The Argosy, Vol. XXIV No. 2 — page 125: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE BUNKEL MYSTERY. 317 Dolph went to bed as he said he should, but he did not get to sleep. In fact, he was not at all inclined to sleep. When the clock struck twelve on the church near the mansion, he got out of bed and dressed himself, taking the utmost care not to make any noise. Midnight was a late hour in Monto- ban, and all honest people were fast asleep. When he had completed his toilet, he took the bunch of bank keys from between the mattresses on his bed, and put them in a side pocket of his coat. Then he opened the door with the same care he had used in dressing himself. To avoid making any noise, he carried his shoes in his hand, and when he reached the hall, he could hear his father snore, for the magnate had this un- fortunate habit fully developed. Without hindrance of any kind he reached the street and then the Monto- ban Bank. He was entirely familiar with the building, and the cashier had gratified his curiosity by showing him how the vault was opened, and where he kept the money. Dolph was a privileged person and it was not prudent to refuse to answer his questions, or even to prevent him from entering the vault. Dolph went behind the counter and lighted a small lantern, which he had taken from the hall of the house ; but he put his handkerchief over it so that the light should not be seen by any person in the street, if any one should chance to be out at this unseemly hour. Thus prepared he went to the vault, and had inserted one of the keys, when he heard a noise at one of the windows of the back room, which was used by the directors. He listened, and heard a boring and grinding sound. It occurred to him that some one intended to rob the bank. But he had come for a purpose, and he determined to carry it out; then he would give the alarm and drive away the robbers. He opened the vault after some time, for it was not an easy thing for one who had had so little experience with the locks. He intended to take the sum he wanted, put it in his pocket, and then return the keys to his father’s chamber, so that he could find them on the little table at the head of his bed when he woke in the morning. Dolph did not think the job would take more than two minutes of his time. He was aware that the cashier would have to explain how his cash happened to be short the next day. It looked like a very simple operation to the young man; and he was not in the habit of vexing himself over moral questions. He was excited, for he was not used to this kind of business, and it took him longer than he expected to get into the vault, though he got there at last. As soon as he was inside of the strong box, he removed the cover- ing from the lantern. As he did so a strong pair of hands was placed at his throat and he was dragged from the sate. When he tried to shout, his captor choked him. He was thrown on the floor, and two persons stood over him, one of them pointing a revolver at his head. ; | (To be continued. ) Oliver Optic. GOMIIGDOOKSHEO 3