Columbia courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1902-1905, 1903-10-30

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 g.
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 u
slave till - o'clock. as he had done
tonight? What did he gain by 1t?
Money? No; he had asked for an in
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 good
word for Strong, though 1t was very
seldom that he found cause of COM
plant in the latter's work. Prospects?
There were none.
He had asked himself these questions
till the very thought of them sick
ened him, and always came to the
same conclusion. He would slave no
more in a dingy 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-
spairing answer to all these questions
would come as IL 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 60 through the same daily routine
of drudgery. 1t would be easier to
bear, he had told himself hundred
times, II 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.
As Strong sat there In the darkness.
building the usual castles In the air.
to be dashed to the ground the next
morning, his distracted gaze alighted
on large black object in the opposite
cob 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 to
such wealthy firm as Brown g.
Browns, but what lot to him! He
would only take enough to pay their
passage, and he would save every far
thing he made to pay 1t back. 1t would
not be stealing II he returned 1t. No;
and only 200, that was all, but enough
to take Kitty and himself away from
this hated city and give him a fresh
start in new country, where, perhaps,
they would give him chance Of show
ing his worth.
Yes, there were quite EGO in gold in
that strongroom, and gold could not
be traced like notes, and by the morn
ting he could be safe away where no
one could trace him. He would do it
do It for Kittys sake. Half rising In
his chair, he felt for the key in his
pocket, but sank back Immediately,
guilty and terror-stricken, as. slight
scraping caught his sharpened ear;
the next minute he was sitting stone
still, his fascinating gaze following
every movement Of huge dark fig
ure kneeling on the window sill.
Slowly and deliberately the figure
went to work. 1t produced little
pencil-like object from its pocket, it
applied 1t to the window pane, and
four distinct lines made their appear
ance on the glittering surface, accom-
panied by slight crunching sound:
now long, thin hand is thrust through
the neat little opening; nolselessly the
catch slips back, and the next moment
man stands in the room, gazing
searchingly round into the darkness
with the aid of a bulrs-eye lantern.
His investigations appear to prove sat
isfactory, for he gives an appreciative