The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-08-27
A BOOKKEEPER'S
OPPORTUNITY
fOriginal.1

Blinker Bros, was spending every
evening over his books preparatory to
the annual fiscal statement. One night
after turning out the lights just before
going home he remembered that he had
left a paper in the vault which he
should have mailed. Lighting can
die that he kept for use in the vault,
he unlocked the door and entered. The
door was SO set on its hinges that it
would close of its own weight and
Talbot usually placed a ledger against
it on entering. But tonight he was in
a hurry to get home and thought he
could reach the paper in time to catch
the door before it closed. The paper
was not where he supposed it was,
and he looked elsewhere. Suddenly he
heard click. He was locked in!
Talbot was paralyzed at his situa-
ton. Presently. however he recovered
his equanimity sufficiently to think.
The first result of his thought was to
blow out his candle, remembering that
it was drawing on the oxygen in the
go, for there was nothing left for him
to do except wait to see if he could live
on the atmosphere he breathed. In
the course of half an hour he felt as
sured that he could. This is explained
by the fact that the building in settling
had opened a crack in the vault,
through which air could permeate.
Talbot, having been without sufficient
sleep for several weeks, finally sank
into slumber.
He was awakened by br-r-r-r! The
sound was very like q drill. 1t was
drill. Thank heaven, he had been
missed, and they had come to let him
out! 1t would be well to let them
know that he was still alone, so he
called:
I'm all right"
They could not have heard him, for
the drilling went on without any reply.
Then he wondered why they didn't
open the vault by using the combina-
ton, so be called out again, louder:
You fellows out there! Don't you
know the figures for opening the lock?'
The sound suddenly stopped. All
was perfectly quiet. Could he have
mistaken the gnawihg of a rat or q
mouse for q drill?
81 say, you fellows, the combination
is 7-15-S-3!'
Still all was quiet, but once or twice
he thought he could hear voices in con-
ference. Then there was a call.
"Hello, you, inside therew
''Well?"
"Who. are your,
"John Talbot, the bookkeeperw
Again there was quiet, which was
ended with:
what IL you give to get out?'
"Give? Who are you"
1.-TWO armed men who are after
what's in the Vault"
"Burglars?"
chats about the size of itp
This put an entirely different face on
the matter. From thinking of his own
safety John Talbot began to think of
saving the contents of the vault. Was
not this an opportunity? He had
worked ten years for the concern on a
meager salary and might work ten
years longer under the same conditions.
He resolved to stand his ground if pos
sible. First he must gain time. He
regretted that he had given the combi-
nation.
"Well, 1 gave you the figures! Why
don't you open the lock, come in and
help yourselves?"
"Giye it again.
John did not give it, and presently
he heard them trying the lock. They
either had not heard all the numbers
or had forgotten them.
Suddenly John remembered the re-
volver that was always kept in
drawer in the woodwork inside the
vault for the especial purpose of de-
Tending the funds in case of an at
tempt at burglary during the day.
This gave him new hope. He opened
the drawer, took out the revolver, felt
to determine if the cartridges were in
place and found everything in order.
Then he waited patiently while the
drilling went on. There were several
layers to be pierced, and the burglars
were a long while in getting through.
Presently, however, John heard some
thing give way, and, feeling along the
surface, he struck his finger against
the end Of a drill. Then ii was pulled
out, and John, placing his eye to the
hole could see part of mans chest
or his face as the owner moved about
close before it. John now concluded
that it was time to begin a defense;
so, placing the muzzle of his revolver
to the hole, he fred.