The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-12-02

"All slack bakedw was Morse's dis
gusted comment. They'll have to lie
over till tomorrow, and that means
you boys will have to get here early to
pack. Nothing more for you to do now.
You may go home"
Roy Delano fingered.
How early in the morning. Mr..
Morse" he asked.
.'Oh, don't get here before $50" the
jocular, and the other boys, hearing the
reply, grinned. They knew that 6
o'clock would be early enough. But
Roy was a new hand. and took the
foreman's remark literally. The next
morning at 3.25 he was hurrying to his
work.
There was faint glow from the
-four incrusted basement windows
showing that the night bakers had not
yet left the building. Above, in the
packing room, all was dark.
The front door was, of course, locked.
and Roy went round to the side door.
opening into the basement The stairs
ascending to the packing room rose in
front Of this door. and Roy had to so
round them in order to see the bakers.
who were putting on their coats in
front of the brick ovens and getting
ready to go home.
HAS Mr.. Morse come yet?" he asked.
+ NO" said one of the men. "He's
don't
know juct what time he does come"
%! guess he'll be here before long"
Toy said, because of the crackers that
had to lie over
You'll be all alone for while, any
way" the baker told him.
When the men had gone Roy looked
about the long basement. which
seemed to him strangely quiet. White
bread was rising in covered troughs;
brown loaves were slowly baking in
the brick ovens. The warmth and the
crisp, sweet smell Of the place were
pleasant after the wintry air, and Roy
had not worked so long in the bakery
that his senses were sluggish in receiv-
ing such impressions.
The great cracker oven il which the
'lay-overs" were resting filed one side
of the basement, and rose above the
floor of the packing room overhead. 1t
was, in fact, brick vault-shaped Ike
a beehive-inside a brick building.
Roy thought of opening the door and
taking look at the crackers. but then
decided that; this was none Of his busi-
ness. It occurred to him, however.
that he might find something to do in
the packing room while awaiting the
arrival Of the foreman, and he there
fore plodded up the stairs, making lit
tie noise in his rubber overshoeS.
The room was chilly-at least by
comparison with. the basement-and
Roy crossed to the iron door in the
brick work Of the cracker oven. This
was set flush with the floor. and was
used when it was necessary to make
repairs on the machinery. Behind it
revolved vertically the great oven
wheel, which was fitted with swinging
shelves, that carried the crackers dur
ing the baking.
The machinery that propelled the
wheel was now, of course, disconnect-
ed, and although there had been no
fire under the oven for hours its inte-
rior hest was considerable. Roy there
fore opened the door and lay with his
back to the hot air.
After q moment he rolled over with
an adventurous idea of clambering in
upon the wheel and exploring the oven.
Reaching in he touched one Of the
swinging shelves. but the wheel yield
ed under the pressure. 1t revolved
freely. now that the machinery was
disconnected. and Roy realized that If
he stepped aboard shelf he would be
carried to the bottom of the oven, and
be left there with no chance Of escape.
Suddenly faint sound drew his at
tention in the direction Of the office,
which adjoined the packing room.
The sound was repeated, and Roy,
with some wonder and little suspi-
cion, rose and stole across the room
through the darkness. The door into
the Office proved to be ajar. Pushing
it open he saw by the rays Of dim
street lamp an obscure figure kneeling
in front of the safe.
Then the door creaked. The burglar
sprang up, whirled round, and seeing
the boy rushed at him.
Roy lodged and ran, with the bur-
glar pursuing. In front of the oven
door the boy lodged again. catching
hold Of barrel to make a sharp turn.
With quick thought he gave a jerk
to the barrel and sent it spinning OH
edge behind him.
The burglar stumbled over it in the
darkness and fell heavily. Roy turned
in time to see the man shoot over the
rolling barrel and half through the
doorway. A shadowy pair of legs were
still waving wildly in air. With a for,
cible kick on the barrel he sent the
burglar forward into the oven and
down on the swinging shelf.
: Immediately the wheel turned under
' its burden. In another instant it be
came still. and Roy knew that his mar
was safely immured at the bottom o.
the vault.
After moment he put his head int
o the oven and called down:
$
- r ...s
l.. 'u5.