Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-09-10

chief had gone to Boston and would
not return until Sunday night
Sunday night. and Tom would be
dead by that time!
81 must think connectedly," she said.
trying to control her panic. IF 1
could only talk to Tom now! l have
itr'
Tom Drayton had once been q teie-
graph operator. and Dorothy under
stood enough of the Morse code to car
ry on a hating conversation with him.
But would the sound reach that little
prison behind the heavy steel doors2
She would try. She found a heavy
steel ruler and sent her question to
Tom in heavy blows.
"Tom, are you there?"
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 SOM one had dellber-
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 a man to whom
she could appeal, a 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 a vague comfort that she
was near her lover and chatting 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 fa-
miliar. 1t was Billy Brown!
The other man was a stranger, who
talked in mufied tones and worked
rapidly with many strange tools.
"a burglar!' thought Dorothy, with
a strange joy filing her breast "a
burglar who can open the vault will
release Toni oh, l could hug the dear
thingi'
The burglar worked with skilled I'm
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 lis
dastardly deed and with the aid of this
burglar was trying to save Tom Dray-
ton from death.
Hell heart glowed with gratitude.
shut upg' snapped the ~exasperated
Shorty at last. what made you lock
him up, you little piker? Is there any.
thing worth taking in therei"
Nothing negotiable" groaned Billy.
Hurry up, Shortly"
Say another word and Ill throw you
outer the winder." threatened Shorty.
After that the silence was u%nbroken
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 a certain secret imple-
ment.
There was a sharp click, a dull buzz
zing and a 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 purse 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, Rily BrowE," shs
quayered. IF you'1s repeated Of your
sin finish the job by getting Tom ous
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
INT administered restoratives.
When Tom opened his eyes he found