The gazette-news., 1902-12-06
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A BOOKKEEPER'S
OPPORTUNITY
IOriginal1

! evening over his books preparatory to
| the annual fiscal statement. One night
after turning out the lights just before
| going home he remembered that he had
left a paper in the vault which he
should have mailed. Lighting a can
die that lie kept for Use i'm the vault.
! he unlocked the door and entered. The
/ door was so set on its hinges that it
| would close of its own weight. and
! Talbot usually placed a ledger against
| il on entering. But tonight he was in
a hurry to get home and thought he
| could reach the paper in time to catch
| the door before it closed. The paper
was not where he supposed 1t was,
| and he looked elsewhere. Suddenly he
heard click. He was locked In!
Talbot was paralyzed at his situa-
ton. Presently, however, he recovered
his cquanimity sufficiently to think
The first result of his thought was to
blow out his candle, remembering that
it was drawing on the oxygen in the
air. But this was rs far rs lie could
go. for there was nothing left for him
3
on the atmosphere he brcathed. In
the course of half an hour he felt as
surcd that hc could. This is explained
by the fact that the building i'm settling
had opened crack in the vault,
through which air could permeate.
TalIot. having been without sufficient
sleep for several weeks. finally sank
into slumbcr.
H. was awakened by b-r-r-r-r! The
sound was very like drill. 1t was a
drill. Thank heaven. he had been
missed. AMI thcy had come to let him
ant. Ii Wuuld bc we'll tn let them
know that he was still alone so he
called:
I'm all right
They could not have heard him. for
the drilling went on without any reply.
Then he wondered why they didn't
Open the vault by using the cOinbina-
ton. 80 hc called out again. louder:
You fellows out thrrr. Don't you
know the figures for opening the lockY
Tn >n.Hd suddenly Stopped. All |
was perfectly ga!rl. could he have /
mistaken the gnawins of Il rat or !
mouse for drill:
Il say. you fellows. the combination /
is L. = -
Sti,I au v.,s n-i,t Ilif ono, or twice
a., hmm. It a.. ,,,,iI bo,r voices I'm con.
ference. Then there was Il call.
Hello. you. inside th're"
"Wril:'
"NAo ar, vou:"
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