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"Hush！" said Mr. Adams, raising his trembling hand. "All be quiet for a moment.Agatha！" he called as loudly as he could. "Listen to me." During the following silencethey could just hear the faint sound of the child wildly shrieking in the dark vault ina panic of terror."My precious darling！" wailed the mother. "She will die of fright！ Open thedoor！ Oh, break it open！ Can't you men do something？" "There isn't a man nearer than Little Rock who can open that door," said Mr.Adams, in a shaky voice. "My God！ Spencer, what shall we do？ That child——shecan't stand it long in there. There isn't enough air, and, besides, she'll go intoconvulsions from fright."Agatha's mother, frantic now, beat the door of the vault with her hands.Somebody wildly suggested dynamite. Annabel turned to Jimmy, her large eyes fullof anguish, but not yet despairing. To a woman nothing seems quite impossible to thepowers of the man she worships."Can' t you do something, Ralph——try, won' t you？"He looked at her with a queer, soft smile on his lips and in his keen eyes."Annabel," he said, "give me that rose you are wearing, will you？"Hardly believing that she heard him aright, she unpinned the bud from thebosom of her dress, and placed it in his hand. Jimmy stuffed it into his vest-pocket,threw off his coat and pulled up his shirt-sleeves. With that act Ralph D. Spencerpassed away and Jimmy Valentine took his place."Get away from the door, all of you," he commanded, shortly.He set his suit-case on the table, and opened it out fiat. From that time on heseemed to be unconscious of the presence of any one else. He laid out the shining,queer implements swiftly and orderly, whistling softly to himself as he always didwhen at work. In a deep silence and immovable, the others watched him as if undera spell.