The Monticellonian. [volume] (Monticello, Ark.) 1870-1920, 1915-04-08

ueeut no one Cuulu DldHi6 MIN ioi
that. Merely to have been singled out
by this amazing master criminal was
enough to cause panic. Already he
| had engaged detectives, prepared fol-
whatever might happen, and they had
advised him to leave the diamonds in
the counter, clear the store and let
the crooks try anything. If they dared
Just back of us, and around the cor
ner, as we came in, we had noticed a
limousine which had driven up. Three
faultlessly attired dandies had entered
doorway down the street, as we
learned afterward, apparently going to
fashionable tailor's which occupied
the second floor of the oid-fashiened
building the first floor having been
renovated and made ready for renting
Had we been there a moment sooner
we might have seen. l suppose, that
one of them nodded to taXicab drfv-
err. who was standing at a public hack
stand a few feet up the block. The
driver nodded unostentatiously back
at the man.
In spite of the excitement, Kennedy
quietly examined the showcase. which
was. indeed, veritable treasure store
of brilliants.
Slowly the hands of the clock came
nearer together at noon
We all gathered about the showcase,
with its glittering hoard of wealth,
forming a circle at respectable dis
lance.
In deep-lunged tones the clock
played the chords written, | believe,
by Handel. Then it began striking.
Nothing had happened.
We all breathed a sigh of relief
We'll. it is still therei" exclaimed
Martin, pointing at the showcase with
a forced laugh.
Suddenly came a rending and crash
ing sound It seemed as If the very
floor on which we stood was giving
way.
The showcase, with all its priceless
contents. went smashing into the eel
lar below.
The flooring beneath the case had
been cut through
All crowded forward. gazing at the
black, yawning cavern.
Down below. three men. covered
with smoeks 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 a thousand bits.
A volley of shots whizzed past us
and another. While one crook was
hastily stuffing the untold wealth OF
jewels into burlap bag the others
had drawn revelvers and were firing
up through the hole In the floor des
perately
Look OUT" cried someone behind
us before we could recover from our
first surprise and return the fire.
One of the desperadoes had taken a
bomb from under his smock, lighted il
and thrown it up through the hole in
the floor
1t sailed up over our heads and land
ed near our little group, on the floor,
the fuse suffering ominously.
| heard an exclamation of fear from
Elaine.
Kennedy had pushed his way past
us and picked up the deadly Internal
machine in his bare hands,
| watched him. fascinated AS near
as he dared. he approached the hole in
the floor, still holding the thing off at
arms length Would he never throw
! it?
He was coolly holding it. allowing
the fuse to burn down closer to the
explosion point.
1t was now within less than an inch
of sure death.
Suddenly he raised it and hurled the
deadly thing down through the hole
We could hear the imprecations OF
the crooks as it struck the cellar floor
near them.
Leave the store-quick, rang out
Kennedys voice
Down below the crooks were beat
ing hasty retreat through (, secret
entrance which they had effected.
The bag The bag" we coult
hear one of them below.
THE bomb-run," cried another
voice gruf1iy.
The explosion that followed lifted
us fairly off our feet.
AS the smoke from the explosion
cleared away, Kennedy could BE- seen
the first to run forward.
Meanwhile Martins detectives hat
rushed down a flight of back stair
that led into a coal cellar. With Goa
shovels and bars, anything they coulC
lay hands on they attacked the doc
that opened forward from the coal eel
lar into the front basement wher,
the robbers had been.
A moment Kennedy and Bennett
paused on the brink of The abys
which the bomb had made, waiting TO
the smoke to decrease Then the,
began to climb down cautiously owe
the piled-up wreekage
The explosion had set the basemen
atire, but the fire had not gained mucl
Roadway by the time they reached tn
basement. Quickly Kennedy ran I
the door into the coal cellar an
opened it.
known as cadet prav uauoror ~