“Ross and Hayward,” she answered mechanically into the receiver.
“Miss Carstairs,”—it was Mr. Ross speaking—“I left a couple of Liberty Bonds in my desk. Please tell Bradford to put them into the safe.”
“Mr. Bradford has gone for the day, Mr. Ross,” she answered, “but he has left the vault for me to close; I’ll put them in.”
“All right. Put them in the stamp box; I guess they’ll be all right there. Good night!”
Ann pulled out the plug and rose from her desk. Her rubber-soled shoes made no noise as she crossed the room. She found the bonds face down on Mr. Ross’s desk, and as she picked them up she could not fail to notice the denominations. She stared at them.
“Two thousand dollars!” she whispered awestruck. “If only they were mine!”
As she started to place them in the stamp box, its shabbiness caught her eye. She hesitated, then laid the bonds down.
“I’ll get a new box for the stamps,” she decided, snapping off the light as she left the vault.
Ann knew just where to find the particular box that she wanted and did not stop to turn on the light as she entered the stockroom. She was in the act of reaching up for the box, when the door stealthily opened. She shrank back against the shelves as the new janitor came in. He stopped for a moment and glanced around, then a minute later Ann heard the snap of the electric button as the light in the vault was turned on. She gasped in dismay. The bonds and the Liberty Loan money were all there in plain sight! For a brief moment the girl was paralyzed with fright. The janitor was after the money! She rushed forward. As she paused by the open doorway of the vault she had a momentary glimpse of the janitor with the green box in one hand, and heard the familiar crackly paper of the bonds as he hurriedly thrust them into his pocket. In a panic she caught the huge iron door and slammed it shut, hurriedly throwing the big bolt in place.
“I’ve got him,” she gasped exultantly; but the words had not left her lips before she was knocked from her feet by a sudden blow on her shoulder. As she fell, another stunning blow came upon her head.