The evening world., 1915-12-24

In that desk lay the material TO
ruin dozens Of unlucky men; men who
IN an evil hour HAD put themselves In
George Grants clutches. Here were
debt records that spelled financial
shipvreck. Moro than one pious
debtor used TO pray that Grants ONCE
and Grants desk might some night be
destroyed by fire: to wipe out these
records and set tho loan sharks vio-
Tins free. And at last, in odd fashion.
the prayers were answered
One day-it was the same that MAX
Lamar caught his neeting glance OF
the Red Circle on a womans whlte
hand, as q closed automobile whiEzed
nat him George Grant got up from
this famous desk In his private oince,
stretched his lean arms laLlly ana
went into the adjoining room. where
stood his capacious steel vault lie
wanted a record that was HE'D IN TINS
vault. And. instead OF sending clerk
for lit was a decidedly private pa
per--he went himself.
Entering the vault and switching on
the electric light, he began to seaTch
through the tiers OF compartments
along the rear wall. The paper ne
wanted was not easy 70 find; ana ms
search continued for several minutes
At last he discovered what he
sought, Consulting the document. no
made one or two notes from Il on the
back Of an envelope: then switched
of the light and turned to leave the
vault.
Locked In!
mt Instead OF the sunshine from
THE office beyond, he faced black DARK
ness. Tho vault door had been smut
SO silently had II closed that, en-
crossed in his search, he had not oo-
served II was no longer open.
Grant pushed against the steel dooT'
II aid not yield to the pressure ~
had been shut tight The lock hao
been sprung. And II coulu no.
opened again except from the outslue'
Grant swore long and luridly Ihen,
Mi. brows contracting, he paused tor
n moment In perplexity' Inc uooI
was heavy. II always required more
or less effort to open or close ~
Therefore, II had not now been oioMn
shut NV the wind or swung smut from
en- balanced hinges. A human hand
rad closed and locked II. WhyY
Grant did not believe any one IN nus
employ would dare play a TRICK on
him. for all his underpaid once star
held him in cringing fear ferhaps
some clerk. passing by ana seeing inc
door open, had supposed the VauIt
was empty and had pusheu 'ho s'ee'
portal into place.
nrant drew in a deep breath ana
ahouted ut the top of his lungs. the
vault resounded deafeningly TO MS
hsIlov. But the thick walls ABSORBED
the sound. with his fists he beat upon
the door until his knuckles bled. NO
reply. III,
,,ovee. we're at work. Yet he. their
nvsrlord. seemed In danger of smoth-
srine. because he could not make his
cries or his blows reach their ears.
A cod sweat OF terror broke out al
over this man who so long had maze
batter men sweat at his orders.
Turning back into the vault ano
,witching ON the light once more, ne
s,,i,sd ont a steel cashboI from Its
rompartment and, using II as bud
seon' began 10 hammer with desper-
sts force on the unyielding door,
nunctuating his blows with SHOUTS
FOR help. .,-v
Iohn Saals by name who chanced
a mass through the adjoining room,
sIose 10 the vault, heard a mufhed
tanning and paused to investigate
The tapping seemed 20 come from the
far side OF the steel door. Saals was
curious, and decided TO investigate
re called the cashier, VINO alone OF
inc employees knew the vaults
combination. The whole once force
Gathered inquisitively around the
cashier as he unlocked and threw
onen the door. Out reeled Grant,
more dead than alive, his lank face
streaked with perspiration. his eyes
bullying with terror. -,
"Iyho did that?" he sputtered
hoarsely. what fool shut that door on
me? Speak up, or III ire the whole
worthless bunch. Who did itY'
There was confused mumolina
from the scared employees. Grants
r,,tlike eyes searched every face, He
read there nothing but blank bewil-
d.rme-.t. IL some ore was acting Their
some one was acting too cleverly 10 bt
detected. with a snort. Grant stamped
hack TO his own private office.
Still shaky in the knees from hii
scare, he slumped into his desk chair
But suddenly, as If the chair were up
holstered with hornet stings, hi
.caped to his feet again with q vel
mat brought his employees in tht
outer Offices providing wondsrtnSly Il
tho door.