The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-03-03
CHAPTER l
THE LOMBARD STREET
DEPOSIT

Of SPEEDING, Mortimer &c Larach. So
licitors. bought the site in Lombard
street In the conventional way. The
property came into the market on the
death of an old lady who lived at Mar
ket Marlborough, who has nothing to
do with this story, and 1t was put up
to auction In the orthodox fashion.
Mr.. William SPEEDING secured the site
at 9106, 900, a sum sufficiently large to
excite the interest of all h evening
papers and a great number of the
morning journals as well.
AS a matter Of exact detail. I may
add that plans were produced and APP
proved by the city surveyor for the
erection of a building of a peculiar
type. The city surveyor was a little
puzzled by the interior arrangement Of
the new ediflce, bat as 1t fulfilled all
the requirements of the regulations
governing buildings in the city of Lon
don, and no fault could be oun either
with the external appearance--its ia
cade had been so artfuliy designed
that o might pass a dozen times q
day without the thought occurring that
this new building was anything out of
the common auckland as the systems
of ventilation and light were beyond re-
proach, he passed the plans with a
shrug Of his shoulders.
IT cannot understand, Mr.. SPEEDING"
he said. laying his forefinger on the
blue print, how your client intends Sc
curing privacy. There il a lobby and
one big hall. Where are the private Of
fees, and what Is the idea Of this huge
safe in the middle of the hall, and
where are the clerks to sit? I suppose
ne will have clerks? Why. man. he
won't have a minutes peace!"
Mr.. SPEEDING smiled grimly.
HE will have all the peace he
wants." he said.
"And the yaults-I should have
thought. that vaults would be the very
thing o wanted for this" He tapped
the corner OF the sheet where was in
scribed decorously. Plan for the erec-
tion Of a new safe deposit"
There is the safe said Mr.. Sped
ding, and smiled again.
This William SPEEDING, now unhap-
PLY no longer with us-.he died sudden
lly, as / will relate-was a large, smooth
man with a sauve I'M He smoked
good cigars, the ends of which he
shipped off with q gold c~igar-cutter,
and his smile came readily, as from a
man who has no fault to flnd with life.
To continue the possibly unnecessary
details, I may d further that whilst
tenders were requested for the erection
of the new safe deposit, the provision
Of the advertisement that the lowest
tender would not necessarily De accept
ed was justified by the fact that the
offer of Potham & Holloway was APP
proved, n 1t Is an open secret that
their tender was the highest of all.
MY client requires the very best
work; he desires a building that will
stand Shocks Mr.. SPEEDING shot a
swift glance at the contractor, who sat
at the other side of the desk. Some
thing that a footing little dynamite
explosion would not scatter to the -four
winds"
The copfro ofor poaJa1
You have read the specifications
the solicitor went on-he was cutting
a new cigar, and in regard to the ped.
~estal-ah-the pedestal, you know
He stopped and looked at the con.
tractor.
1T seems all very clear said thu
great builder. He took a bundle of pa.
pers from an open bag by his side ant
read, "The foundation to be of con.
crete TO the depth of 20 feet TIL,
pedestal to be alternate layers Of dressed
granite and steel In the center q
steel-lined compartment, 10 inches by 5
and half the depth of the pedestal 1t
self"
The solicitor inclined his head.
THAT pedestal Is to be the most i'm
! portant thing In the whole structure
The steel-lined recess-I don't know
the technical phrase-which one o
, these days your men will have to fiji
~ Dc tHt oCSOilu iIlOSL lIlpoIldIt, III
l the safe that is to stand so feet abov,
> the floor Of the building is to be-bu
the safe Is arranged for"
, An army of workmen, IL the hack
neyed phrase be permitted. descended
. upon Lombard street and pulled dow
; the old buildings. They pulled then
J down n broke them down, and lev
|, cred them down. and Lombard stree
!. grew gray with dust. The interior,
: of quaint old rooms with grimy oal
, pane'ing were indecently exposed t,
a passing public. Clumsy, earthly cart,
{ blocked Lombard street, and by nigh
; fiaring Wells lights roared amidst tn,
) chaos.
, And bare-armed men sweated anS
delved by night and by day; and on
, morning Mr.. SPEEDING stood in a driz
zle of rain, with a silk umbrella Owe
> his head. and expressed, on behalf o
his client, his intense satisfaction a
the progress made. He stood on a slip
:. perry plank that formed a narrow road
n workmen, reused to unusual &C
tiyity by h presence of 1.-THE Firm
Mr.. ~Spedding's c-icerone-moved to ant
fro at a feverish rate of speed.
They don't mind the RAIN" said thu
|, lawyer, sticking out his chin In the di
r rection Of the toiling gangs.
THE Firm" shook his head.
Extra pay" he said laconically
1--WE provided for that In the tender
/, he FASTENED to add in justification 0
!, his muniflcence.
. So in rain and sunshine, by day an,
!. by night, the new safe deposit cam
, into existence.
! Once--it was during a night shift,
brougham drove up the deserted cit,
: street, and q footman helped from tn
dark interior Of the carriage a shiver
Ing old man with a white, drawn face
He showed a written order to the fore
o man, and was allowed inside the un
painted gate Of the works"
!, He walked gingerly amidst tn
debris of construction. asked n
questions. made no replies [
the explanations OF the bewildered fore
man, who wondered what f~ascinatio
there was in a building job to brin
an old man from his bed at 3 o'cloc
on q chill spring morning.
Only once the old mar spoke.
Where will that there pedestal be?
NJ asked in a harsh. cracked cockne
voice: and when the foreman pointe
out the spot, and the men even the
busily filing in the foundation, the oil
mans lips curled back in an ugly smil
that showed teeth too white and reg
ular for a man Of his age. He sal
no more, but pulled the collar of hi
fur coat the tighter about his lea
neck and walked YEARLY back to h
carriage.
The building saw Mr.. Spedding's eli
ent no more--if, indeed, 1t was M