Rock Island Argus., 1903-12-01
DAILY SHORT STORY
Bakers Bank.


combinations on vault and safe had
been worked instead of forced. No
watchman was kept at the bank, nor
would Baker employ one.
OF course he raised a great row over
the robberies, the aggregate sum being
about $4,000, but at the same time he
could not say that he really suspected
any of his employees. At any rate he
accused no one, and the sheriff and
detective worked for weeks and got
no clew. Naturally enough the robber
les were the talk of the town, and as a
boy of fourteen 1 was much excited
and interested.
1t was in the winter time that the
last robbery took place, and one night
a crowd of us boys and girls drove out
into the country to a spelling school.
BY accident l was left behind when
the party started home, and there was
no other way than to foot it back.
1t was O'Clock of still, cold morn
ing when L passed up the street on
which Bakers bank was situated. and
Just before l reached the building
saw woman emerge and lock the
door behind her AS l caught sight of
her l lodged behind a pile of boxes
at hand, and. peering out, L saw her
look up and down the street for mo-
ment before moving on. When she
started away, followed her, and great
was my surprise to see her halt at
Bakers house, four blocks away.
1t was not until 1 reached home and
pondered over the case a little that
1o min fIo a
figure must be Mrs. Baker herself.
When once this idea had come to me
l began to work on it, Early next
morning / was out to look for tracks
in the snow, and l very soon found
those of the midnight woman. They
had been made by small and shapely
feet.
But had there been still another rob-
berry at the bank? 1 ran away from
school TO hang around the corners and
wait for news, and before noon it was
known that another $1,000 package
had been taken. The circumstances
were precisely the same. Some one
had entered the bank and worked the
combination of the vault.
This last robbery started n run on
furry, as Baker could pay 50 for 81,
but that and the mysterious robberies
nearly drove him crazy. 1 had a good
mind TO go and tell him what l had
seen, but, boylike, l was afraid to do
it. did go to the sheriff, however, and
begin my story, but he laughed in my
face and said:
boy, you have been seeing ghosts
and having the nightmare. If you so
round talking this way to others.
they'll call you crazy"
He hadn't done anything himself to
clear up the mysteries. and he was,
perhaps, little fearful that 1 might
strike a clew. 1 looked at it that way
and was not discouraged by what he
said. had no father TO go to and did
not think mother could help in the
case
What / accomplished in the next two
days was this: l got from the bank
er's son Joe the information that he
had been awake when his mother came
in after her raid, and while she was
out for a couple of hours and he and
1 were left alone in the house 1 made
a swift search and found every dollar
tHe IllSSluS money III Il ndlDOA III
the garrett In the same box were writ
ten instructions as TO how TO work the
combinations. l did not remove any
thing, nor could the woman have sus-
pected on her return that / had dis
covered anything. There was no doubt
of her being the rObber- She had Sc
cured the combination from her hus-
band in confidence, and she had had
the nerve to get up in the night and
rob the bank. If she had not used any
of the money she must have some OBJ
ject in view, but 1 could not study
that out. though there was gossip
about family troubles. 1 was more
scared than before at the thought of
going to the banker direct, as l some
how felt that he would blame me in
some way, but 1 sent another boy to
hinI and had him call at my house in
the evening.
The banker seemed to have made up
his mind to hear bad news. 1 shall
never forget how he sat there before
me looking straight into my eyes and
his face growing old and haggard as
told my story. Half an hour wrought
such facial changes that he seemed
almost a stranger. His very soul must
have been tortured, but he spoke no
word till had finished. Then he quiet
ly asked me to verify certain points,
seeming to have a hope that l might,
after all, be mistaken, but there was
no bIunder. and he rose up and left the
house looking ten years older than
when he entered it.
The stricken man did not go to the
bank or his home, but walked out into
the country with his head down and |
his hands crossed behind him. fol-
lowed him for two miles and then re-
turned. 1t was daylight next morning |
when he entered his house and then it |
was to find his wife gone. She had left |
before night in q strange outfit driven |
up to the door by a strange man, but |
before departing she had visited the |
bank for the fifth time. This time she |
.ook package of $4,000 and was seen
md not interfered with by half doz- |
IN different persons