1917 Cedrus Yearbook

19 Time: Seven Minutes 17 T HE sharp jingle of the telephone is startling in the dead of night when there is no other sound. John Mason awoke from his sleep with a start. His hand shook as he took down the receiver. "Hello!" "Hello! Is this Mr. Mason the cashier?" "Yes, Who is this? "Not so fast, please. My business with you is strictly private. Are you alone in the room?" Coming to him as it did, the question seemed a bit uncanny. "Iam," he answered, glancing around a bit apprehensively as tho' he did not feel quite sure about it. "Well, this is from the bank. Understand? , "I do not understand. The bank closed at four o'clock; I locked the door myself and no one else has a key. Who are you anyway?" "Ah!softly please. Don't be inquisitive." "Then what do you want?" "Now you-are-talking. First, though, let me tell you something. You know that powder you have stored in this basement ready for the hunting season?" "Well, what of it?" "Make quite an explosion wouldn't it?" "It would.wreck that whole building." "Yes, Well, just at this moment one end of a good fuse rests in that powder and the other end is on your desk within three feet of my hand. Do you see? Hello! Hold on now; don't get excited; a fuse doesn't hurt as long as it isn't lighted. Just wanted you to see what might happen if things didn't please the people in control here, that's all. Still I have something more to say to you. We have a little work here that requires the opening of this safe. Hello! are you still there? Alright. We seem not to have got the combination, and prefer to call in the engineer rather than blow up the boiler. I'm sorry to disturb you,but we have tried to be as considerate as possible. You'll find a cab at your side door. By smart driving you can get here in six or seven minutes from the time you leave the phone; but, mind, that will not give you time for any trips to a police station or any other nonsense. If you are with us in exactly seven minutes from the time you leave the 'phone well and good, if not—hello! are you still listening?" John Mason promptly answered that hewaslistening, tho'he did notfeel quite sure whether he was hearing with his ear or his imagination. The situation was a new one to him and in order to gain time for thinking it over, he tried to talk with his strange interviewer with one side of his head and think with the other. The warning was prompt. "Cut it out! Are you there? For if you aren't the fuse is off. 44