The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-07

continuance rings bell in the county po-
OH The man whistled. and then. after
few moments thought, continued
What's 1t on-the strong room or the
safes?''
Strong room"
Hum: then IL we could pass that door
IL would all be serene?
Precisely
do you know any more about it? How
is IL worked?'
'sThe alarm is never detached: it's built
into the door as il were, and whenever ii S
opened the bell sounds at the station. Dur
ing banking hours ii counts for nothing; IT
rings when the door is opened, but ceases
when it is pushed right back. It's opened
al 9. pushed right back, and remains so I'M
til it's shut at night: and after closing time
the manager himself could not enter the
strong room without having the police
down upon him..
'Ah, j see,' chuckled the other. 'It is a
wonderful contrivance; il guarantees the
honesty Of even the manager himself.
key, and no doubt we could get it, but, as
you see, il would be useless
''Ah, that doors a hard nut 10 crack.
What do you think. Sidney?
The third man raised his eyes, and for a
moment looked reflectively across the park.
What do / Think he replied. at length.
''Well, it strikes me very forcibly that after
the smart things we've done across the
water we are not going TO be licked by an
Internal tinkling bell. What's your idea,
colonel?"
well, boys, it's pretty thick job;
there's only one way to do it. and that Will
be to get an official letter written to the
police station-a letter signed by one of the
directors of the bank and the manager,
telling them that the bell will sound at a
given hour on a given date and they need
take no notice of IL, although 1t VIII be
after banking hours. the books are TO
be gone into for some special reason-any
lie will do"
What man you are for your joke.
coloneli'
Il was never more serious in all my
You mean the whole game is impossi-
ble?''
Not n bit of it. i mean that that is the
only way it can be done. Send that letter
by one of the bank messengers, and it's
open sesame they say in the Arabian
Nights and help yourselves
oh yes" sarcastically CALCULATED Sid
ney: land perhaps the director and man
ager would like to join in the spoil. Let's
talk like men. and not like fools.
"A fool" mildly corrected the colonel, lis
a man who forms hasty opinion upon a
matter he does not fully understand. will
undertake 10 supply That letter; the rest L
Its no use tackling forgery. colonel: it's
too risky. We shall have TO find some other
way"
I'm the first place, there is no other way.
and in the second. it will not be forgery.
The gentlemen will be Obliging enough to
sign their names themselves.
Nonsense. colonel; you can't go up to
two men and say, Here. just write your
names this sheet, one under the OtneF,
and leave me to fill in what like above -
"Of course you cannot" the colonel muir
INJURED; lit would be want of tact. and.
worse than that. want OF manners.
Then. how the
"Ah, you are curious. I thought you
would be. And it's so simple-so beauti-
fully simple. Look here"
The colonel put his hand into his breast
pocket and extracted thin black tube he
UNFINISHED a small cap covering one end,
and held 1T up before them.
You don't need telling what this isl!
Il guess not. Reservoir pens are COM
mon. even on this side. This is the latest.
What now?'' Why, my dear boys the
colonel responded in quite a parental man.
you are. Don't you know that when you
lend a man new-fangied pen to see what
he thinks of it, he invariably tests it by
writing his own name? It's always his
own name-never quotation from his ia
vorite poet, or an impromptu epgram, but
just the one thing that comes easiest TO his
mind-hs own name. written in his usual
style. with that characteristic flourish OF
which he is so proud. Now, then, this Is
the way the thing will be done. Tomorrow
at noon L shall meet Mr.. Beverley, the
chairman of the bank, and my friend Gas
| ton, to arrange for the investment of my
| funds. During the interview, with the
| bank 5 paper spread out we'll before us,
| shall produce this pen. Perhaps they have
seen one before, perhaps not; but in any
| case they will try 1t, and. it's a million to
one, write their own names. The science
| of the game must be left to me and to luck
| / shall use my best endeavors to get them
| to sign their names on the back of sheet
| of the banks headed paper, and trust to
| fate that they sign near enough together
| TO answer our purpose; and then L can
carefully obtain the sheet, and cOntriv6
| that my note TO the police fills enough
| space to fit the signatures
The colonel deliberately lighted a fresh
cigar from the stump or the last. and
looked inquiringly at his companions.
It's all right" said Sidney. except that
they will sign their names and then scrib-
No. oil no
NO they will not firmly replied the
colonel, in a tone chat carried conviction
to the minds of the others. Now, you two
| think out some plan TO get the keys from
CASTOR"
''Oh, Wen drug him..
81 guess not, my boy; he has a wife, and
| there's a sister. too. living with them, and
very pretty girls they are. Now, look here
Castor and WILL of course, play chess on
| the evening that We carry out this little
| Job. His wife will give us some music, and
his sister, who is a lady enthusiast, will
watch the games. You, having obtained the
| keys. will open the strong room and safes
| and take all you can. Gold first then the
bonds to bearer. leaving the notes alone
many good man has been done for by
| taking notes. A quarter of q million of the
| bank s funds are invested in United States
| government 4-per-cent. bonds TO bearer in
| one-thousand-dollar bonds Look for them
and then anything else but be sure and
| leave the notes alone; they Will all be
| stopped next morning. YOU Ned, go VI
| TO London and get a Remington typewriter
| That is the kind the bank uses. 1 shall
want that for the letter to the police. Pack
| il i'm q bag, so that no one can see what ii
| looks like, and bring il to me at the hote
tomorrow night. And now. dear boys, aU
revoir. / am off to play Gaston-I owe him
his revenge-aDd be sure you don't waste
your precious time at billiards. but pu;
| your little heads together and find out 4
nice artistic way to get the keys. Force
| is out of the question, remember that; II
must be strategy dear boys, strategy; put
your heads together and think hard
| Ta-ta."
And the colonel. jauntily settling his
shiny hat a shade on one side, strOlled
towards the town.
III.
full week passed before Colonel Walton
sought his companions again. and then he
stood and beamed upon the pair, who eyed
him somewhat disconsolately.