The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-04-18
In Sirrlrny's
Cellar
By Robert Carlton Brown

COPYRIGHT, 1909. BY TIE PEARSON PUBLISHING co.
John Beggs, for fifteen years watch
man at the big Merchants National Of
Boston, locked the massive door to the
bank behind the last clerk, at about
FIVE o'clock one recent Tuesday after
noon. He glanced idly at the two old
hays who had begun scrubbing at the
middle of the big banking room, half
an hour before, and were then working
their painful way with stopping rag
and scrib-brush toward opposite ends.
The same women had done the same
service for over two years. Beggs
called to them to hurry, as they must
leave before five-fifteen, at which min
ute Beggs had to signal daily to the
central station of the Burglar Insur-
ance Company. thus informing them
that the bank was closed for the night
and it was time to set the automatic
electric alarm, protecting the door.
windows and safe.
He had already pulled down the steel
shutters closing the windows from the
street and, as the clock struck five. he
settled into dull routine, and made
his customary round of the big cage
divided room. Having finished, Beggs
leaned lazily against paving teller's
window in the corridor. all his weight
on one leg, like a tired horse, for he
had missed his usual amount of sleep.
He braced his elbow on the narrow
edge of marble running around the in
closure and yawned Then his elbow
slipped off the support he said some.
thing uncomplimentary concerning the
ledge. damned the elbow back into
place, and yawned again
His mouth never closed. At that IN
istant gag was thrust between his
weary jaws from behind, hand
lclutched his throat, he grew giddy, and
lreeled. A moment later. when his
eyes popped open, he found himself
fiat on the floor, staring into the dead
white, ghoulish face of a man with
Iclose-cropped light hair and hungry,
twatery, hollow eyes, the pupils greatly
ldilated. The man was dexterously
trusting him UP with all the, skill Of
ia champion English rope-wrestler. II
had happened in half a minute; Beggs
had gone down without a cry. Out OF
the tail of his eye he suddenly saw the
lscrub-woman, who had been working
near him, stagger to her feet, a soapy
hand clutching at her heart. and her
eyes fixed in horror.
She had no more than risen. when
the dead-faced man whirled and caught
her staggering blow full in the face,
which sent her spinning over her pail
of water; she struck with q clap on
her head, hitting a marble corner.
With q sudden, frightened start the
man rushed to the rear of the bank,
where Beggs knew the other scrub
out Of Beggs's scope. for the Waterman
had been placed face down, against
the wall.
A shrill feminine shrek came from
the rear; stool was kicked over.
There was the splash of water and the
hollow plop of a pail as though the
second scrub-woman had thrown the
thing nearest at hand at her assail-
ant. Then came a blow, a scream. a
moan, and all was Silent In the big
Merchants National, Of Boston.
John Beggs stared at the floor and
his legs: which were all he could see.
except the motionless body OF the old
Edrab near him. His narrowed mind
fixed on details. He stared at the thin.
stout cord, with which he was trussed
and wondered vaguely why It .was wet
lAnd while he was wondering, the dead
faced man suddenly appeared beside
him in Understanding feet and forced
a moist sponge beneath Beggs's at
tenuated nose.
In two minutes time, John Beggs was
dreaming that he lay in large bed
of beautiful roses and he wondered
why the flowers had pitchfork prong:
for thorns. and wished emphaticall5
to know why somebody didn't bring
him chew of tobacco before he frozt
to death on top of the North Pole
which had suddenly sprouted Up be
meath him and lifted him from his bee
OF roses.
He was Just Waiting with mer
maid and was asking somebody u
please hand him the metropolitan
tower, being cutie sure it was his owl
individual ivory toothpick. which h
always carried in his vest pocket. whel
somebody suddenly turned Niagari
loose upon him and stuck a red no
bar of iron down his sizzling throat.
Then he opened his eyes for the frs
lime, muttered. I" Remember she is stil
your mother" and looked into the wor
dering blue eyes of a policeman, VIII
was forcing brandy down his throa
and hopping his brow with the scrul
womans cloth
The cashier of the bank. routed fror
bed, came hurrying in. dismissed tn
group Of watchmen, detectives. an
stragglers, who had wandered in at th
omen door of the bank. and aske
abruptly for the policemans tale, Will
John Beggs was trying to get his aswo
len tongue back to speaking size.
4 was walkin the beat at tire,
thirty this mornin'." replied the Office
who had revived Beggs. When
cotne in front OF the hank Il couldn