The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-07-29
Observation-Disclosures
IN THIRTY SECONDS
BY GEORGE FOxHALL.
(COpYright.

(Copyright)
Anderson, night man at Vaudeville
New York, put his feet on the tele.
graph table and sighed for the ex
citing times when he had os'd three
trains day on the fringe Of the
Arizona desert.
Nix on the heart of New York
State said he. TITS a dull and droop.
ing wilderness; high-sounding delu.
sion. There isn't enough doing in the
heart of New York state to"
The outer door swung open and a
big fellow in overalls stepped in quick.
ly. Keeping his back to the door he
turned the key in the lock, the sharp
click betraying the movement to the
surprised but untroubled night man.
Much obliged, DO" said he, with
out taking his feet from the table.
Did you put the cat out fore you
locked the door,"
For answer the stranger stepped
to the office door and kicked 1t open,
a gun in his hand, frowning churlishly
upon the facetious operator.
DO you feel like keeping up the
comedy?' he asked grimly
The operator was made Of the real
stuff. Two years at a tiny desert sta
ton is a better test of mans nerves
than battlefield Anderson eyed the
big man coolly,
Realizing that he could never get to
the gun on the shelf by the ticket
window, he kept his feet on the table
and looked bored.
"Oh, | don't know" said he, what
the play?"
I see you've got a safe here"
Anderson grinned. Il reckon you're
going to monopolize the comedy your
SELF he said. There's three two
cent stamps an the American Railway
Association book Of rules in that safe.
III lock 1t if you like, then you can
go ahead an blow it open"
Don't worry, little man, never ex-
pected they'd trust a man your size
with real money. amt wanting to
take nothing out Of your safe. | want
to put money in it,
OH" Anderson paused to get the
point of the joke. 1t eluded him me
an the New York Central's awful
proud-spirited,' he went on. I'VE
won't let nobody give us money unless
they pull artillery on us. But If you
insist
sit still" The stranger stepped
forward and slipped the office pistol
into his pocket. Stand up" he com.
manded. His hands pressed swiftly
on Anderson's various pockets, but
nothing in the way of arms was evil
dent.
The big fellow dug his hand into
the bosom of his overalls and pulled
cut small tin cash-box with the lid
smashed
There's two thousand, nine hun
dred dollars in this little box he
said, AN I'm going to put 1t in
your safe. Get hustle on. Open it,"
The safe door was not locked An
derson pulled it open. The man put
the box on a Shelf slammed the door
shut and whirled the combination knob
around. Now show me the combi-
nation SOS can get it IL | happen
to shoot you"
I'd hate you to lose your money by
my Demise grinned Anderson. He
twisted the knob slowly and the other
made note of the figures
Now I've few words of instruc-
tion, then you can unlock the outside
door I'm going to sit behind that
gauze screen that conceals your wash
stand until the New York train comes
along at 3 o'clock There | can see
without being seen
If anybody comes an tells you
about a man having busted into the
big boarding house down there you
don't know nothin about it, an you
haven't seen no sign of stranger
about If they find me behind the
screen I'm friend of yours on the
road, dropped off the west-bound for
a chat, an now taking a snooze.
Finally, the stuff in your safe will
be evidence against you as much as
me after you've tried to screen me. an
if they should take it into their head
to search me an you try TO peach
when I'm not in a position to shoot,
I'll turn states witness"
The big man laughed at the com
pleteness Of his protection
Regular Rallies, amt you?" COM
mented Anderson, a tinge of disgust
marking his cool easiness. Hadn't
we better open the door an let a
hrpath of frpGh air in pOu-ou