The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-07-24

huge fist. II amt got no time to waste
even If you ave. 'Ow much?'
He threw a pair of thick hob-nailed
boots onto the counter, and stood
glazing at the other.
1.-Two bob," said the clerk indiffer-
emily, throwing down a coin and pick
ing up the boots.
1.-TWO bobl' cried the other wrath
fully. 1.-TWO bob, you miserable
sheeny.' For a moment or two he
spluttered inarticulately as If speech
was beyond him; then his huge hand
shot out and gripped the clerk by the
collar Think again, Archibald" he
continued quietly, "think again and
think better"
But the assistant, as might be ex-
pected in one Of his calling, was pre-
pared for emergencies of this sort.
Very gently his right hand slid along
the counter toward a concealed cleo
trio bell which communicated with the
staff upstairs. 1t fulfilled several pur-
poses, that bell: 1t acted as call for
help or as warning, and according
to the number of times 1t was pressed,
the urgency of the matter could be in
terpreted by those who heard it. Just
now the clerk decided that two rings
would meet the case: he dlsliked the
appearance of the large and angry
man in whose grip he felt absolutely
powerless, and he felt he would like
help-very urgently. And so it was
perhaps little unfortunate for him
that he should have allowed an ugly
little smirk to adorn his lips second
or two before his hand found the bell.
The man facing him across the coun-
ter saw that smirk and lost his tenn
per in earnest. With a grunt of rage
he hit the other square between the
eyes, and the clerk collapsed in hud-
died heap behind the counter with the
bell still unrung.
For a few moments the big man
stood motionless, listening intently.
Then, with an agility remarkable in
one so big, he vaulted the counter
and inspected the recumbent assistant
with a professional eye. A faint grin
spread over his face as he noted that
gentleman's condition, but after that
he wasted no time. So quickly and
methodically in fact did he set about
things, that it seemed as if the whole
performance must have been cut and
dried beforehand even to the tenn
rorary indisposition Of the clerk. In
half minute the latter was bound
and gagged and under the counter. Be
side him the big man placed the pair of
boots, attached to which was a piece
of paper which he took from his
pocket. On it was scrawled in an IL
literate hand:
"Have took fare price for the
boots, yer swine" Then quite DELHI
erately the big man forced the till and
removed some money, after which he
once more examined the unconscious
man under the counter.
Without hitch" he muttered.
Absolutely according to Cocker.
Now, old lad of the village, we come
to the second item on the program.
That must be the door l want"
He opened it cautiously, and the
subdued hum of voices from above
came a little louder to his ears. Then
like a shadow he vanished into the
semi-darkness Of the house upstairs.
It was undoubtedly house of sur
prises, was Number 5, Green street A
stranger passing through the dingy
Office on the ground floor where Mr..
AtklnSon's assistant was wont to sit
at the receipt of custom, and then as
cending the stairs to the first story
would have found it hard to believe
that he was in the same house. But
then, strangers were not encouraged
to do anything of the sort.
There was door at the top Of the
flight of stairs, and it was at this door
that the metamorphosis took place.
On one side of it the stairs ran car
petless and none too clean to the
ground floor, on the other side the
picture changed. A wide passage with
rooms leading out of it from either
side confronted the eXplorer-a pas
sage which was efficiently Illuminated
with electric lights hung from the
ceiling, and the floor of which was
covered with a good plain carpet.
Along the walls ran rows of book
shelves stretching. save for the gaps
at the doors, as far as a partition
which closed the further end of the
passage. III this partition was another
door, and beyond this second door the
passage continued to window tight
~ suffered and bolted. From this
continuation only one room led off-a
room which would have made the ex-
plorer rub his eyes in surprise. 1t
was richly-almost luxuriously fur
nished. In the center stood a big roll
top writing desk, while scattered about
were several armchairs upholstered
in green leather. A long table almost
filled one side Of the room; a table
covered with every imaginable news