Evening star., 1928-03-18

OF three grand--for the time being"
Four puzzled expressions regarded
him for moment.
Hold out!" Jack Freeman broke the
silence. What's he mean, hold out?"
Did he set cold feet over the cops
his place." Flash Doane wondered.
But he came clean on that and got
away with the spiel that he bought 1t
of strange guy that put one over on
hint" Pete Eaynor dcmurrcd.
Btu: what's this time being STUFF"
demanded Whitley Graham. Whats he
mean. stopping business for the time
being"
/ Not necessarily what mean"
. Hogan assured them, In fact. he only
used the first time being The second
/ is mine. Stepping business with us for
the time beinS means forever and then
! some. Holding out payment for the
time being means until can complete
+ arrangements for collection. not only of
+ the principal and interest but some very
! liberal damage money. amounting, un-
/ lsSs l figure wrong. to something like a
/ hundred srand"
! Listen. DircS." Peter Raynor voiced
/ the bewiiderncnt Of the company, I'VE
amt got that far in night school vet.
I 2ut 1t in United States"
Any OF you ever crack a safe?"
Hogan demanded.
/ Four startled faces waved nesation.
You know none of us know the front
END Of crib from the back" Pete
/ Ravnor protested.
Sometimes gentlemen of our pro-
; feSSion hide some Of their talents"
Hogan commented. However, IL
doesn't matter. think I can get the
job done satisfactorily"
Say, look here. Dirck" Jack Free
/ man objected, You amt rlannin' to
take up with new lay an give us
the go-by!'
I'm taking up a new lay" Hogan
admitted. But you'll all be in on It
with the usual split. If you're agree
able"
But you say it's Job that needs a
! safe-cracker," Freeman persisted. THAT
/ means splittin' six ways, instead of five
Il know a good guy TO turn the trick.
If 1t comes TO that, but I amt ready
to split with him.
NO. Five ways as usual. We won't
| nave TO split with the expert. We're
gong 10 hire an honest man to do the
job
The four looked incredulous, but
waited for the chief to 20 on,
You see," he continued finally "I
stumbled onto the fact, about a year
ago. that Gildersleg did most Of his
banking IN his cffce. He does e. cash
business only. as you know. Just keeps
a small checking account for inc.den-
tals. One time. and another, too. when
I've been in with him, I've doped ont
from phone calls and letters I've caught
sight of on his desk. that he puts all
his surplus In unregistered bonds. and
I've got hunch he keeps 'em in that
safe. From slant I got at the inside
/ OF the box today, feel sure of it.. He
wouldn't have gone to the expense of
buying high-priced box, that tight
wad, II he didn't keep it pretty well
loaded overnight"
He paused impressively.
So. Freeman remarked sarcastic
ally In spite OF his respect for his chief.
you're goin' to hire good straight
expert to open the safe right In that
window, with cop or two an a lot of
other straight guys standin' by on the
sidewalk chcerin'.
Dirck Hogan looked at him pityingly.
so you think you see something
camp back o. my ears, young fellow!
| Wen. III have job for you birds In
few days that'll line your socks right.
/ Wen just take little lay-on till I'm
ready to spring the dope. I'm going
to pull something new in the line OF
safe-cracking."
\ T $50 on a night two weeks later.
!. Gildersleg. head of the Gilders-
leg Garage and Motor Sales Company.
aroae from his desk as usual, his DAYS
work over. and turned to the big safe
| by the window. Spinning the dial, he
swung open the door He unlocked
and opened the inner door and two of
, the drawers behind it. From the left
hand drawer he took a bundle OF GER
tiAcates and rapidly thumbed them
over. They Tailed with the last count,
100000 IN unregistered securities.
Then ne checked up the cash In the
Tigflt-hand drawer. si5,297.
This was rite performed twice daily.
Contented, he locked UP the formidable
strong box again, setting the time Jock
for IN the morning
Mike Fenton was closing his own
desk as his chief came out, locking the
inner office door behind him. The girls
had already gone and the mechanics
and other helpers would presently be
on their way. leaving the place In
charge Of burly and eficient Ted Gran.
ger. the night man.
Gildersleg and Mike saw that .yery-
thing was In order. with all windows
and doors locked AS they emerged.
Ted Granger had just come on the lob
and was serving Ills first customer for
/ the night With oil and gas.
! "Eyenin'. Ted. Keep a sharp look
out on things Good night" was Gil-
/ cersleg's hail and farewell TO his night
man. an invariable formula.
{ a-s. IT..
On the Job"
! Thereafter, that guardian Of the night
%ent On With his usual routine. at
! tending calls for gas ana other minor
/ service, translents parking for the night.
/ regular renters bringing In their cars.
! NJ midnight, he ate supper from his
{ tin box In the inner office. q Then he
/ iockcc the big, rolling doors into the
/ garage runway and settled down In his
/ chair " smoke cigar a customer had
handed him that evening. The rest Of
the night passed undisturbed, eZcept
/ that Teo developed an annoying SICK
! headache In the course Of 1t. As usual.
ne alternately dozed and read the pa
pers III morning, with sn occasional
round NJ the place 10 see that every
inlng was all right, as 1t Invariably
/ was.
And out on the street traffic ebbed
and flowed 81 usual Even al low ebb.
this tnorougniare was never entirely
empty. And no passer could well fail
" focus attention for 81 least an In
slant on the big safe IN the brilliantly
/ lighted. i0il-length window Of Ciiders~
Legs attire
Kelly The of1iceF on bat, went his
regular Fo1nds And lettering across
the street. C!afiie. from headquarters.
never lft his eyes wander from The
sa+l'sclad premises for more than a
! minute. He had theory that this was
tHe h"ur when misapprODriated ears
'1and their way ~ Oildefglc2's, but. as
usual. tGind nothing ~ prove Il.
M o D'ciGck The next morning Gil