The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-21
E0cning Story
Only a Real Man Would Do 1t.
BY FRANK H. WILLIAMS.

lAOtId1 jain Du1lulE5 int WI Oo VI
warning addressed to him earlier
that evening by Clara Jennings rang
1 in his ears.
Clara was one of the boarders at
the place where Harry had been stay
ing since being detailed to the First
National case. Clara was a stenog-
rapher at the bank and she was just
about as pretty a girl as Harry had
ever seen in his travels. It had been
a, case of love at first sight with Harry
but Clara held him off provokingly.
This evening, just before Harry started
on his pc. ilous task he had again at
tempted sentimentality with Clara.
I'm going into dangerous job
tonigh Clara said Harry. 81 wish
you could say SON. ething encouraging
to me-"
Clara had laughed a little at this.
Then size had become quite solemn.
81 wish you all the luck in the
world" she said. I've got bunch
that you're going to try and stop the
thieves who've been .aking securities
from the First National vaults. Being
the presidents stenograp her I've ma
turally got on to what you're doing
And 1 know it will be a dangerous
job. Perhaps, if you come thru with
1t all right" Just a faint smile of
encouragement had wreathed her lips
at this. But it will take a real man
to win out against this gang. They'll
kill without mercy. You'd best be
careful-mighty careful
With that Clara had slipped away
And it was with nothing more than
this rather dubious encouragement
that he had started into the hot, mar
row tunnel which he had so labori-
ously excavated.
Now, as Harry once more recalled
Clara's words, his attention was sud-
denly called to something else. A noise.
dull but steady, came to his ears
19 hurried his wiling Tho
became louder. There could be no mis-
taking it now-the noise was directly
ahead of him.
It's the gang!" said Harry to him
self. L was right in my guess-they
get into the vault by means of a tunnel
under the bank. Now if I can only
cut them off"
Harry treasured himself that the
heavy automatic pistol was still in his
belt. Then arriving at the end of the
excavation he had so far made. he
applied himself to the task of quickly
digging at the earth ahead of him.
while he muffled the sound of his
work as much as possible and gave ear
now and then to the sounds ahead of
him. The shovel which Harry worked
with in the sitting darkness he had
left in the tunnel upon his last trip,
and near the point where he had left
the shovel was an electric spotlight
connected with a wire running thru
the cave and ready for instant action.
As Harry dug. the sounds on the
other side of his work indicated I'M
mistakabl that he was fast approach
ing the other tunnel.
Soon shaft of light pierced the
gloom. He had made a point of con-
tact with the other tunnel!
Harry ceased work and applied his
eye to his hole. The opening into
which he looked was quite well lighted
nv aIaOfY-ic fsyH 70 "a call
ing. The room. as it might be called,
into which he looked was quite large.
In the center was a table and around
the table were grouped four figures. q
The sound of the conversation going
on among these came to Harry in only
muffled tones. But under the light
above the table he could see a num-
Der of securities spread out. Evident
ly these had been just taken from the
vault. The gang was apparently at
his mercy, if-he could pull off their
capture.
And as Harry specialized about the
means of effecting the capture of the
gang a question ran thru his mind as
to the identity of the four people
around the table. 1t was supposed by
those who We're trying to stop the
robberies and apprehend the thieves,
that some one in the bank was closely
connected with the gang. Was there
an official of the bank in this crowd?
Or was some employe of the bank in
the number?
Harry tried hard to recognize some
one of the figures, but the black
masked faces and the nondescript flg-
ures defied Identification.
While Harry looked there came
some sort of an alteration or discus
sion. The talk became more heated
and higher in tone. Then there came
a concerted movement by all the 1our
IL tom nd
the front of the tunnel, where un-
doubtedly there was cleverly made en-
trance into the banks old-time vault
Presently the room into when
Harry gazed was empty. This was
his opportunity.
Quickly Harry hewed at the eafth
in front of him. In moment or 50
he had hole big enough for him to
crawl thru. In another minute he was
inside the room.
Harry hauled the spotlight into the
room with him. Then he cast around
for the wires which furnished the cleo
tricity for the lights glowing in the
room. At first it was hard to dis
cover these, but at length he found
them and seve- ed them with quick
pinch of the cutting tweezers he had
brought with him.
The moment the place was plunged
into gloom there came the sound of
movement from the front of the tun-
mel. At this sound Harry switched on
the light in his spotlight and flashed
it toward the front of the tunnel. He
then placed the light on the floor,
still focused toward the front of the
tunnel and stepped away from It. He
did this for fear that if he stayed near
the light the members of the gang
might fire at the light and hit him.
Almost instantly two figures were
thrown into sharp relief as they
rushed into the light. They were
without masks. Harry gasped as he
saw them. One of them was the
cashier of the bank. The other was
Clara Jennings dressed in mems
clothes.
In spite of his tremendous surprise
and amazement Harry shouted auto
matically at the two.
''Stopi" he cried. Throw up your
handsi"
He saw Clara start at the sound of
his voice. Undoubtedly she recog-