The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1915-06-18

Tom Drayton had once been a tele-
graph operator, and Dorothy under
stood enough of the Morse code to car
ry on hating conversation with him.
But would the sound reach that little
prison behind the heavy steel doors?
She would try. She found heavy
steel ruler and sent her question to
| Tom in heavy blows.
tom. are you thereW
Presently came back the answer
Yes"
After that it was comparatively easy
to talk TO him.
When she finally put the ruler away
she knew that some one had deliber-
ately locked her lover in the vault
and she guessed that the guilty man
was Billy Brown, for she had seen
him sinking away from the building
long after he had apparently departed.
Tom had told her there was nothing
to do save wait-wait until the clock
runs down, and that would not be I'M
til death had overtaken him. He had
tapped the name Of man TO whom
she could appeal, man who would
know just what to do, but unfortunate
ly Dorothy could not correctly inter
pref the name. Wearied at last, she
sat and sobbed helplessly while the big
clock on the wall licked away the
hours.
She telephoned home that she would
be late In returning, and so she sat
there, feeling q vague comfort that she
was near her lover and chaflng against
the helplessness of her situation.
True, she could rush out into the
building and tell some one of Toms
plight, but it might be hours before he
was released If in time. She was on
the point of appealing to the police
when suddenly the lights in the office
died out, and there remained only in
tense darkness.
Some one was fumbling with the lock
Of the door. 1t turned and opened, adj
hitting men, who spoke in guarded
whispers. Dorothy crept behind the
| tall desk in the corner and watched.
A light suddenly flashed, a piercing
white ray that searched the office
carefully. The electric torch was then
| turned on the door of the vault
On the reflected light Dorothy saw
| two masked men. One by his form
and clothing appeared strangely IA
miliar. 1t was Billy Brown!
The other man was a stranger, who
talked in muffled tones and worked
rapidly with many strange tools.
"a burglar!' thought Dorothy, with
strange Joy filling her breast. "a
burglar who can open the vault will
release Tom! oh, could hug the dear
thingw
The burglar worked with skilled fin
gers, while his companion lowered over
him in an agony Of suspense.
"You will be too late, Shorty" he
kept whispering until Dorothy realized
| that Billy Brown had repented of his
dastardly deed and with the aid of this
burglar was trying to save Tom Dray-
ton from death.
Her heart glowed with gratitude.
"Shut upv' snapped the .exasperated
Shorty at last. What made you lock
him up, you little piker? Is there any
thing worth taking in there?"
| Nothing negotiable" groaned Billy.
Hurry up, Shorty"
"Say another word and III throw you
outer the winder," threatened Shorty.
| After that the silence was unbroken
save for Shorty's heavy breathing and
| the occasional clink Of his delicate
| tools There was one important mo-
ment when he made Billy turn his back
while he applied certain secret imple-
| ment.
There was a sharp click, dull buzz
zing and heavy Earring noise as the
big door swung open. The two men
gathered up the tools and opened the
outer door, Shorty vanished into the
darkened corridor, and Billy went back
to turn the knob Of the inner door and
make his own escape. OF course he
could not face Tom Drayton, dead or
alive.
He turned the knob and set the inner
door ajar and turned to flee, but he
stared right into the face Of Dorothy
Quayle, who was holding the chiefs re-
volver in her trembling little hand.
Don't go yet, Billy Brown" she
quavered. If you've repented Of your
sin finish the job by getting Tom out
and helping him home"
Without a word Billy Brown flung
wide the door Of the vault and found
Tom leaning faint and almost uncon-
scious against the shelves.
He carried Tom into the directors
room and laid him on the leather couch
and administered restoratives.
When Tom opened his eyes he found
Dorothy and Billy bending anxiously
over him.
81 did 1t, Tom said the repentant
Billy.
But Dorothy's eyes flashed q mes
sage to Toms, and so Toms hand went
out generously to the man who had
tried to injure him.
Forget 1t, Billy" admonished Tom,
who guessed the bookkeeper's secret
love for the unsuspecting Dorothy.
Help me out of this and let us close
up the place. If you will call taxi we
will go and get bite to eat together"
In this way Dorothy Quayle and Tom
Drayton extended forgiveness to the