The Washington times., 1907-12-22
Bot Grafton Is
Optimistic and
Scouts Fears
of Elsford.

That, st least. IS precautionary
habit usually observe when leaving.
Jim
You didn't this evening"
But assure you that ] did"
And I assure you that you did not
When we entered this ofIice your roll
top was wide open"
Grafton stared for moment. then a
smile came over his face.
You seem 20 be keen for mysteries
and unusual happenings this evening.
Jim. But this one at least is going 10
fall through. AS a rule. I'm the most
methodicaI creature alive about Office
matters. bur this evening, as I recall
now, / did leave in a hurry Your wire
caaTne only a minute or two before six.
you know, and j wanted 10 hurry back
10 the house and down again 10 meet
you 1 did leave that desk top up.
"Ahar'
But there was nothing OF any earth
ly Importance In it-and no one 70 sec
il there had been
Nevertheless, my boy. il demon
strates the fallibiHty even Of your-
self lauEhted Elsford. win a little
triumph in his voice. something sim
i'ar might as well have happened 10
your precious safe over there
shah I try the doo-2" said Graf
ton half mockingly, hall YEARLY.
Honestly, 7 wish you would
Inc other stepped across and rat
tied the little knob Of the combination.
When he stood erect he said dryIy.
There For your own nervous sat
isfactiou, suppose you 20 over and twist
II yourself! III make you a present Of
the contents If you can get ar them
jim you're IN a mood tonight"
1T may be absurd from your point
OF view, but II irnpresses me as too a.
mighty risky fOr g man TO leave every
thing he possesses on earth-or papers
which represent ft-in one small safe,
suarded by a single watchman. Sup
pose it should be cracked2"
The papers would be useless TO any
one but Colson-for any ab2reciabIe
amount No crook uSvll1 ever talze the
risk Of trying TO dispose Of lhem-
More than thar. he couldn't get them,
anyway"
The OdOr Of Turkish Tobacco.
Nevertheless. suppose he could?
Your Office building here would be sac
rihced 70 the mortgage for all you
could do. wouldn't itP''
"Oh-yes"
And your apartment houses about
lown?''
yes"
And your business olocksY'
My dear fellow"
But they would. AL tia same. And
your electric lighting stock IS tied up
in The deal. isn't ft2"
I deposited II as securfty-yes.
And your homer
'-Confound you. Jml T. Wen.
yes, 7 did take out a mortgage on that.
too. for twenty thousand. but
And there you are" exclaimed Els
ford Your dwellings. your stores,
your Office building. your stocks. the
very roof that shelters you are every
blessed one tied up IN that small safe
over there. waiting for the fellow who
IS clever enough 10 get them and put
them 10 the best-or the worst-use."
Bah, you said Grafton, and
promptly held his tongue.
Now it was possible that Elsford. a
man not more than moderately success
ful, may have cherished a trace Of un-
lovely but human envy Of Grafton, the
millionaire. and that he was made irri-
table thereby; or II is possible that his
really cautious nature was becoming
wrought UP over the apparent insecur-
ity Of papers which, obviously, Grafton
migbt have guarded rather more care
fully; or il is possible that both men
were somewhat tired from an evening
Of dining and hurrying, OF thezter-
going and introductions.
Be that as II may. something OF
greater warmth than a mere friendly
discussion was growing Up on the
ninth floor Of the Grafton building, and
Grafton, perceiving it quite suddenly
and feeling a trifie foolish that such a
thing should have occurred at all.
Withheld the exasperated remark which
was on his lips, and smiled in his own
irresistible fashion
I'VE needn't fight about IT," ha
laughed. but don't lose any sleep over
the matter, Jim
'Tu try not 70" said Elsford more
gracefully.
II thieves should break through
and steal. and the whole seven millions
should 1ly away together, Wen simply
lave to buckle down and make another
seven. But they won't Even aSsum-
ing that any one could steal the pa
pers, I can't think Of a person who
would be able 20 use them"
The matter Of the COlsOn notes was
closed. and TO seal It a little more Sc
cureIy. Grafton suddenly turned out
the lights Of his private Office. Chat
ting lightly, the two men left the abode
Of business elegance and walked down
the halI to the elevator. Tie car drop
red to the ground floor. and they step
ped out.
And there's the finishing touch"
observed the proprietor, pointing TO the
Vsatchman's clock at the rear Par
kers making his hourly tour Of tho
building now. Come over. and within
thirty seconds we shall know where he
is"
Together they stood before the print
ed dial. Perhaps quarter Of a min
ute passed. then a clear loud tick
sounded within the clock, and a tiny
hole appeared upon the printed shes4
OF paper.
''The familiar apparatus in its latest
form" observed Grafton. AT pre-
ciseIy seventeen minutes past twelve
on the morning of Nay nineteen Par