The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1903-10-30

Ill the click of the switch, plung-
ing the room in total darkness,
except where here and there a faint
glimmer came through the window
from the lamps in the street below,
and the under-cashier of Brown &
Browns sank into his superlor's easy
chair with a sigh Of unutterable re-
lief.
AS usual all his fellow clerks had
gone hours ago, leaving him in soil
tary grandeur to continue working
out rows of apparently interminable
figures. At last, however, his task was
finished, and he sought to rest his
aching eyes by gazing blankly into
darkness.
Bernard Strong was overworked
and underpaid, which will, perhaps,
account for the thoughts that crowd
ed through his tired brain.
AS he sat there in the darkness the
full hopelessness of his position was
borne home to his overworked mind.
What was the use of working like Il
slave till - o'clock, as he had done
tonight? What did he gain by it?
A4Oiltl nv ne uuu UShtu LUZ all III
crease of salary till his very pride
stayed him from repeating the at
tempt Credit? No; the head cashier
had never been known to say a good
word for Strong, though it was very
seldom that he found cause of COM
plant in the latter's work. Prospects?
There were none.
i To hod oil oil I,
till the very thought of them sick
ened him, and always came to the
same conclusion. He would slave no
more In a dngy Office he would go to
the director the very next morning and
! give notice. and, when asked the rea-
son for so doing would throw these bit
ter arguments in his face, leave the
house forever and go away, away to
Australia, South Africa, anywhere. so
long as he was far from his present
hated surroundings.
But in the morning the same de-
spairlng answer to all these questions
would come as if to haunt him, You
cannot go! You have no money! and
he would again wend his way YEARLY
to the same office, the same high stool,
and so through the same daily routine
of drudgery. 1t would be easier to
bear, he had told himself a hundred
times, If there was only himself to
think of, but there was Kitty, poor
little Kitty, waiting so patiently and
saving as much as possible herself to
hasten the day that seemed so far off.
Ac In, ho oy1yn
building the usual castles in the air,
to be dashed to the ground the next
morning, his distracted gaze alighted
On a large black object in the opposite
co, GER Of the room. Yes! the little
strongroom tucked away behind that
iron door contained enough to take Kit
ty and himself out Of the country
where he could start afresh and per
haps make a fortune. He smiled bit
terly at the irony of the situation; the
money that safe contained was in his
power; he had the key in his pocket
at that very moment. Why not? Yes
why not? 1t would mean nothing tC
such a wealthy firm as Brown 6
Browns, but what lot to him! He
would only take enough to pay then
passage, and he would save every far
thing he made to pay it back. 1t would
not be stealing If he returned 1t. No
and only f20, that was all, but enough
to take Kitty and himself away from
this hated city and give him a fresl
start in a new country, where, perhaps
they would give him a chance of show
ing his worth.
Yes, there were quite EGO in gold II
, that strongroom, and gold could no
J be traced like notes, and by the morn
! ing he could be safe away where NJ
one could trace him. He would do it
= do it for Kitty's sake. Half rising il
his chair, he felt for the key in hi
} pocket, but sank back Immediately
| guilty and terror-stricken, as a Sigh
| scraping caught his sharpened ear
the next minute he was sitting ston
+ still, his fascinating gaze following
, every movement Of a huge dark fig
, ure kneeling on the window sill
= Slowly and deliberately the figur
r went to work. 1t produced a littl
pencil-like object from its pocket,
, applied it to the window pane, an,
, sour distinct lines made their appear
> ance on the glittering surface, accom-
panied by a slight crunching sound
now long, thin hand is thrust thrOug
j.. the neat little opening; noiselessly tn
catch slips back, and the next momen
man stands in the room. gain
searchingly round into the darkness
with the aid of bulPs-eye lantern.