The Safe Breakers' Gang — page 8: what you’re looking at

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If the girl mis- trusts your real purpose, she will not be an easy one to pump for information, to judge by the experience you have had with her already.” “T’ll find out what she is to him before I try to get any other point from her concerning him.” “And if she should turn out to be his wife ?” “Then I wouldn’t try to get any other facts through her.” “That tender conscience of yours!” said Hunt, laugh- ing, in his genial way. For the older man liked Quimby the better for the occasional glimpse of the latter’s scruples. “Secrets between husband and wife are too sacred for me to meddle with. A mancertainly deserves to feel secure in that quarter, even if he cleans out all the banks and safety-vaults in Christendom !” Quimby spoke with a warmth that indicated more than a passing feeling upon this point. At the same time he opened the door to depart. “To see the pretty Lena?” Rexford Hunt called after him. “Yes—to see the pretty Lena!” was the reply. And the “sandwich” of the “three H’s” was gone. It was late in the afternoon. A damp rain had begun to fall, and the young detective hurried along the quietest streets to escape the throng of hoisted umbrellas. At Union Square he entered a Bowery car, and a quar- ter of an hour later alighted in front of one of the numer- ous three-story, nondescript buildings which one may see at any point in this unique thoroughfare. As he approached the entrance he noticed that a tele- graph messenger boy had just rung the bell at the door he himself designed opening. 3 He held his record book in his hand, and as the detec- tive briskly advanced the boy cast a quick glance up into his face. “Got a telegram for somebody here?” Quimby Hall asked. - “What yer thinks I’m here for, if I haven’t got one— hey?” the boy demanded. “For Lena Jepworth?” pursued the detective. “Think I’m a talkin’-machine, don’t yer?” “Or it might be for Jules himself,” persisted the other. “ Jules—who 2” And the boy’s face showed interest in spite of an attempt to hide the emotion. “Why, Jules Jepworth, that you’ve read so much about in the papers lately. You know whom I mean, if you carry your wits about with you.” “Jules Jepworth, the safe-breaker ?” “Jules Jepworth, the safe-breaker.” The boy jerked the bell without replying. Quimby Hall stood quietly by and waited til) the door was opened by—the pretty Lena herself ! CHAPTER V. THE IRON DOOR. Jules Jepworth, the king of the safe-breakers’ gang is not the hero of our tale; yet he is such an important char- acter that we cannot proceed farther without again giving him our attention. Wilson, the credulous policeman, had heard of Jules Jepworth ; and to have this keen-eyed stranger, who had flattered his vanity so liberally, declare that the work which they were to do was of no less importance than the capture of the famous safe-breaker was enough to nearly turn upside down what few sane wits he had left in his head. “Jules Jepworth, chief of safe-breakers!” Wilson echoed, in a faint voice. “Yes,” said the other, showing his white teeth. “And you mean to say that he is in this town ?” “IT have the best reasons for believing him to be here at this moment.” “And of course he is here for mischief !” “Not very likely that he is here just for a joke. And let me tell you that if you want a little glory and a big reward, ora sharein one, you will never havea better chance than the present. Why, you will be sure to see your name in every newspaper in this part of the country within forty-eight hours. So say the word !—are you ready to be in it, or not?” “Of course, Mr. Hall, of course! Just give me your plans and I'll add such suggestions as my familiarity with this city may make useful. Perhaps I had better run up to headquarters and see the cap’n——” “Perhaps not!” Jepworth grimly replied. “Just as you think best, of course. Only I didn’t know but we should feel better if we knew there was help handy in case there should be a fight with this—this Jepworth.” “There will be no fight with this Jepworth,” smiled the other, significantly. “Then you expect to take him without resistance ?” “He won’t resist me! We know each other, and when it comes to cloge quarters, and I say the word, you may bet your top dollar on your bottom card that Jules Jep- worth will ante up mighty handsome !” These significant and bold utterances of the audacious safe-breaker were to recur to the mind of the innocent Wilson with peculiar and humiliating force at a later date. “Well, ’m at your command,” declared Wilson. who was only too eager to win a share of the promised glory. “Well, then, you are to go around to the rear door of this bank building and call out the janitor.” “To tell him to be on his guard 2” ‘Precisely. Jepworth is at this moment on these prem- ises and making ready to go through the vault of your national bank. He will take no definite action for nearly an hour yet. There are members of his gang in three different towns at this very moment, preparing for the same kind of a job. You remember reading how they broke into three banks at exactly two o’clock in the morn- ing something like a week ago? The time-locks told the story. Well, two o’clock is the hour agreed upon between Jules and the members of his gang for this night’s work. And the other two members of the three H's are prepar- ing, as you and I are, to frustrate the efforts and capture ~ Pe fae! —— re : ee > J "se a « \. * : Ma dhe ad ‘ ¢ jay x Jis . ve. { a e a . a¥) oh aoe Pe he. ro Ae. J fivae att metre 4 hy 7 pied. 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