The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-06-22

on the rocks in an angry sea, in tn
twelfth story OF hotel, the stairs OF
ire and no rope. In any one of these
situations l should have probably
looked on a standing place inside foul
thick walls on a firm foundation on ter
ra firma as a safe and happy retreat
But imagination wilted before the sterr
breath of reality, and | appreciated the
dangers and discomfOrtS of my position
more than its advantages, To be sure
J. was not likely to be drowned OF
burned there, but I was certain that
was immured in a prison-like cell and
that it was rapidly growing cold.
was subject to torturing attacks OF
rheumatism, and ] foresaw a week of
misery as result Of this night. 1 had
fortunately found candle, so that
had a prospect of light for some hours
at least In vain tried to persuade
myself that the cold bard floor would
be a comfortable bed. In vain I tried to
think that ] was not cold and hungry;
and when l looked at my watch and
saw that it was only six o'clock (my
dinner hour) and that consequently /
was merely beginning my adventure, l
felt decidedly blue and cross. The old
records did not interest me at all just
now, when l would have given a great
deal to have something to divert my
mind in that awful silence. And when
my head began to have a queer feeling
| thought of all the stories that / had
heard about asphyXlaton from lack Of
air, from the Black Hole of Calcutta
down to poor cat that was shut up
accidentally in a cupboard. My memo
ry refused to serve me as to the exact
number of cubic feet Of air consumed
every minute by an adult, but even II
could have remembered it, all my skill
in computations would have left me
then.
! A happy thought struck me If none
of my friends cared enough for me to
| hunt me up as indeed would be almost
| useless with q time-combination lock
| between them and me, might not
| friendly burglar interfere in my behalf?
| Welcome the dynamite that should give
me my freedom And a grim smile
warmed my cold cheeks as ! thought Of
the CONSERVATION of the villain when he
should descry amid the ruins valiant
! guardian and defender of the Trades
mems" treasure. For I did not expect
to be hurt by the blowing up of the
safe, But-and there were butts in the
way of all my schemes for escape--it
would be some hours before careful
gentleman in the bank business would
think it best to ply his profession.
Well, let me try breaking the safe
from the inside-a different vantage
ground from that usually selected. I
took counsel of my stout knife and my
knowledge Of the doors. and after some
trouble with my improvised tool sue
ceeded in christening the inner door,
which was not expected to withstand
fierce attack
But the real strength of the fortress
was in the next door, an appalling wall
of steel, well prepared to stand a long
siege | looked at it's massive bolts, all
polished and gittering in the CANDLE
light, and remembered that they We're
only indirectly controlled by the combi-
nation lock, which of course l could not
influence, but that that lock acted on a
small bolt which in its turn touched
lever which touched the big bolts, and
then the door would open. If I could
only unfasten the screws that held the
intermediate bolt the mechanical ac-
ton would be the same, and | could
open the door
But how to turn the screws? I felt in
all my pockets and looked. about again
for some article that might serve as a
wrench, but there was nothing but my
knife. With that l worked until | was
in a state of nervous exhaustion and the
knife was broken, Throwing that
down, took the candle and went into n
kind of closet into which I had never
more than peered before The shelves
were piled with various ledgers, bundles
of papers and strong boxes. Nothing
appeared that looked like tools. Away
up on the top was a pile of old books. I
managed by climbing on the shelves
and reaching desperately to put my
hand behind them. / clutclsed some
thing hard and with a clatter and a
cloud Of dust brought down a curious
little trunk,
1t was an od-fashioned little thing-a
hair-trunk, miniature copy of such as
/ had seen on a large scale in my grand
mothers garnet, except that this was
heavily bound with brass and very
thickly studded with brass nails. 1t
was locked. | took out my key-ring,
tried one key after another, and on the
last trial-felt the lock turn, and the
trunk was open. 1t contained some
papers; but most important to me,
there lay a bunch of big keys. One of
these was huge, hassive thing, as long
as my hand, and the thumb-hole at the
end was eight-sided. Trembling, 1 APP
piled it to the elght-sided nuts of the
bolt 1t fitted exactly. Ii turned, 1t
loosened one screw after another, and in
a few minutes the great door swung on
its hinges, and | was once more free!
to turn over in bed and rub my eyes,
and wonder whether a pillow had fallen
over my head, or what had caused a
dream SO unpleasant but so vivid. I
could hardly believe in particular that
/ had really had a dinner that evening
before, and ! came near rousing my
mother to give me something to eat
However, I finally finished the night by
good nap and went down to break
fast as usual. OF course / told the fam
lily about my strange dream, and moth
er was sure that | did not have enough
blankets for such weather; but for
some reason l did not say anything
about the dream to any one at the bank.
AS soon as | entered the building that |
morning / seemed to feel the gloom and |
fear of the last night coming over me,