Barbara On Her Own

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 112, 14 May 1929, Page 18

Barbara On Her Own

1 SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS BARBARA STORR'S godfather, MR. MABER, thirsting to retire from workis thinking of selling his old-fashionet business to his great rivals, ATTERMAN BROTHERS, whose iminens* shops face his own premises on the othei side of the street. Barbara herself is employed at Maber's, and knows that the real reason for its failure to cope success fully wifh Atterman's llerce competition is lack of enterprise, and an unwillingness to move with the times. This is also tin opinion of A.LAN STEWART, a man who controls th( advertising of three big newspapers, and who takes an interest in Barbara. Ont morning Barbara quarrels with JULIUS COLESBERG, a junior partner in Maber's. Colesberg knows that Attermau wants to buy the business, and hag secretly promised to help Attermau to do so. Colesberg, very angry at being snubbed by Barbara, threatens her with dismissal, , but Barbara, a girl of spirit, only laughs at him. As the confidential secretary to Mr. Maber she attends a conference at which Attermau offers a ridiculously small price for his rival's business, and Barbara tells him scornfully that it is worth live times as much. The conference is adjourned till the following Monday, When Monday comes Mr. Maber does not appear at the otlice, but a policeman arrives with a message from him for Barbara. Barbara learns that Mr. Maber, arrested on boat race night, after a row with a commissionaire, has been sentenced to u.month's hard labour. To the annoyance of Attermau and Colesberg, Barbara, armed with full powers, takes the chair at the resumed conference, saying that Mr. Maber is abroad, and flatly refuses to sell the business. Barbara now spends a huge sum in advertising, and organises a great sale. The business suddenly booms. Among the day's correspondence a letter arrives for Mr. Maber from a woman professing to be his wife. This and other circumstances leads Barbara to believe that Julius Colesberg is related to Mr. Maber, and she, therefore, allows him to remain in the business. Attermau telephones to Colesberg saying that he has men searching Germany for Mr. Maber, and that meantime Colesberg must get busy and cancel Barbara's orders for goods. CHAPTER XV. That afternoon a stout constable came up to Barbara's bureau, stopped for a moment and asked P.C. Albuhera how George was, and, receiving a comforting assurance, came helmetless to the desk and banded Barbara a paper. "It's a summons, miss, for obstruction," he said, beaming as though it was the greatest joke in the world, and went out to consult Mr. Albubera as to whether he thought Harry would ever come back to duty, or was the rheumatism permanent. They had friends in common, it seemed. Her staff were fagged, ready to drop. Barbara gave orders that the store was to be closed at five instead of six, and notices to this effect were hastily written and exhibited in every department. "All the earth will be here after the models to-morrow," she told Mr. Mark. "I want everybody to be bright and fresh when the doors open." The money received up to three o'clock had been banked. By the time Maber and Maber turned its unwilling customers into the street, another vast sum had accumulated. It was. eight o'clock before the money was finally counted and put in the safe. There remained advertisement proofs to be passed; yet, though she had spent fourteen of the most strenuous hours of her life, Barbara was fresh and wakeful when she at last reached Doughty Street, attended by the faithful Alan. "If Maber doesn't give you a partnership after this," said Alan, when they parted, "he's a slug! You've put fifty per cent on to the value of the business —by the end of this week they'll be offering you a quarter of a million. By Jove!" lie said enthusiastically, "for two pins I'd leave the advertising business, and you and I would start a store that'd knock 'em dead!" "If you propose to me, I shall change my agent," warned Barbara, and .left him without the power of retort. She went to bed early, but could not sleep. At the back of her mind were two troubles, one of which centred round Mr. Maber's bag, and the other, tliosc neat little parcels of money stacked at the. back of the safe. What a haul for a burglar, she thought, and decided to increase the number of nightwatchmen, being by no means sure of the energy and enterprise of the elderly gentleman who had slept for forty-nine years in his capacity of night watchman for Maber and Maber. She lay wide awake, staring into the darkness, and at last she could endure her restlessness no longer, and getting up. turned on the lights. From rising to dressing was but a step. Hie snores of Myrtle cam© from the little back room, and without disturbing her servitor, Barbara crept down the stairs and hurried into Theobalds Road in search of a taxi. ISTo two more unwilling burglars ever set forth on their mission of profit and discovery than Mr. Julius Colesberg and the weary and reluctant assistant. ■ "It is a pretty ticklish job, Attermau," ho complained. "I mean, it puts .me in a wholly false position—suppose the night watchman " ■ "Suppose nothing," said Mr. Attorman, who wasn't running a risk, anyway. He dug his elbow into Mr. Minkey's back, and the Live Wire, who was sleeping on his feet, blinked himself awake. "Go and get that bag," said Mr. Attermau imperiously, and the two men went forth. A taxi set them down within a block of Mabers, and after five minutes' delay, during which time by the united efforts of Julius and the cabman,-Mr; Minkey was shaken into semi-consciousness, they made for the store. ' The l staff entrance was in Lawton Street at the back of the shop, and at this hour, when even Marlborough Avenue was deserted Lawton Street was a place of the dead. A church bell struck two as Julius, with a tremling hand, fitted the passkey in the lock. He opened the door stealthily; a light burnt in the passage and in the night watchman's little office: Julius went suddenly pale, and his heai;t thumped painfully/ The watchman was in his cubby hole! He sat before a table, his arms outstretched, his head resting ungracefully on his elbow, and he was emitting sounds which could be heard through the glass partition. "He's asleep," whispered .Julius hoarsely. "Good luck to him!" murmured Mr. Minkey, who was swaying to and fro. Julius gripped his arm and they tiptoed past the watchman's office 1 , and up a short flight of stone stairs which brought them to the ground floor level. Thereafter, all was plain sailing, and though Mr. Minkey, in his extreme languor, stumbled once or twice, they reached the office door without mishap. "You stay here," whispered Julius, i opening the door of Mr. Lark's olfi'e I "At the ■ fin-it let me know."

11 By EDGAR WALLACE

"Uh huh!" said the Live Wire, anc lowered himself with a joyous sigh intc the armchair which Mr. Lark reserved for the most favoured callers. "If you hear any sound, you'll let mc know ?" "Uh huh!" said the Live Wire again. Julius crept along the passage, taking from his pocket the electric torch he had brought. He shook at every sound, anc; when a floor-board creaked under his tread, he jumped. He was perspiring with fear as he moved stealthily to the safe and glided his key into the lock In another second the safe swung open The first objects revealed by his flashlamp were the piles of Treasury note>= laid against the back of the safe, and at the sight of them he was filled witl: cold horror. Suppose somebody came and found hin; in this position—robbing the safe! Then would be no other excuse for his presence and the open door. He saw the bag, and, lifting it with r trembling hand, pushed home the docs until he heard the lock catch, and went softly out of the office. He had pul one foot on the passage carpet when he heard a voice—Barbara's! '. She was expostulating with somebody and he leaned against the panelling faint and ill. Barbara was waking the -night wtchman! What should he do? He was concerned mainly with his own safety, forgot all about the faithful watch-dog sitting with closed eyes in Mr. Lark'; office. He heard a foot on the stone stops below and made a frantic dive foi his old room. The door was open, and he stepped quietly in. Only then was he conscious of the fact that he was carrying Mr Mabcr's bag. She was coming up the stairs; there ws a heavy, masculine foot behind her. The night watchman was old but wiry. And then, to his horror, he heard a third voice—Lark's. It's funny that the same thought struck us both, Miss Storr. I couldn't sleep for thinking of that money. And really, Simmonds, I'm surprised at you — you'll have to pull up your socks, my lad. or there'll be a new face in that watchman's box." "It's the first time I've dozed off for forty-three years," protested the watchman. "It's the first time you've woke in forty-three years, if you ask me," said Mr. Lark. Julius Colesberg's hair almost stood up. Suppose Lark went into his office; he would find the Live Wire. How was he to escape, hampered by this bag? He thought of the window and opened it gently. Looking out, he saw a man standing on the pavement and drew back quickly. And then a low whistle called him, and, looking down, he recognised Attcrman. "That you, Julius?" he hissed. Julius was nodding like an ape. "They're here," he whispered as loudly as he dared. "Storr." "Give mc the bag," demanded Atterman, urgently. Nothing loth, Julius held it out of the window for a second, then dropped it, and heard an "Ouch!" He crept to the door and listened. Barbara and her jurty were coming back from her office, talking excitedly. He heard the word "safe," and his skin crept. Nearer and nearer they came, and then, seized with a sudden inspiration, he put in his pass key and locked his door oh the inside. So doing, he made a noise. "Who's there ?" It was Barbara's voice, who shook the handle. Mr. Colcshcrg very naturally made no reply. He darted to the window, swung his legs over the sill and dropped. As he struck the pavement he fell, but was on his feet again in a second. And then somebody gripped him by the arm, and a deep voice, vibrant with satisfaction, said: "Gotcher!" and he looked into the face of a large and terrifying policeman. (To be continued daily.)