must haye it noW.'
I'VE got out of the way: just iii TIME
and then out came the door:
1.-The inside door. quick said Jim,
but the explosion had made that fall in,
side, and we just could lift it out.
"'Have the bag ready said Jim, as he
leaned forward to haul out the great piles
of bank notes and silver we could see
by the light of the lanterns.
g, Hands off. or you are dead man..
walked the dead. I dropped my bag and
Jim drew back his hand. caught hold of
me with grip like iron, and we began
to 90 slowly back to the ladder.
The combination is all right: we
have them now; they can't escape u.s.
1--WE were half way up the ladder
when we heard the click, click of the
we could hear the rasping of the hinges
of the iron door,
Fly. fly. for your lives; we are dis
covered. said Jim, as he Went around to
warn the men: and in the darkness and
the wind and the rain they went away
and l amt never seen one of en- since
| heard. though, as when they found
there warn't no one there and the bank
people didn't know nothin' bout it till
the next morning. they just believed as
the bank was haunted. sure
DO | know what it was, Judge?
There amt no one else as does know,
that's sure. faint much after all.
Yer see, playin' round with my little
ones. found as 1 could make 'em hear
all kinds of noises anywhere l wanted,
and people cryin' and laughin'. 1t was
fun fur them and l often done it; ven
triloquizin' | believe you call it; but that
nights the last time. Yer see, none of
the gang didn't know bout that, and I
don't keer ever to have 'em know it now.
1t saved the bank without my informin'
and that's all l care for.
"Oh, no, Judge, the bank don't owe me
nothin'. You'll take care of the napers?
Thank you. I'm obliged to you for listen
ing. too. 1t kind of makes ME feel
easier.
mo, no. thank you. 1 won't stay and
take no more of your time. Don't get
up: | can find my way out.
whats that you say, Judge? You
honor and respect meme? And the
bank-Land, Judge, twarn't me; twas
my. wife and children saved the bank.
and I'm proud of 'em-proud of 'en.
Judge. Goodnight Philadelphia
Times.