The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-08-07
take a hack at It myself some night,

Ndst AE EGAAs fo-44-A4+-EH a. +-~A'- ~ 49,
a plain-clothes man on top Of you. |
got to take care OF that there bank,
and no mistake" He caught the other
BY the arm. Say" went on Britches
Bellman, its blamed good thing you
chaps down here are honest If you
weren't-say. think OF the whole lot Of
banks here on Broadway-you could
tap the whole lot, almost, and nobody
wouldn't know the difference. not IN
TIL" he added, mot until they found
out"
And when they found out:" sug-
gested the foreman.
"There'd be a hot time" returned
Brltches. He scratched his head again
Nov, look-a-here," he went on, that
raises a very nice, delicate, important
question in my mind 1t seems to me
that III have to get the bank to put q
night Waterman down here to Sc. in
front Of that there hole. It won't DO
to have any two-legged rats q burrow-
in there when I'm away. ! naturally
go,ter keep the bank protected. BE-.
cause-because," he added, softly. 10
himself. I'd Ike to know il some
chap got in ahead Of me"
1t 50 happened, therefore, that b.
permission Of the section foreman Z
burly night watchman came On an
hour after Britches left This uight
watchman had bushy beard Other
wise he had the same proportions OF:
Mr. Britches Bellman. In course, a."
the night Waterman assured hIms-l'
the union wouldn't stand for me
workin day and night, so l gotter
plaster on the makeup. And gotter
watch that hole to see she don't get
away from me. For when a hole gets
away from a man-especially a hole
like this one-it amt no easy job TO
get another"
Mr. Bellman had worked only few
days and few nights when he struck
something with his spade that gave
him joy.
If this amt vein of gold-bearing
ore" said Mr.. Britches. I'll wager
it's the underground part of the Coun'
ty banks underpinnings; and If it's
that, why then it is vein of gold"
He was right. 1t was portion OF
the banks cellar wall. He hastily Gov
cred it up, hung around until the
whistle blew, then he left and, return
ing later in the evening, brought with
him a new set of sharp tools.
III get this Job finished by morn
ing" said this night Waterman, "or
I'm Dutchman."
He removed a layer of tar coating;
then a layer of cement Then he struck
the bricks
Now" he said to himself, IF she
amt more than three feet thick III
have her through in no time, That's
what"
But that wall was a blank wall, and
1t had been laid many, many years
before, when there we're no trade
unions and DO employers associations,
and when cement and bricks were ce-
ment and bricks. When the first gray
streaks Of dawn had appeared in the
sky above the subway Britches had
not finished. But he judged from the
sound that there was but one layer OF
bricks still to be removed.
Tomorrow night" said Britches to
himself, tonight, l mean, why-the
triCk'll be turned to T. And no mis-
| take"
He took day off and rested up, He
was made of flesh and blood and he
was tired. But that night he started
in, refreshed in mind and body. a
deep peace was upon him, for he knew
that in twenty minutes he would be
inside the bank. And there was no
man in the whole world who under
stood the inside of a bank as we'll as
| Britches Bellman.
One by one he loosed the bricks; he
was right; it was the last layer. Little
| by little the hole widened He stuck
| his head inside. 1t was dark as pitch.
He was prepared for this prepared
with a dark-lantern.
Now" he finally explained, a huge
| Joy possessing him, now, here am. .
| The hole was just wide enough to
admit his body, and he pulled himself
| carefully through and dropped down to
the inside floor.
'Ho, ho!" exclaimed Mr.. Britches
| Bellman, softly, this is nuts. for fair. >
He didn't want to show light So
he CROPPED his way carefully about
| across what seemed to be a little
room. 1t was, as he supposed, a coal
| cellar. He crossed it, and the boiler
room; picked lock and entered still
another room. In this room he walked
into wall and stepped back suddenly
AS he did so his heel trod upon some
| thing soft. Suddenly the room was
| flooded with a bright white light
Britches gasped and looked behind
| him
You stepped on my corn" growled
a voice in his ear. 1t was the voice
of very big man. This big man
placed his hand upon Mr. Bellman's
shoulder. Then Bellman looked in
front of him. Two other men were
| looking on, smoking cigars They
wore blue uniforms and brass buttons
They smiled on Britches Bellman
rs this the gentleman" said one
archly. who has no use for evidence?'
Bellman gasped again. The bank
said another, has been a-watchin' you
Tor two days; they wanted to stop you
but We wanted you to go on, until you
finished the-the job
"Gee!" gasped Bellman. holding GU,
his wrists, II finished it, all right.
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