The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-01-19


perial, Jasper Fortescue, was chatting
over the counter with Ben Grahame,
the lock expert.
Grahame made" the city about
every four months. A week ago 8
telegram had summoned him three
hundred miles west to force the time
vault of the Second National Bank
After a hard job he had got the big
steel room open. Now he was going
twice as far south in answer to an
other message,
Cary, the Imperior telegrapher, had
gone home sick.
Gould handle the key myself at a
pinch, eh, Benz" remarked Fortescue.
81 guess I've not quite forgotten my
Morse"
The expert nodded. They had been
railroad operators together fifteen
years back, and had always kept up
their friendship
The office clock chimed eleven
thirty. Grahame's train pulled out in
fifteen minutes.
"Well, good-by, Jasp! III see you
in October if everything goes well.
Look out for your safe"
1--WE keep good watch of that" re-
piled the clerk Leaning forward he
dropped his voice to a whisper: FIFTY
thousand in money and jewelry in
there tonight. A diamond drummer's
Just put in twenty thousand. We
close it at midnight. Till then"
Dropping his hand behind the coun-
ter, he raised revolver butt Grahame
smiled.
yes, | see. Good-by!"
With a final handshake he hurried
out to the carriage. Fortescue spoke
to Hayden, the colored watchmans
twenty years an Imperial employe,
trusty as a steel trap.
1.-THE safes chock-full of money and
valuables, Billy. Be sure the doors
shut at twelve, if I'm not here. may
have to see party in Al. There were
q lot of suspcious-looking characters
on the street this afternoon. The
towns full of crooks, baited here by
this convention. Here comes the band
now with crowd of delegates from
the train. Be careful, won't you?"
"All right, sir" replied Billy, and
hurried away on his rounds.
Fortescues glance rell on Maurice
Stone, the new bell-boy, slim, quiet
ad of eighteen, pouring over a book
ha n1arl 1uac Of mart l.
yet He had not taken to Stone; not
that he. actually distrusted him, but
New men must be tried before being
trusted too far. Fortescue spoke
sharply:
Put that book up, Stone. l don't
want you reading while on duty. Go
up to AZ, and ask if Mr.. Folger waa.s
to see me-"
1t now lacked but little of twelve,
and the procession was just in front
of the hotel. Roman candles and red
Hight illumined the street The thun
der of the band, pealing through the
doors, filled the office. Everybody was
1t the windows looking out.
The clerk stepped into the vault to
put away the ledger. On turning to
60 out, he noticed in one corner a
piece of paper shaped like check; he
stopped to pick it up. He was stand
ing with his back to the door, and at
one side of it, concealed from those
without.
Suddenl, kling-g-g! the music was
cut off, and thick, dead stiffness sue
ceeded A second later, before he
could realize his peril and cry out, the
bolts changed home.
The door had been closed and
locked and the combination disar-
ranged. So noiselessly had the we'll
oiled hinges turned and SO bright was
the electric light inside that he had
received no warning.
In flash Fortescue woke to his po-
sition. The combination of the vault
had been changed that day, and he
was the only man who knew the new
combination.
Almost unbalanced by his danger,
he uttered cry after cry, as he pound
cd his fists ON the rocl-like door.
Then calmer period came, and he
applied himself with determination to
the problem so suddenly forced upon
him. 1t was easy to understand how
the thing had happened. Everybody
in the Office had been watching the
procession, so no one had seen him
enter the safe. Hayden, the watch
man, coming along minute or so
after twelve, his steps drowned by the
music, had found the door open.
Strictly obedient to orders, he had
swung It to. turned the T-handle. and