San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-02-14
A COMBINATION LOCK.
Ut WAS ATTACHED TO A CLOSET
DOOR AND CREATED A SCENE.


Landlady After Horrible Suspense.
The incident hereafter told was an
actual happening.
In Chicago some years ago an actor
and actress-husband and wife-who
had grown tired of hote! living. and who
were booked for stay Of several weeks
in that city, resolved to take suit Of
furnished rooms and get their meals
when and where thci" inclinations might
direct. They arrived in Chicago on a
Sunday, and after some tiresome search
ing found on Dearborn street exactly
what they sought, or at least as near it
as is often gwen to lodging seekers to
obtain.
The woes OF letters of board and lodg-
ing have frequently been told in papers
comic and otherwise, but the woes of
the seeker OF the same would furnish
almost rs fruitful theme. Che suit re
ferred TO consisted Of paIlor, bedroom
and bathroom Evidently the building
had been intended originally for office
uses. IS in the bedroom was large safe
or vault Of the most massive cOnStruc
ton. Instead of being Used 70 hold Sc
curities Of priceless value, it was de-
votea to lac hGnrUler duty of receiving
clothing. The heavy steel door, some
five inches thick, was supplied with
combination lock.
This was a novelty to the wife, who,
as soon rs she had bestowed some of her
wraps il the sue, began superficial
study of the mechanism. She could not,
of course, make out much about it, and
her lord and master offered, in his supe-
rior wisdom, to explain H.
AN olINISCIGNT HUSBAND.
IAN you have to do" he said, sis to
think Of word, shut the. door. then
spell the word on this dial, turn the
handle and then NJ one can open it who
doesn't know the combination. Now
step in for Il moment; will lock you in
on the word open and let you out again
in an instant"
The wife. who had not been married
long enough to discover that her hus-
band was not as clever rs lie thought,
stepped gayly into the vault.
1T will be awfully dark and stnffy
here with the door closed" she ex-
claimed.
Don't be afraid, dear; I'll let you out
again before You have time 70 think"
lie turned the handle, worked the
combination to open" worked it back
again. pulled at tao door, but there was
40 sign Of its yielding Frantically he
again ran tae Indicator over the letters
making the word, but Sill the door
would not bulge. He shouted cncour-
agingly to his wife, but it was evident
that she could not hear him, for there
came no rupiy though he thought there
vas faint sound Of raDping.
WAS she already dead for want of
air!' was the first awful Thought; but he
remembered that the vault was at least
six feet square, and even if perfectly air
tight must contain enough air to support
life for some little time. But for how
long? 1t was Sunday. 1t might be
hours before he coull find Il locksnith,
and even then it might take more hours
to open that dreadful door. His darling
might be GeaR He would be her slayer!
Perhaps the law would call it murder!
An UNFEELING RGsCUER.
These thoughts flashed through his
mind in less time than it takes to read
them. After shouting some reassuring
words he rushed UP 70 the landlady,s
room on the floor above, and breathlessly
and almost unintelligibly told someti ing
of the trouble.
"YouIe lie second fool who's got into
a mess m'iNing With that safe" was
the Old "HHans comforting comment.
"Ncvcv miId thai" 10 cried Can
You 2. hnr ont before she dies
Yes. can. don't haVo rlings about
| Guu't unl"ct2ld. and if l did find
thc!n woU,lI'o ihalile with them"
"Ne5er I-i.:l that, my good woman;
ONLY com' &.ld open the door"
"ll's easy to see you amt long mar
ried,' was her grumbliag comment, as
sine wadiled after him down the stairs
SIZE gave few turns to the handle and
threw the-door open. The wife was dis.
covered III dead faint, bat evidently
still alive.
4 good many dollars spent in doctors
fees and present for the ll9dlady to
some extent repaired the damages Of the
husbands experiment, but nothing could
repair his eterraliy damaged reputation
for omniscieuce. In after days his wife
was even occasionally known to hint
that he had tried to kill her, and that
she was sorry he hadn't succeeded and
been duly hanged.
A I IN
said to the landlady, "How was it the
door wouldn't open on the combination
l used?'