Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-01-07
When the Crackers
! Lay Over

THE four boys who packed the bar.
rels Of crackers in Bonney's bakery
gathered about the foreman, Frank
Morse, as he examined the fresh baking
that had come up by the elevator from
the basement oven.
"All slack-baked!" 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 60 home"
Roy Delano fingered.
How early in the morning. Mr..
Morse?" he asked.
"Oh, don't get here before half past
three" the foreman answered. He
meant to be ocular, and the other boys,
hearing the reply, grinned. They knew
that six o'clock would be early enough.
But Roy was new hand, and took the
foreman's remark literally. The next
morning at rs minutes past threehe was
hurrying to his work.
There was faint glow from the -four
incrusted basement windows, showing
/ that the night bakers had not 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 go
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 YETI" he asked.
NO." said one of the men He's
never here when we leave don't
know just what time he does come"
Il guess he'll be here before long,"
Roy said, because of the crackers that
had to lie over" .-f tas
you'll be all alone for awhile, 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
Ioaves were slowly baking in the brick
ovens. The warmth and the crisp, sweet
smell Of the place we're pleasant after
the wintry air, and Roy had not worked
SO long In the bakery that his senses were
sluggish In receiving such impressions.
The great cracker oven in which the
'1ayovers" were resting filled one side
of the basement, and rose above the
floor Of the packing room overhead. 1t
was, in fact, brick vault-shaped like
beehive-inside q brick building.
Roy thought Of opening the door and
taking look at the crackers, but then
decided that this was none of his BUSH
ness. It occurred to him, however, that
he might ind something to do in the
packing room while awaiting the arrival
Of the foreman; and he therefore plodded
up the stairs, making little noise in his
rubber overshoes.
The room was chilly-at least by COM
parison with the basement-and Roy
crossed to the iron door in the brickwork |
Of the cracker oven. This was set flush |
with the floor, and was used when 1t was |
necessary to make repairs on the ma
chinery. Behind 1t revolved vertically |
the great oven wheel, which was fitted
with swinging shelves, that carried the
crackers during the baking.
The machinery that propelled the
wheel was now, of course, disconnected;
and although there had been no fire un-
der the oven for hours, its interior heat
was considerable. Roy therefore opened
the door and lay with his back to the hot
air.
After q moment ne rolled over with an
adventurous idea Of clambering in upon
the wheel and exploring the oven. Reach
ing in, he touched one Of the swinging
shelves. but the wheel yielded under the
pressure. It reyolyed freely. now that
the machinery was disconnected. and
Roy realized that II he stepped aboard
a shelf he would be carried to the bottom
Of the oven, and be left there with no
chance Of escape. Il
Suddenly faint sound drew his atten-
tion In the direction Of the ONCE, which
adjoined the packing room.
Ths sound was repeated and Roy, with
zone wonder and little suspicion, rose
md stole across the room through the |
taFknesN The door Into the once proved
10 be ajar Pushing II opea, be saw By I
he rAys u q distant street lamp an OBJ
isurs agurs knstilng IN front Of Ne
'AfA II