The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1915-07-08

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Sunday night, and Tom would be
dead by that time!
II must think connectedly," she said,
trying to control her panic. IF
could only talk to Tom now! | have
itv'
Tom Drayton had once been tele.
graph operator. and Dorothy under
stood enough of the Morse code to car
~ on a halting 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 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 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
pret 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 80 she sat
there, feeling a vague comfort that she
was near her lover and chafing 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, ad-
mitting men, who spoke In guarded
whispers. Dorothy crept behind the
tall desk in the corner and watched. ],
A light suddenly flashed, 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 ssnasked men. One by his form
and clothing appeared strangely IA
miliar. 1t was Billy Brown!
The other man was a stranger, who
talked in muf1ed tones and worked
rapidly with many strange tools.
"a burglarw thought Dorothy, with
a strange Joy filing 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 hovered 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 I'll 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 buz-
zing and a heavy jarring 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-
yolyer in her trembling little hand.
Don't 60 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.
hn nd