News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1905-10-11

|
my vial with a keener interest than
had ever brought to any honest avoca
ton. And there knelt A. J. Radies
with his black hair tumblel and thu
same watchful quiet, determined hall
smile with which / had seen HIM sent
down over after over in a county
match!
At last the chain of holes was com
plete, the lock wrenched out bodily and
and splendid bare arm plunged up tt
the shoulder through the aperture and
{ through the bars of the iron gate be
You'd.
"Now," whispered Rallies, eff there's
only one lock it'll be in the middle
JOY! Here it is! Only let me pick it.
and we're through at last"
He withdrew his arm, a skeleton key
was selected from the bunch, and then
back went his arm to the shoulder II
was a breathless moment. l heard the
heart throbbing in my body, the very
watch ticki7R in my pocket and ever
and anon the tinkle-tinkle of the skele-
ton key. Then-at last-there came q
single unmistakable click In another
minute the mahogany door and the
iron gate yawned behind us, and Raj
fles was sitting on an office table, wip-
ing his face, with the lantern throwing
d steady beam by his side.
We were now in a bare and roomy
lobby behind the shop, but separated
therefrom by an iron curtain, the very
sight of which filled me with despair.
Rallies, however, did not appear in the
least depressed, but hung up his coat
and hat on some pegs in the lobby be-
fore examining this curtain with his
lantern.
That's nothing" said he after min
utes inspection. well be through
that in no time, but there's a door on
the other side which may give us trou-
ble."
Another doorr' 1 groaned "And
how do you mean to tackle this thing?"
"Pry it up with the jointed jimmy.
The weak point Of these iron curtains
is the leverage you can get from be-
| low. But it makes noise, and this is
where you're coming in, Bunny. This
is where l couldn't do without you. /
must have you overhead to knock
| through when the streets clear. III
come with you and show light"
Well, you may imagine how little I
liked the prospect of this lonely vigil,
and yet there was something very
stimulating in the vital responsibility
which it involved. Hitherto l had been
q mere spectator. Now / was to take
part in the game. And the fresh ex-
element made me more than ever in
sensible to those considerations of con-
science and of safety which were al
ready as dead nerves in my breast.
So took my post without murmur
In the front room above the shop. The
fixtures had been left for the refusal
of the incoming tenant, and fortunate
ly for us they included Venetian
blinds, which We're already down. 1t
was the simplest matter in the world to
stand peeping through the laths into
the street, TO beat twice with my foot
when anybody was approaching and
once when all was clear again. The
lOloco LudJ Gwen L SOulu hCSl bNlO"B
with the exception of one metallic
crash at the beginning, were indeed
incredibly slight, but they ceased alto
gether at each double rap from my toe,
and policeman passed quite half a
dozen times beneath my eyes and the
man whom / took to be the jewelers.
Waterman oftener still during the bet
49,, . 4lot I Na,,+ ptf hn
window. Once, indeed, my heart was in
my mouth, but only once. 1t was when
the Waterman stopped and peered
through the peephole into the lighted
shop. l waited for his whistle. l wait
ed for the gallows or the Jail! But my
signals had been studiously obeyed,
and the man passed on in undisturbed
serenity. In the end l had a signal in
my turn and retraced my steps with
lighted matches down the broad stairs,
down the narrow ones, across the area
and up into the lobby where Raftles
awaited me with an outStretched hand.
'Well done, my boyw said he.
"You're the same good man in pinch,
and you shall have your reward. I've
got 900 worth if I've got penn'oth.
It's all in my pockets. And here's
something else found in this locker
very decent port and some cigars,
meant for poor, dear Danbys business
friends. Take a pull, and you shall
light up presently. I've found lava
tory, too, and we must have a wash
md brush up before we 60 for I'm as
black as your boot"
The iron curtain was down, but he
insisted on raising it until / could
peep through the glass door on the
other side and see his handiwOrk in
the shop beyond. Here two electric |
lights were left burning all night long, |
and in their cold white rays l could at |
first see nothing amiss. l looked along |
an orderly lane, an empty glass coun- |
Der on my left, glass cupboards of I'M |
touched silver ON my right and, facing |
me, the filmy black eye of the peep |
hole that shone like a stage moon on |
the street. The counter had not been |
emptied by Raflles. Its contents were |
in the Chubb's safe, which he had Civ |
en- up at glance Nor had he looked
at the silver, except to choose a ciga- |
rnttn aocp mo IJa baH confined /