Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-09

I old safe yet. Why look here we're filled
up with currency right now-that old safe
tomorrow. And yet, by George, 1 can go
home and sleep like a top. knowing that
when l get here tomorrow morning the
money will be here, Just the same
Gently but firmly be bowed the agent out
The agent had the last word. Don't make
any mistake" he said; ''you may regret 1t
when it's too late He thrust his hands
| in his pockets and walked slowly down the
street. He looked baff1ed and discouraged.
The president looked after him. Sorry"
said the president to himself. IT suppose
these fellows get quite a neat little COM
| mission on one safe-probably don't sell
more than four or five year. Bright sort
! OF fellow. too. But. by George. he couldn't
| tackle our old Peck-Wallace strong box
The agent for the Empire Safe Concern
was not discouraged long. He was too
He smiled to himself, and at intervals he
smote his thigh. 1t may be that he had hit
upon some scheme.
BY George" he said to himself, "I'1l
! show 'em-Ill show EN- See If don't"
That night two men lowered about the
| bank. One was a Waterman, who came and
| went with studied regularity. the other
| was man who bore the general appear
ance of the agent for the Empire Safe Con-
Germ. This man so arranged affairs that
| the watchman did not see him. He paid
particular and close attention to the bars
which guarded certain window darkened
| by a deep shadow. Finally the agent for
| the safe concern crawled through an OPEN
| ing which he had made with care, careful
| ly replaced the disturbed portions Of iron
and glass and stepped into the bank. He
| reached the safe, and then he unwrapped
| from his body a fiimsy piece Of cloth and
shook it out. Carefully he adjusted 1t with
| invisible wires to the gas jets overhead.
Now, he said, Il think can show these
chaps trick or two. See If don't. Will
| they want new safe? Well. I guess yes"
The front of the safe was fully visible
| from the front doors. The Waterman from
| time to time that night peered into the
front door and looked upon the safe But
he was mistaken. For instead Of looking
upon the safe he was looking merely upon
| the picture of a safe painted upon piece
! of gauze. 1t was the scenery to the little
drama that was being enacted within the
| stage the actor steps out in front Of the
artificial landscape in this case the lead
ing man lurked behind 1t.
Now" said the safe man to himself, Il
guess this is just about as easy as one.
two, three" With a rapidity which did
not characterize his performance Of the
afternoon. he twirled the combination knob
back and forth and back again. Finally,
with q swish he threw back the ponderous
door. Then he burst forth into sounds Of
rapturous delight. For 1t had been even
as the president had said-the safe was full
to overf1owing with good. sound, genuine
currency.
Full to the gun'le." said the agent. "fuil
to the brim." He secured as much of 1t a s
he could conveniently carry. Then he closed
the safe, packed up the f1lmsy cloth, and
moved toward the window whence he had
entered. The agent for the safe concern
had deliberately robbed the safe.
IF this" said the agent don't put good
business In the way of the Empire Safe
Concern I'd like to know. That's what"
Next morning, in the counting house. pam
demonum reigned. The bank was robbed
everybody was wild from the president
down to the runners. Robbed ignomini
| ously robbed. And by burglar who had
left no trace.
How the dickens" exclaimed the presi-
dent, how the dickens could 1t happen? 1t
never happened before. How could it hap
pen now?"
The robbery had happened this time just
because 1t had never happened before. The
president tore his hair in wild dismay. But
1t was useless. The bank had lost and lost
heavily. and there was no help for it.
THAT little safe man." said the president
to the teller, was dead right. We ought
to have had a new safe. We've got to