The new age. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1902-190?, 1902-09-06

his desk II save a little and ao,-
with a metallic click. Like ar ~
thousht OF how he had in idle mo
ments sat there and with his na1sy,
smart on The lock licked OF Morse -
messages 10 nowhere. Joined with ,bo
memory Of what the hIrh voi,., ia
said as 10 its owners telerranb,. =,
quire,leu's' and the two ideas cos
Ieseeu IN a well defned hope. Assp
operator The junior partner was so-no-
what rusty. Al rs IN in.tr,,,..-.... ~.
spring lock was only a fair topal is7i.
tatioh. But it was q chane,-.tbs ~
one IN sight and as such 10 be sairo1
Franklin seized il.
Al the first accidental click the fuu-
ping NJ the door had ceased. .. -
lhere. 5 somebody in thora.- erowlss
the marsh voice. quaverlng tbroot,ls
ENluehtly Its owner was in a tre,nu-
ious state Of mind. There was pothlnS
treIhuious about his partner.
IN your Eind." he snarled. IF tbers
is We got bullet for him-and nv
knife Tor You. you snivelinc wbeln n
you don't brace up" he added n. 4
frenzied sQueal.
on. mr. - -
"Tick-tick. thick; tick-tick flick d.
uck-tlek. thick" sounded clear through
the darkness - - :"
There" chartered the man who was
working on the door. Did you-did
you What was it," .-4
There was a period Of silence. broken
only by the sharp clicking.
ITS a telegraph call; that's what n
is. don't have TO be a operator tn
know that The quavering voice was
answering its own question. ~
1T couldn't be-" There was not the
nerce assurance in the piping voice
now that there had been. ut don't
sound like any instrument ever
heard. oh, | KNOW Relief was eyi-
dent In the tone, and a correspondincly
sickening feeling rose in the Junior
partners chest. Its one of those
stock tickers working overtime. You
amt going to let thing like that
You said you'd cut the wires, I"
growled the other voice. "You lied TO
me. amt goin' to stay. Agrrhl
Lego my throat" The growl had
suddenly been compressed TO a wheel
ing squeak.
open up that door or I'll strange
you" The piping voice had a Wild
beast note In 1t now.
The fumbling at the door was re-
sumed. Franklin could hear the lock
sliding. Doggedly he kept on with his
pencil, spelling out his faxed message.
"Tick-tick-tick, tick. ti-ick-tick, Tick
tick-tick. Tick-tick-tick-ti ck-tick"-
Its message" The high voice was
shriller than ever. send h-e-send
help@ A high pitched, savage oath
rang in the air. "Cut II, Dutch. He's
got private wire there"
The junior partner got to his feet,
pressed button and leaped upon his
desk. In the flood Of light that he had
turned on he could see over the parti-
ton a tall, thickset fellow leading a
little. wiry, redheaded man In a race
to the outer door. There the little man,
half turning, saw him.
"Ah, you wouldr he screamed furi-
ously. Take thatT
His revolver spurted fame. There
was crash Of glass. and Franklin
jumped to the floor unhurt. Across the
Office he raced, threw up a window and
sent his voice ringing out between the
high buildings OF the street.
around in Broad streetr' he called
as trampling feet answered his shouts
and the dark figures OF two policemen
appeared.
Then he went back. closed the safe.
seated himself at his desk and wrote
busily. When the detectives from the
police station came in. GREATNESS. he
handed a slip Of paper to each.
There's the best description | can
give of the men," he said. "You can
read it as you run"