Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-01-20
DAILY SHORT STORY
For Ten Years.

buyer and rented one of the rooms over
the bank.
Mr. White was very friendly with
me and fiattered me so extensively that
l wondered what object he had in
view. | possessed duplicate keys 10 all
the rooms OH the second floor and one
day visited Mr. Whites room when he
wasn't there. and OH rolling back the
carpet l found IL hole in the floor over
the vault. As the vault top was pro-
tected by railroad iron his attempt had
been failure.
He had replaced the cut floor fairly
well and then abandoned the idea for
another. What was the other?
The question bothered me not lit
tie for week. Then l found an an
swer to il. One day when Mr.. White
dropped in TO see me looked him over
more carefully than 1 had ever done
before. | saw that he was u determin-
ed and reckless man who would stop
at nothing 10 carry out ii purpose. Fail
ing to get into the vault above or be-
low. wouldn't ii be his plan 10 get pos
session of the keys of the bank and the
vault and thus come at the money? 1
reasoned that il would. and two Incl
dents that fell under my observation
during the next fortnight strengthened
my belief.
The first was that Mr.. White was
cultivating our private Waterman and
seeking TO make himself solid. The
second was that | found him skulking
about my house ut night. | concluded
from this latter circumstance that he
was planning To pay me Il midnight
visit to get possession of the keys, and
| began making preparations to re-
ccivc him.
Burglar alarms We're unknown in
small towns in those days. and win
dows were secured 10y driving Il nail
over the sash. No dwelling house in
town was secure enough to keep Il
burglar ont if he wanted To get i'll. l
spent half an hour surveying my house
from the outside to decide by which
avenue Mr. White would seek 10 make
his entrance. | finally concluded that
he would come across the common.
climb my back fence and, keeping
along under the shadow of Il row of
fruit trees. reach the west window of
the dining room. He could work there
uIlSttll. anu Ills NIldENtS VI StlllilS iu
were at least as good as anywhere
else.
TO hurry up his plans Il little and
have the affair off my hands l invited
him TO lunch one day. On that day the
east dining room window was securely
fastened. but the west one was not.
We walked in the grounds that he
might note the best means of approach,
and ut lunch | managed to convey the
idea that l was Il sound sleeper and
never feared burglars.
TO the best of my knowledge and be-
lief. Mr.. White was well pleased with
the outlOok-wcll pleased. He saw his
way clear to accomplish Il certain OBJ
ject. and after he had departed l got
down the family almanac to consult the
moon. | dPduced from it that l might
expect a visitor about the third night.
and | therefore began to prepare for
him. Neither my wife nor children
knew my suspicious or what l had in
view. but at IL o'clock on the third
night l was ready and waiting.
Mr.. White arrived at Il quarter past
the hour, seeming to be in hurry to
close up the deal and get out of town.
l heard the first noise he made at the
window. but my policy was silence.
Up went the sash. and i'll came Mr..
White. and | may say that he was con-
siderably surprised at finding his right
foot caught fast in big bear trap be-
fore il had touched the floor. The yell
he uttered rs the trap closed around his
ankle proved that he was not altOgeth-
er imperturbable and also awCke every
member of my household.
| had Il match ready to light the
lamp. and as soon as the room was illu
minated / saw the man lying on the
floor. | wished him good evening and
inquired about the weather outside and
asked him if he had dropped anything.
Mr. White was not the gentleman |
had supposed him to be. He swore and
raved and called names, and his loud
talk kept the baby bowling and my
wife on the verge of Il chill. He had
come armed with Il big knife. but as he
could no: get at me this did him no
good. He had also taken the trouble to
put on false whiskers and an old hat.
and l could and did truthfully tell him
that they did not add TO his personal
The talk | had with Mr.. White lasted
a bout an hour-that is. he did most of
the talking. and his conversation was
all in English and Of the most vigorous
kind. When he wasn't speaking and
| wasn't running upstairs To assure my
wife that things were all right l got
of a few words Of we'll meant advice. !
He didn't like il little bit.
IL was very interesting while il last |
ed. and l made il last great deal /
longer than Mr.. White cared for l |
was selfish enough and mean enough /.
10 want revenge for the worry he had /
caused me. and so | took things easy /
and let the trap get in its work.
Three months after Mr.. White had /
been released from the trap and taken |
10 Jail hc was tried. found guilty and /
sentenced 20 ten years in state prison. |
About the last thing he said before his 1