The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-10-31
in THE DEAD
OF NIGHT
Copyright, by shortstory Pub. Coz
By EDGAR wELToN COOLEY

AS he stepped out Of the ahey into
the street, It began to rain dismally.
This pleased him, for it added to the
blackness of the night and had ten
dency to drive away any late pedes
trian.
He was not hampered by luggage.
Such tools as he needed-a bar of
soap, an air.pump, can of nitrogly
cerine, some fuse, a jimmy, q dark
lantern, revolver--he carried in his
pockets, and, under his coat, folded
grain sack
Without pausing, without hesiiating
he glanced searchingly up and down
the street A smoking oil lamp stood
upon a post on the corner of the main
street of the village, its feeble rays
struggling ineffectively in the mist.
No living creature was stirring; no
other glimmer visible.
A few strides took him to the side
window of building. The sill was on
level with his head. He tried to
raise the sash, but, as he had eX-
pected, It was fastened So he took
the jimmy from his pocket and, slip.
sing its thin edge under the frame,
threw all his weigth suddenly upon
the handle.
With a report like that of a pistol,
the lock snapped. For five minutes
perhaps, the burglar crouched in the
shadows under the window, watching,
listening But not a sound, save the
patter of the rain in the gutter, did he
hear; not a moving object did he see.
Then carefully, noiselessly, he
pushed up the sash and climbed in
He was in total darkness, but knew
exactly where he stood He could
have drawn an accurate, detailed plan
OF the interior Of the huilding-knew
precisely how many feet It was from
the window to the safe; from the safe
to the front doors; from the window
to his horse and buggy, standing in the
alley at the rear.
SO, although he could not see his
hand before him, he turned confident
ly to his left and walked six PAGES
Then he circled to his right around
the end OF the counter, and took four
steps more. Pausing, he reached out
his hand and touched the safe.
The burglar moved his hand glee.
fully over the door and laughed, The
bank was not provided with a vault
! \ good vault costs as much as a build.
! ing, and this was small bank in a
country town. So the funds We're en-
| trusted to the protection Of this burg.
| lar-proof' safe. Re wondered what
the citizens would say about burglar,
proof safes while gathering up the
| pieces
Without losing n moment, he filled
| the cracks around the door Of the safe
with soap, leaving one small opening
To this opening he attached his pump
and cxhaused tho air on the inside,
Closing the opening, he cut a piece
off the bar Of soap, and, rolling II be
| tween his palms and molding It with
his fingers, soon fashioned It into the
shape Of a small cup. This he fastened
at the bottom Of the door and filed
with nitroglycerine, Then he at
tachCd fuse.
Ter feet from the safe, a door
| opened into the rear office of tho bank.
! and IN this room tho safc-brcaier had
! planned 70 seek refuge while the ey-
! plosiye was doinE it's work. Not de-
string to tarry unnecessarily in close
proximity TO n charge OF nitroglycorinc
| about to explode, he concluded, before
! lighting the fuse TO satisfy himself
| that the door OF this inner room was
| not locked or boltcd,
He turned the knob, the door opened
readily and no took ono step across
| the threshold Thcn he paused, In
I the intense darkness he could not see
an object; in the perfect silence he
could not hear a sound.
But Something-premonition, In.
! stinct, some iIdeilnahle sixth sense
Something sent chill through him,
and he trcmbled as one who suddenly
becomes conscious of the presence Of
unseen spirits. Without the power to
move, he stood, staring into the dark,
ness, the perspirGtion standing in icy
drops upon his forehead,
with the desperation that fear I'm.
! spires he drew his arklantern,
| slipped back the slide and threw the
searching glare around the room, light.
| ing first the most distant corner. Slow,
! ly he moved the lantern, bringing the
round spot of brilliant light towards
him across the carpet. Suddenly he
uttered a low cry and shranl back as
the light fell fiercoly upon an object
| almost at his fcNt.
So near that by STOPPING the burg
! lar could have touched him, dead
man lay, his wayen face and slghtless
eyes turned upward! The carpet,
! where his head and shoulders rested,
! cleaned scarlet with his blood; the
nerveless fingers of his right hand
} clasped a pistol; in the center of his
forehead was a ghastly wound.
with a strange weakness in his
| knees the burglar bent over the dead
man, brushed back his matted hair,
took the pistol gently from his fingers
| and folded his hands across his breast.
In the corpse the cracksman recog-
nized Frazer, the bank cashier
On the desk beside him was the fol-
| lowing letter, unsealed;
Being no longer able TO conceal my