Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-05-26
A MISSING SAFE KEY
BY BEVERLY woRrHlNcroN.

In the morning, laid aside his hat and
cane. gone to his safe and stood with
a hand in his right pocket lie was
white as a sheet.
Anything wrong. sir" asked his
chief clerk, anxiously approaching his
employer
There was no reply. He neither saw
nor heard the speaker. Finally he
asked family:
AT what hour does the Indian mail
leaVc?"
AT noon, sir"
''rhen 1t is impossible"
What is impossiblcT'
Still Mr.. Jones paid no attention to
what was said 10 him.
Rush messenger 10 Strechcr's to
send his best workmcn here on the
jump TO open this safe"
In another moment one OF the
clerks was I'm n cab, the Cabman lash.
ing his horse ON the way To the
Strechcr Safe ami Lock company.
Purbcck Jones. I'm English million
aire and railroad contractor, had takCn
contract TO build the Maiyar line I'm
central India and In the venture had
staked all his possessions. He was re.
CURED To give security amounting to
t2,O0O,OOO to cover loss 10y the railway
syndicate. This sum must be In ncgo-
table bonds and other securities and
delivered on or before May o, 1891
Even the wealthy Purbeck Jones
! found IL difficult TO raise the money
for SO large II transaction. He however,
succeeded In gradually collecting the
securities. which he preferred to de-
post I'm his own safe TO that OF de.
pOslt company.
ON the morning OF the sailing OF the
Indian mail he went TO his Office TO
dispatch the securities under special
guard 10 India. Feeling I'm his pocket,
where he expected To find his safe
keys, they were not there. He had
left them In his country place, Har-
wood, just outside Carlisle, and To get
them In time TO open the safe before
the steamer sailed was impossible.
Missing the mail would prevent his
delivering the securities before the
expiration Of the time limit
Before long II cab dashed up 10 the
Office and two workmcn, each with Il
bag of tools I'm his hand, jumped out
and entered the Office.
I've securities I'm that vault" said
Mr.. Jones, that must go off on the
Indian mail ut IL noon. Open the
safe I'm time TO get them on the steam
en- and I'll give you $500 each"
The sum WAS n small fortune for a
workman. Each thought OF the wife
and BARNS at home and the comforts he
could give them with so large sum.
The fastest horse that could be pro.
cured was brought and stood mt the
door ready to transfer messenger
with the securities to the steamer the
moment they could be taken from the
safe. Mr. Jones stood over the work
ncn watch in hand noting the lapse
Of time, trembling like II haf. his
heart beating wildly. ON their sue.
cess or failure hung either continued
wealth or ruin to him. He had made
the biggest contract any man had
ever undertaken, and It's loss would
render him hopelcssIy bankrupt.
He hung on the expression OF the
worllmen's faces When they sue
cccdcd In some important step. Dor
Ing through a hard plato or cutting
rlvct, he had hope But If their tools
proved softer than the steel or after
cutting their way I'm they found un.
expected obstacles he feared the
worst
Eleven o'clock came, and they had
succeeded In getting only 80 far as
through the outer plates that protect
cd the lock At half past fl they
found that they were still obliged to cut
through MS much as they had already
accomplished TO reach the machinery
that shot the bolts, and then they
would need considerable tlInc to shoot
them. At a quarter OF -. after wills.
pering To each other, they turned 10
Mr.. Jones ana announced their failure
Jones sank back into chair aud
covered his face with hs hands A
panorama OF his life passed before
him-his early struggles to get 4 start,
his first successes, the great contract
that made him a rich man, the years
since, during which he hads been mil
liOnaire The man who had climbed
the ladder Of wealth 10 the top round
saw all this, saw ruin staring him in
the face and grOaucd.
The wOrkmcu. equally disappointed,
gathered up their tools and silently
passed out The clerks resumed their
positions ON their desk stools, but only
To pretend to work al knew that
blow had struck thc man for whom
they worked, ana coch was thinking
whore ne would find another situation.
Presently Mr. Jones recovered him.
self So FAR as lo send messenger By
the steamer hc expected 90 dispatch
Che securities To- announce Che reason
VI his failure TO- do so and ask an cx-
tension or time Eut hc know 90 would
not be- granted NJr was &c. The con.
tract ON which hc had made sO many
figures. such preparations, cXpcudi-
lures. passed ont of bis hands And