The evening Republican., 1902-07-24
TEN MINUTES
OF TERROR.

night. This small and most private
of all the rooms in the - Bank re-
sembles nothing SO much as a gloomy
prison cell. The steel faces of the
all.encircling vaults seem formida-
BILE walls, The small table in the
centre which constitutes, practically
all The furniture, is covered with
dark green cloth whose heavy folds
touch the floor on all sides On the
table is porcelain inkstand and a
solitary pen, blunted from the al
most endless labor it has been put
to during the day. This office of
the head cashier is the most zeal
ously guarded in the whole bank,
for behind those massive walls. now
slumbering beneath the dull glow
thrown from the single ceiling
light, lie great heaps of money.
Throughout the banks, deserted
at this hour all noise has ceased,
and the night voice of the city above
reaches this isolated chamber only
as the murmur Of a distant ocean.
Presently the stiffness is broken by
the approaching footsteps of the
Waterman.
Lantern in hand. he throws open
the door and swiftly Though care.
fully scrutinizes every corner Of the
dim room. Satisfied, lie turns his
key ia the comnutateur, and again
darkness settles down like pail as
The door is closed on we'll oiled hin
ges. The retreating steps are at last
lost in the distant corridors, and
once more gloon and that breeding
something which for lack Of a more
expressive word must BE- called mys-
terry reign supreme.
Five minutes pass, and then---is
there 4 Increment; vague, tits true,
but still Il movement-someHl where
amcng those shadows? The cloth
that covers the innocent writing tn.
bic is lifted from Beneath, man
crceps ont on all fouls and rises to
hisfeet. For a moment he stands and
surveys his surroundings, then with
the manner of one who IS familiar
with every inch of the ground, gocs
toward the wall, and Ly pressing one
of the many buttons there causes
the numerous electric bulbs, clus-
tered and Single. with which the
walls aud ceiling are studded, 30
burst into light. Quickly returning
to the table, he places thereon with
in finite precaution " aerviette
d'avocat, one of those many pockeLed
rolled carryalls with which the
French lawyer burdens himself
From one Of the pockets be draws
a cylindrical package. which he han
dies very gingerly and places on
look shelf Ia remote corner Of the
room. Then from another pocket he
take, an assortment of tools bril-
liant things, all resembling baubles
Of the theatre, perhaps, but which
are in reality infamous aud powerful
Instruments. After NONE IT'S
deliberation he chooses from among
them pair Of scissors, with which
he cuts those traitorous wires that
connect the doors o; The vault With
the oulslde world. This accom- )Iisl.
ed he turns his attention to the
nearest safe. Without hcsitltDl,
and with marvellous ACCURACY of move
meut, he turns and Returns the in
dicators that control the combination.
a slight click and the wheel stops.
Silently and docilely the heavy doors
swung open, revealing the treasure,
within.
Taking from the safe the entire
contents he composealv selects only
such portions se can 10 conveniently
carried away in the serviettc. No
con-it is too weirhty--anl from
thegrcenbackS only those whose value
is written in at least three figures.
Surrounded by this almost countless
wealth one can afford to be al cpl.
cure.
Such bills as find favor in his eyes
are laid in even piles upon the open
serviette, which. as vault after vault
is riaed, gradually becomes filed.
and when the man at length with
difficulty fastens the buckle and
brealh3 a Sigh Of satislactlo his
pockets as we'll are full 10 bursting.
One after another he places the
tiny tools Of steel in their case
and MAKES all into buude. A
glance at his watch aud he goes to-
ward that bookshelf where. some
time since, he had 50 carefully placed
IL package. This he brings from it's
resting. place, and, handling it with
even greater precantion, lays 1t on
the table the strapped serviette is
shaped paper bundle he takes brass
cylinder. 1t contains a powerful! ex.
plosiye. Gently he RELAYS it on the
green cover, fearful lest some jlr,
an Involuntary movement, will
start into action the clock work that
controls 1t. The moment has not yet
arrived. In few minutes when th c
Waterman will have left for his even.
ing meal. when the bank will be en-
tirely deserted, he will unlock the
door, and, threading the labyrinth OF
passages with which he Is SO familiar
as to be very nearly able to traverse
them blindfoIded, gain the courette.
Once there he is absolutely certain
OF getting away without attracting
attention.
But lie must wait. lie calls to
mind the instructions OF his accom-.
pliccs; the machinery is not to be
started until the moment when his
retreat is assured. Ten minutes
will elapse between the first click
OF the clockwork and the cXplos,on-
bound to be a catastrophe SO terri
tic that all trace OF robbery will be
oblterated. His share OF the
plu nder will be fortune in Itself,