Evening star., 1928-03-18

i0~ -
The outer Office, where Ted was
sleeping. like the inner ofice in which
the safe stood. was surrounded by d
partition Of pine panels. screwed to-
gether. The door between the runway
into the parking-space and the outer
Office was directly opposite the locked
door connecting the outer office with
Gildersleg's inner Office. But the. C
doorways were only feet vide. Th7
big safe in the ofllce beyond measured
feet inches across its front 1t took
only a few minutes work with screw
drivers. however. to remove the locked
these openings by detaching adjacen:
panels.
Hogan backed the truck around so
that its rear squarcly faced the OPEN
ing into the outer office. The reai
doors of the truck we're open and out
from beside the array Of packing-case>
within was drawn a gang-p,ank of
heavy boards. One cni of this was
fitted into the rear Of the truck floor.
the ether resting on the foor Of th-
outer Office. Down this Pcng-ay the
four men rolled the substitute safe.
Inside the outer ONCE they pushed
1t TO ore side. Fortunately, the flooring
was of cement and left no tellta.c
marks. In all this they ran no risk Of
observation from without. no windov'
opened on the street from this part OF
the building.
Just as they were turning beck to the
truck. they were suddenly frozen in
their tracks by an ominous alarm
Some che. probably belatsd customer
was ringing the night bell.
Again and again that clamor pcaled
forth in the very ear of the slumber-
ing Ted. Hogan end Raynor tiptoed
over to his side. All four watched him
breathlsssly. But repeated rings failed
to arouse the drugged man. At last
the caller gave 1t up.
TnSn the four again sprang into
action. Out Of the truck they drew
three-panel screen Of thin pine
boards. cunningly painted on the out
side of the panels to represent the three
exposed sides Of Gildersles's safe
Hogan's three assistants carried this
screen to the door of the inner of1ice
and paused just out Of the range Of
vision from the street Hogan himself
got down on his stomach and wriasled
across the inner ONCE to the front
window and. from behind a convenient
radictor beside the safe, studied ths
street.
It vas past O'Clock now. the quiet
est hour of the night. Vehicles end
pedestrians passed internationally.
Hogan saw the oficer on the beat come
along and presently pass out Of s.cht.
Across the street he made out the din,
figure of Claffle the central ONCE man.
still keeping watch on Gildcrsleg' :
place.
Presently Claffie grew restless and
started to stroll little way down the
street The fellows back mey have
been turned for space OF : minutes.
The uniformed Officer YVES out OF sight,
lust before ClafIie turned about
again. there was an interval OF few
seconds when no vehicle or pedestrian
was actually opposite the Gildersieg
window. That was all Hogan needed
He gave a low whistle. His three care
fully coached assistants dashed forward,
slipped the camoufiage screen around
the front and two sides of the safe ana
dropped To the floor. Just es Claffie
turned about to retrace his steps.
Waiting few moments until Hogan,
watching behind the radiator. was salts
fed that the maneuVer had Attracted
no outside attention. they rose to their
feet behind the shelter of the scrsei,
end slowly drew the safe across the
floor into the outer office end on up
the gansplank into the truck, Al the
end of another flve minutes they had
pushed the substitute safe into place
behind the screen.
After another period ot watchful
waiting, when no eye was turned in
ward from the street. the screen was
whisked away and returned to the truck
The gangplank followed H. The truck
was then driven beck where Freeman
had left 1t at Ted Granger's direction,
The partition panels were screwed into
place and the marred screwheadS
touched up with paint. Thereuoon the
conspiratorS crept inside the truck and
closed the door
A half hour later Ted Granger came
out OF his drugged sleep, grogSily UNI
conscious OF the time he had slept. and
went on his usual round Of inspection
noticing nothing unusual but his own
salmon sandwich his wife had put up
for his midnight lunch,
The rest ot the night passed uncvent-
fully Al q In the morning the dis
guised Freeman returned. paid his bill
and drove away ON the truck. Fly the
time OilderSleg was beginning to SuS-
pect something was wrong with the
combination of his safe the truck, with
another shifting ot names on It's side
and with Freeman and Hogan eccu-
pying the drivers Seat. vas again In
New Jersey
BEFORE the truck had crossed the
ferry. the other three men Of the gans
had one by one, dropped ott and gone
quietly to their several lodgings, where
they had deity established al,his for
the night
III a secluded spot ON u Jersey vNad.
Freeman disappeared inside the truck
while Hogan oStenSihly unkered for n
haif-hour with the engine, Freeman
was doing some fancy stencil work ON
the safe, When he had finished, the
Oildersles name had disappeared In
Its place was "naniel Mercer" The
serial number had also been changed,
Then the truck retfaeed It's course 60 the
city with Still other number plates and
lettering aud Hogan transformed back
to his rule Of Daniel Mercer.
Aud the beauty ot II is," Hogan
gloated to Freeman, "ii things work
smooth, We won't even he cut the fun
price nt the new safe, I've cot q Sec
ond~hand man coming around this
afternoon To take Il OF my hands al a
third M what | paid tor
They reached Mereers Temporary Of
nee on schedule, The holsters we're
IA Waittng Ay tina lima kha asaart safa