Rock Island Argus., 1902-03-31
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
MISSED A
y = FORTUNE.

their shadows beforer' 1t is the prov
ince of the inventor to recognize an in
yention rather than to produce it. How
many people without this power of
recognition have let fame and fortune
slip through their hands, Natural
forces still unexplained every day show
themselves TO us rs plainly as the sun
in heaven, but we Dc not understand
them. Even scientists live in touch
with the great secrets of nature with
out knowing how TO explain or utilize
them. Once. by not understanding one
Of these secrets. 1 failed to make a
great fortune.
In 1870 opened banking house.
was young at the business, and the
fact that l usually had n large number
Of securities and plenty of currency in
my vaults kept me in constant state
Of uneaSinesS. In order to be in COM
munication with the bank at all hours
OF the night I had private telegraph
wire run between it and my bedroom
and taught my night watchman. Hart
man. the Morse alphabet. My key was
fixed to Il table close to my bed. within
n foot of my ear, and i could easily
hear his call or call him, myself. Once
when Hartman called me l did not
hear the click of the key. After that. in
order to intensity the sound, 1 attached
n thin metal sOunder TO the instru-
ment. This focused the sound waves
to strike on the drum of my ear and
was 4 great Improvement. 1t worked
SO well that put duplicate of it in
at the bank.
One night when 1 was restless and
sleeping badly I dreamed that bur
glars We're in the bank, that Hartman
was screaming at the top of his voice
and that one of the burglars shot him.
The report OF the pistol wakened me
and was SO vivid that it seemed to me
1 had really heard it. l at once called
Hartman. He did not reply. l called
him again and again and at last re-
ceived the customary signal. but there
was something different in the touch.
WHATS the matter with you?" I
asked. Your signal doesn't sound rs
usual Are the wires all right:"
To this came the answer: II think
the battery is weak. Go TO sleep. sir.
Everything is all right"
1 turned over and tried TO follow the
advice given. but somehow | had got
ii into my head that had really heard
screams and the report of Il pistol.
After awhile / called Hartman again.
This time there was no great delay in
the answer; but, accustomed, as | was,
to Hartman's touch on the instrument.
1 suspected that some one else was
making the reply, or, if Hartman was
doing ii, that he was telegraphing I'M
der cOmpulsion. l asked him again If
everything was all right, and he said
that it was, but after some delay and
then without the usual vigOr, indeed
tremulOusly. BY this time l was con-
vinced that something was wrong. Ell
ther burglars We're in the bank or
something was the matter with Hart
man. In order to conceal my suspi-
cions 1 sent final message: Every
well. I'll not bother you again to-
night"
1 got up and, dressing rapidly. went
out. Stopping at police station, told
them that there were burglars in my
banking house and promised hand
some reward if they would capture
them. Four men accompanied me and,
arriving at the bank, surrounded it.
Then one of them pulled himself up
Two burglars were drilling at the safe
door. Hartman was lying on the floor
bound and gagged. l gave the police
men the keys TO the front and rear
doors. the only entrances. Two men
stood at each door and when | gave
the signal turned the keys and entered
with drawn PevOlvers. The moment
the burglars heard the bolts fly back
they started up, but the policemen had
them covered and at their mercy. The
bracelets were placed on their wrists,
and the night watchman was released.
Hartman had been overpowered from
behind by IL man in rubber boots, but
temporarily freed himself. when n shot
was fired from behind that cut off his
ear. Then a second man jumped on
him and downed him. Meanwhile he
Was yelling at the top of his voice, and
they gagged him. Immediately the tel
egraph key began to click, and, putting
the muzzle OF n pistol to Hartman's
temple. the burglars compelled him TO
reply to my signal and to telegraph
their own response. When the tele-
graphing was finished, they bound him
hard and fast and, producing a set Of
tools, went to work ut the safe. While
they were engaged my second call
came. They threw down their tools.
sprang for Hartman, unbound him and
compelled him to reply as before. He
dared not telegraph me anything ex-
cept what they ordered. for the man
who held a revolver to his head de-
clared that he knew the alphabet and
would kill him the moment he sent
wrong letter. This was probably un-
true. but it was enough to induce Hart
man TO obey him. However, he pur-
pOsely gave way to a halting method
differing from his usual touch, hoping
that this would have the effect on me
itat il had.
But il is the sounder attached to my
telegraph instrument that is the ir1por-