The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1915-02-27

that. Merely To have been singled out
by this amazing muster criminal waa
enough 10 cause panic. Already hs
had engaged detectives. prepared fos
whatever might happen. and they had
advised him 10 leave the diamonds Ia
the counter. clear the store and ls(
the crooks try anything. II they dared,
Just back Of ~. and around the cor,
ner. ~ we came In. we had noticed q
Limousine which had driven up. Three
/, fauitlessly attired dandics had entered
q doorway down the street. ~ We
learned aftsrwsrd. apparently going to
u fashionable taiior's which occupied
the second no0r OF the 0ld.fashioned
building. the nrst floor having bssn
renovated and made ready for renting.
Had We been there q moment sooner
We might have seen. ] suppose. that
ono ot them nodded TO ,isxicab dsiv-
Or. who was standing Al q public hack
stand . few feet up the block. The
driver nodded unostentatiousi, back
~ the man.
In spite OF the excitement. Kennedy
quietly examined the showcase. which
was. indeed. . verltabls treasure store
! Of briiiiants
Slowly the hands OF tho clock came
nearer together nj noon.
We all gathered about the showcase.
with its Elittering hoard Of wealth.
forming = circle at a respectable dis.
tance.
IN deep p.lnnsed tones the clock
played the chords written. I believe.
BY Handel. Then Il began striking
Nothing had happened.
We all brcaihed sigh Of relief
We'll. Il Is stiil there!" exclaimed
Martin. pointing at the showcase with
forced laugh.
Suddenly came rendinG and crash.
Ing sound II seemed ~ II the very
floor on which We stood was giving
way.
The showcase. with all its priceless
contents. went xmaahins into the eel.
lar below.
The flooring beneath the case had
been cut through!
Al crowded forward. sasine at the
black. yawninE cavern.
Down below. three mon. covered
with smocks and their faces hidden
BY masks. had knocked the props
away from the ceiling Of the cellar.
which they had sawed almost through
at their leisure. and the showcase had
landed eight or ten feet below. shiv.
cred Into thousand bits.
A voiiey Of shots whisxed past 10.
aud another. While one crook was
hastily stuil,ug the untold wealth Of
jewels Into q burlap bag the others
had drawn revolvers and werc hrins
up through the hole In the floor des.
pcrately.
Look OUT" cried someone behind
us before We could recover from our
first surprise and return the hrc.
One Of the desperadoes had taken .
bomb from under his smock. lighted Il
and thrown Il up through the hole In
the f,oor.
II sailed up over our heads and land.
I'd near our little group. on the hoor.
the fuse sputtcring omin0usly.
I heard m exclamation Of fear from
Elaine.
Kennedy had pushed hts way past
~ and picked ap the deadly Internal
machine IN his bare hands.
I watched him. fascinated. .As near
as he dared. he approached the hole In
the noor. stiil holding the thing on at
arms length. Would he never throw
n?
lie was coolly holding Il. allowing
the fuse 10 hum down closen to the
explosion point.
Il was now within less than an inch
OF aurc death.
suddenly he raised Il aud hurled the
deadly thing down through the hole.
We could hear the imprecaticns OF
the crooks 40 II struck the cellar floor.
near them.
leave tho store--quick!" rang out
Kennedy's voice.
Down below the crooks were beat,
Ing hasty retreat through /, secret
entrance which they had effected,
'rhs bag! The bag!" We could
hear one Of them below.
THE bomb--run!" cried another.
voice Grumy.
The explosion that followed lifted
III fairly on our feet.
Al the smoke from tho explosion
cleared away. Kennedy could b. seen,
the nrst TO run forward.
Meanwhile Martins detectives had
rushed down a fiight of hack stairs
that led Into coal cellar. With coal
ahovels and bars. anything they could
lay hands on. they attacked the door
that opened forward from the coal eel.
lar into the front basement where
the robbers had been.
A moment Kennedy and Bennett
paused on the brink OF thee ahyss
which the hounb had made. waiting Tor
the~amoke % decrease. Then they
began 70 climb down cautiously over
fhA nl1nA.un sVraAkaan Il