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<v Speaker 1>The failure by Harold Ward Amos Duncan paused for a

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<v Speaker 1>second beside the time clock in the hallway just outside

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<v Speaker 1>the offices of Carney and Kirk. Then, his heart beating

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<v Speaker 1>like a trip hammer, he mustered up courage enough to

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<v Speaker 1>push open the swinging doors and peep into the gloomy interior.

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<v Speaker 1>He was frightened, scared to the point of hysteria. Yet

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<v Speaker 1>for thirty years he had stopped in that self same

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<v Speaker 1>place in the hallway morning and noon on his way

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<v Speaker 1>to work. For thirty years, fifty two weeks in the year,

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<v Speaker 1>six days a week, and twice each day, had he

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<v Speaker 1>sought his number on the time clock and pushed the

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<v Speaker 1>button which registered his comings and his departures. Instinctively four

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<v Speaker 1>figures were one of his hobbies. He made the calculation

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<v Speaker 1>in his head. Eighteen thousand, seven hundred and twenty times

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<v Speaker 1>had he pushed his way through those doors. And never before,

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<v Speaker 1>except possibly the first time, when he had applied for

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<v Speaker 1>a place with the firm, had he been as frightened

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<v Speaker 1>as he was now. For this was the first time

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<v Speaker 1>he had ever come to rob getting a grip on himself,

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<v Speaker 1>he entered the Big Office on tip toe an office

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<v Speaker 1>covering nearly one fourth of a city block. Yet he

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<v Speaker 1>knew that Old Bill Judkins, the watchman, would be making

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<v Speaker 1>his rounds out in the factory at that particular hour.

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<v Speaker 1>It was part of his daily work to check up

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<v Speaker 1>the dial on the night watchman's clock. He knew that

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<v Speaker 1>the old man traveled as true to schedule as a

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<v Speaker 1>mail train. He halted just inside the doors and listened,

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<v Speaker 1>his eyes taking in every one of the familiar details.

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<v Speaker 1>From where he stood, he could discern the dark shapes

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<v Speaker 1>of rows and rows of desks, each identical in size

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<v Speaker 1>and finish with its mates. Around two sides of the

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<v Speaker 1>big room were innumerable cubby holes of offices, divided from

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<v Speaker 1>each other by ground glass partitions, extending two thirds of

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<v Speaker 1>the way to the ceiling. During working hours, they housed

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<v Speaker 1>the elite of the office world, the men and women

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<v Speaker 1>who had pushed their heads above those of their fellows.

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<v Speaker 1>His own desk was second from the front, and the

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<v Speaker 1>second row from the right, just inside the cashier's cage,

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<v Speaker 1>a huge affair of wire, netting and glass. It gave

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<v Speaker 1>him renewed courage for the task ahead as he gazed

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<v Speaker 1>upon its outline staring at him out of the darkness.

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<v Speaker 1>For twenty seven years, since the day of his promotion

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<v Speaker 1>from the office boy ranks, he had occupied that desk

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<v Speaker 1>or one like it in Cagney and Kirk's office, giving

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<v Speaker 1>to Cagney and Kirk the best of his manhood for

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<v Speaker 1>starvation wages and two weeks vacation yearly on pay. Others

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<v Speaker 1>had gone over his head, scores of them man no

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<v Speaker 1>better fitted than he, young cubs would pull or college education.

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<v Speaker 1>He had long since given up hopes of promotion. He

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<v Speaker 1>had reached the point where he was a mere cog

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<v Speaker 1>in the machine, a fizzle and a failure. In ninety

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<v Speaker 1>nine cases out of every hundred, when a man goes wrong,

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<v Speaker 1>a woman is responsible. In Amos Duncan's case, the woman

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<v Speaker 1>was missus Amos Duncan, a downtrodden cog in an office machine,

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<v Speaker 1>the man with little force of character. In the beginning,

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<v Speaker 1>hen pecked at home and abroad, Duncan held to the

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<v Speaker 1>firm opinion that his wife had conferred a favor upon

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<v Speaker 1>him by maryan him. The fact that he had rescued

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<v Speaker 1>her from a life of drudgery in the shipping room

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<v Speaker 1>of the factory changed his opinion not one iota, nor

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<v Speaker 1>did missus Duncan fail to keep his memory refreshed whenever

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<v Speaker 1>opportunity offered itself. Amos Duncan longed to appear as a

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<v Speaker 1>hero in the eyes of his wife. It had taken

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<v Speaker 1>him two years to screw up his courage to the

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<v Speaker 1>point of robbing Carney and Kirk, Yet he had planned

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<v Speaker 1>the affair so often that he knew he would be

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<v Speaker 1>absolutely above suspicion, and with the money once in his hands,

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<v Speaker 1>he would hide it until all memory of the affair

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<v Speaker 1>had blown over, and then, with a carefully concocted story

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<v Speaker 1>of a lucky speculation on change, resign and migrate to

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<v Speaker 1>some distant city to spend his declining years in ease

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<v Speaker 1>with the lady who had assumed his name. Carney and

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<v Speaker 1>Kirk always paid off in cash. Duncan knew that there

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<v Speaker 1>was close to fifty thousand dollars in the vault, ready

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<v Speaker 1>to go into pay envelopes in the morning. As assistant

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<v Speaker 1>cashier and one of the old timers with the firm

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<v Speaker 1>he had been entrusted with the combination. He had read

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<v Speaker 1>that skilled burglars were able to open vaults by listening

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<v Speaker 1>to the whirl of the mechanism. A rag saturated with

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<v Speaker 1>alcohol would do away with telltale fingerprints. The police would

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<v Speaker 1>think the robbery the work of a professional. Still walking

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<v Speaker 1>on his toes, he worked his way through the maze

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<v Speaker 1>of desks to the big vault in the rear of

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<v Speaker 1>the office behind the cashier's cage. Taking a tiny flashlight

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<v Speaker 1>from his pocket, he pressed the button and allowed the

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<v Speaker 1>stream of light to play over the dial while he

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<v Speaker 1>manipulated the affair with fingers that trembled as from the

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<v Speaker 1>augu it refused to work in his nervousness. He had

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<v Speaker 1>gone past the number. He took a deep breath, and,

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<v Speaker 1>with the sweat standing out out in great beads upon

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<v Speaker 1>his face, attacked the job again. Someone was entering the

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<v Speaker 1>office through one of the rear doors leading from the factory.

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<v Speaker 1>He stopped for a second, then, as he heard the

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<v Speaker 1>footsteps coming toward him in the darkness, he leapt outside

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<v Speaker 1>the cage and drew his revolver. He had never fired

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<v Speaker 1>a gun in his life. He had bought this one,

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<v Speaker 1>a cheap second hand affair, merely as a matter of precaution,

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<v Speaker 1>and because he knew that burglars always carried such weapons

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<v Speaker 1>from out of the darkness came a flash, a report.

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<v Speaker 1>A bullet sped past his head and flattened itself against

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<v Speaker 1>the vault door. It must be Judkins, the faithful had

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<v Speaker 1>heard something suspicious and had entered the realization of his

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<v Speaker 1>mission in the office at that time of night stopped

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<v Speaker 1>him involuntarily. He gave a little squeak of fear. A

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<v Speaker 1>second bullet passed unpleasantly near instinctively, just as a cornered

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<v Speaker 1>rat will fight, so his finger pressed the trigger of

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<v Speaker 1>his own gun. He fired aimlessly in the general direction

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<v Speaker 1>of the other, dodging from desk to desk, knocking over chairs.

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<v Speaker 1>He was in a panic of fear. The other's fire ceased. Suddenly,

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<v Speaker 1>from out of the darkness across the great room came

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<v Speaker 1>a dull, throaty cry. Something metallic jangled against the tiled floor.

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<v Speaker 1>An instant later, it was followed by a heavier body,

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<v Speaker 1>a body that crashed against a desk as it dropped.

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<v Speaker 1>Duncan leaped through the folding doors and out into the

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<v Speaker 1>hallway again. To unlock the outer door and dash out

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<v Speaker 1>into the sidewalk was but the work of an instant.

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<v Speaker 1>Around the corner, he heard the shrill whistle of the

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<v Speaker 1>policeman on the beat. As attracted by the shots, he

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<v Speaker 1>came lumbering along, signaling for his mate. He dodged into

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<v Speaker 1>the shadow and turned into the alley. Behind him, he

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<v Speaker 1>could hear the policeman hammering on the office door with

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<v Speaker 1>his nightstick. From two blocks down the street came the

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<v Speaker 1>sound of another whistle in the distance. A third shrilled,

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<v Speaker 1>proving that reinforcements were on the way. Missus Duncan was

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<v Speaker 1>sleeping soundly when he arrived home after a round trip

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<v Speaker 1>through the alleys and side streets. Letting himself into the

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<v Speaker 1>house with his pass key, he hastily sought the security

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<v Speaker 1>of his own room. So far as he knew, no

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<v Speaker 1>one had seen him either going into the factory nor

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<v Speaker 1>leaving it. But God, what a fizzle he had made

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<v Speaker 1>of the affair. And there was blood on his hands,

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<v Speaker 1>the blood of poor old Judkins. What had he gained? Nothing?

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<v Speaker 1>Absolutely nothing. He paced the floor, every nerve tangling, he wondered,

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<v Speaker 1>poor old Judkins. And he had a crippled wife too.

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<v Speaker 1>With Judkins gone, she would have to go to the poorhouse.

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<v Speaker 1>It was something that he had not foreseen. He was

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<v Speaker 1>still pacing the floor when the sun came up in

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<v Speaker 1>the east. In the other room, he heard Missus Duncan

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<v Speaker 1>getting up. In less than two hours, he would have

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<v Speaker 1>to go to the office. Of course, no one would

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<v Speaker 1>suspect him, but he could hear Missus Duncan rattling the

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<v Speaker 1>pots and pans in the kitchen. When the door bell rang.

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<v Speaker 1>He opened the bedroom door crack and peeped through. As

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<v Speaker 1>she answered the summons, A gruff voice was asking for him.

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<v Speaker 1>He heard her admit the visitors. There seemed to be

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<v Speaker 1>two of them. When she called Shrilly up the stairway

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<v Speaker 1>for him. He knew that they were detectives from their

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<v Speaker 1>heavy tread. They were after him for killing Judkins. His

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<v Speaker 1>brain was in a horse. Yet he wondered how it

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<v Speaker 1>happened that they associated him with the crime. He had

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<v Speaker 1>been so careful too. Probably he had dropped something in

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<v Speaker 1>his mad rush to the outer door. He could never

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<v Speaker 1>face the music and Missus Duncan. What would she say?

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<v Speaker 1>He couldn't tell her that he had gone to the

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<v Speaker 1>office to rob the vault for her sake and had

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<v Speaker 1>made a failure. The gun lay in the bureau drawer

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<v Speaker 1>where he had tossed it. He picked it up and

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<v Speaker 1>broke it open. The chambers were all empty. He had

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<v Speaker 1>used every cartridge in killing poor Judkins. From downstairs came

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<v Speaker 1>a buzz of conversation. Missus Duncan shrieked. He heard his

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<v Speaker 1>own name mentioned. God, they had told her what he

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<v Speaker 1>had done. He must move rapidly. His glance fell upon

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<v Speaker 1>a bottle of carbolic acid. Missus Duncan and was at

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<v Speaker 1>the bottom of the stairway now shrieking his name. He

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<v Speaker 1>placed the bottle to his mouth and emptied it at

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<v Speaker 1>a gulp, With the fiery liquid eating into his vitals

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<v Speaker 1>his throat of fire, he reeled across the room and

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<v Speaker 1>tumbled in a heap upon the bed outside. Missus Duncan

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<v Speaker 1>was pounding at his door. Amos, wake up. She was

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<v Speaker 1>shouting between sobs, for Missus Duncan was a hysterical woman,

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<v Speaker 1>and awful things happened. There are two detectives here. Old

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<v Speaker 1>man Judkins went home sick from the factory last night,

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<v Speaker 1>and while he was gone, somebody broke into the office.

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<v Speaker 1>The robbers had a fight, cause one of them was

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<v Speaker 1>found dead when the police broke in after hearing the shots.

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<v Speaker 1>Right the cashier is out of town. And they want

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<v Speaker 1>you to come down and open the vault and see

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<v Speaker 1>if anything is gone. Oh, isn't it awful? Amos? Why

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<v Speaker 1>don't you answer the end of the failure