The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1874-10-15
NAP.
BY NM. MAHER.

won't hurt you go right In.
"Oh, yes, said /, it's all we'll enough
for you to say never mind him but by
George, he looks as if he would bear a
great deal Of mindiDg.
"Nonsense," said Aleck, laughing; Il
tell You the dog will MT touch you; but
if YOU will not believe me, wait mo-
ment and viii go in with you
certainly was afraid to go into the
room alone, and think you my reader
would have thought discretion the bet
ter part had you been in my place.
AIeck was talking with bis agent as
| came to the hall door, and bad walked
toward the library to await his leisure;
but when | opened the door large
black dog that had evidently been laying
on the floor started to his feet with a
prowl and exhibited a row of teeth that
would have made good-stock in trade
for first class dentst.
He was villainou Shocking brute
and declined trusting myself to his
mercy, as | have told above.
Aleck finished his business, then took
me bv the arm and led me into the room,
the dog slowly dropping on his launches
when he saw his master, and L paid no
more attention to him until had finish
ed up the business that i had in hand.
What in tie world do you want with
such Vicious dog?' | inquired, as
Int the cigar my friend had given me.
Il don't think much Of your Judgment
if YOU call him vicious looking dog,
was the answer.
What breed is be p
lie is q cross of several breeds"
Eyes, | should think from the way he
showed me his teeth that he was all
Gross
Come, come, Frank, you Eust not
run down old Nap. He has been too
good a friend for me to listen TO any.
thing but praises of him.
what did he ever do that was partic-
ularly friendly p inquired.
'Nap?' I'll tell you what he did, he
saved me fifty thousand dollars during
war times
| was about 10 give an unbelieving
chuckle, but a glance ofAleck's face told
me that he was in earnest, so l begged
for the story.
sit was about the middle of the war,
said Aleck,' when was treasurer of
the Grafton Drilling Company. Our
office safe was rs unsafe as pine box
would have been, ssand | disliked to leave
a dollar in it. There were several bur-
glaries about the place and all Of them
were skifully planned and executed.
'One night our Office was visited, the
safe pried open with wedges and the
contents carried off. The burglars found
but few hundred dollars, but the worst
feature of it was that they had hit upon
night when there ought TO have been
n large amount Of money there. We had
received, large cash payment the day
before, but instead of trusting 1t to our
old safe | bad taken it home with me.
I'VE wondered if the burglars had any
knowledge of this payment. If they
had, then they must have extraordinary
means of gaining intelligence, and would
know whenever we received any large
amount again, and would they not come
ut once 10 my house now that they had
seen did not trust the safe ! The cues
tion was very perplcXing one, and l
had an angry debate over it with some
of our directors. / was in favor of get
ting a reliable safe and employing a.night-
Waterman, but was out voted.
'Old Evans, indeed, went SO far as to
say that, MS lightning never struck twice
in the same place, neither did burglars
visit old safes the second time. And he
was inclined TO think our money would
be safer if left in the Office than if carried
TO my residence. And he talked so
many of the others into his way OF
thinking that resolution was passed
declaring it against their wishes to have
any of the company's funds kept any
where except in the office safe
'Of course, the effect of this was that
if | carried the money home and lost 1T
the loss would fall on me individually
and not upon the company.
was angry enough to have resigned
my place, but my interest in the concern
was too large to be triled with though
/ determined there would be a change
in that board of directors another year.
About a week after this our secreta-
~ returned from Boston on the evening
train and brought with him fifty thou
sand dollars, and all in greenbaclls, the
proceeds of our monthly bills receivable.
He brought the money In bills because
the day following was our payday.
Il was in most perpleXing state OF
mind when he handed me that money.
knew the Office safe was no protection
whatever, and yet it carried the mon
cy home with me | was assuming a
great responsibility. Without saying a
word to any one determined TO keep
the money with me. found an old din
ner-basket in the Office and carried it
home in that.
you may be assured that | did not
feel very comfortable that evening. |
thought of every nook and corner in the
house, and wondered where would be
the safest. At last | determined upon
didiving il, leaving half here and the
rest in my ownroom. | had not men
toned the matter at home. not even to
my wife, but lead headache when re-
minded of my preoccupicd air.
Il came in here and placed twenty five
thousand dollars in that ottoman at your
feet. See. the top is on hinges, and is
fastened by this hook on the side. This
ottoman pushed near Nap The bal
ance 1 carried to my own room and put