Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-08-10
4 BOOKKEEPER'S
OPPORTUNITY
TOriginal.1

gong home he remembered that he had
left paper in the vault which he
should have mailed. Lighting a 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
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
it was drawing on the oxygen In the
air. But this was as far as he could
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 b-r-r-r-r! The
sound was very like a drill. 1t was
n Il. hn lan6
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 he called out again, louder
You fellows out there. Don't you
know the figures for opening the locks?
The sound suddenly stopped. Al!
was perfectly quiet. Could he have
mistaken the gnawing of a rat or a
mouse for a drill?
Il 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 there!'
"Well!", ''z'' go. :: -. =;
"Who are your ~''s'S'' ''"''''''
John Talbot, the bookkeeperw
Again there was quiet, which was
ended with:
what III you give to get out?'
"Give? Who are your
1.-TWO armed men who are after
what's in the Vault"
"Burglars?
That's about the size of it!'
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
J worked ten years for the concern on
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, | gave you the figures! Why
don't you open the lock, come in and
help yourselves"
"Give 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 a
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 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 it was pulled
out, and John, placing his eye to the
hole, could see a part of a mans chest
or his face as the owner moved about
close before it. John now concluded
that il was time to begin q defense;
so, placing the muzzle of his revolver
to the hole, he fired.
1t seemed to him for moment that
the drums of his ears had been broken
down, but without stopping to con-
slider this ne put his eye to the drilled
hole. The men were now farther
away, and he could see them plainly
at least one of them, for the other was
supporting his companion in his arms
and holding a dark lantern to his face
Evidently one of them had been hit
The other drew his companion out OF
Johns eye range, and John substituted
his ear for his eye at the hole. Pres
emily he heard the office door shut, and
all was silent. They had gone.
The next morning when the janitoi
came in John was liberated and went
home to breakfast. At O'Clock ht
met the members OF the firm at the Of