The enterprise-recorder. (Madison, Fla.) 1908-1933, 1910-02-24

The night clerk at the Hotel Inn
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 a
telegram had summoned him three
hundred miles west to force the time
vault Of the Second National Bank.
A2er 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
pinch. Ell, 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! I'll see you
in October, II everything goes well.
Look out for your safe"
I'VE keep good watch Of that" re.
Piled the clerk. Leaning forward he
dropped his voice to whisper: FIFTY
thousand in money and jewelry In
there tonight. A diamond drummers
iust put in twenty thousand. We
close 1t at midnight. Till then"
Dropping his hand behind the coun-
ter, he raised a revolver butt. Grahame
smiled.
ayes, see. Good.by!"
With a final handshake he hurried
out 10 the carriage. Fortescue spoke
to Hayden, the colored watchmans
twenty years an Imperial employee,
trusty as a steel trap.
"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 a party in AZ. There were
lot Of suspicious-looking characters
on the street this afternoon. The
towns full of crooks, baited here by
this convention. Here comes the band
now with a crowd of delegates from
the train. Be careful, won't youg"
"Al right, sir" replied Billy, and
hurried away on his rounds.
Fortescue's glance rell on Maurice
Stone, the new bell-boy, slim, quiet
lad Of eighteen, pouring over a book
The clerk was something Of marti-
net 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. | don't
want you reading while on duty. Go
up to AZ, and ask IL Mr.. Folger wants
to see me-"
II now lacked but little of twelve,
and the procession was just in front
OF the hotel. Roman candles and red
light illumined the street, The thun-
der OF the band, pealing through the
doors, filled the office, Everybody was
al the windows looking out.
The clerk stepped into the vault to
put away the ledger. On turning to
90 out, he noticed In one corner a
piece of paper shaped like a 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.
Suddenly kling-g-gl the music was
cut OIL, and thick, dead stiffness sue
ceeded. A second later, before he
could realize his peril and cry out, the
oolts changed home.
The door had been closed and
Hocked 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 a fash Fortescue woke to his DO
sluon. The combination of the vault
nag been changed that day, and he
was the only man who knew the new
combination.
Almost unbalanced by his danger,
ne uttered cry after cry, as he pound.
VI MS fists on the rocl1-like door.