“You’re just a common second-story man!” she cried angrily.
“Exactly! How clever of you to penetrate my disguise! I’m a car-barn bandit—Texas Joe—anything you please! But before you skip, I want you to look through those drawers in the vault, to see if I have missed anything.”
He shoved the surprised woman into the empty vault, and swung the door. As the bolts shot back into place, a muffled cry escaped from within. Brainard called back:
“Save your breath! There’s enough air in there to keep you alive for some hours; and I’ll see that you get out in plenty of time to join that friend for dinner. Just keep quiet and save your breath!”
A sob answered him from the vault.
VIII
At that moment a low, confidential knock came on the door of the outer office, followed by a discreet rattling of the knob.
“There he is at last!” thought Brainard, with a sense of relief.
He hurried to unbolt the door; but instead of Peters’s mild face, a chubby, spectacled young fellow, wearing his derby hat pushed far back on a round, bald head, confronted him.
“Who are you?” Brainard demanded, trying to close the door.