The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-04-15
DUTY VS.. GRATITUDE.

Jerry and Pete were two industrious
mechanics. They lived in Fourth
ward tenement and each had couple
of children to support, besides their
wives, who, albeit, were not acquainted
with a noble art frequently practiced
by charwomen.
Jerry and Pete were hard workers;
they worked far into the night, and
occasionally the thin mists of dawn had
begun to break on the narrow city
pavements before their labors would
cease. Nobody would say that theirs
was not hard-earned pillow. Some
times they did not toll in vain. 1t de-
pended largely upon the police.
1t was chilly night in November
that this horny-handed pair planned
the burglary of certain safe in the
establishment of furniture concern on
the West-side. On the evening in ques-
ton the bookkeeper had had a wrangle
with his accounts.
Il can't make head or tail of this"
he said to the senior member of the
firm, "but l know everything is all
right. An error of several hundred
dollars has been carried over from each
daily footing, but where the error be-
gins or ends l haven't found out"
The fact was the monthly sales had
been extraordinarily large, and page
of the balance had been mislaid. The
head bookkeeper spent an hour in
again casting up both the entries of
himself and his subordinates after the
establishment closed its doors for the
day.
Then he went home for supper,
determined to locate the deficit if he
didn't get wink of sleep that night
Bookkeepers, it must be remembered,
have singularly sensitive organisms,
susceptible to the slightest atom of any,
thing which reflects upon their probity
or skill.
At half-past he returned and COM
menced anew his critical calculations.
He worked precisely two hours, at the
end of which time lie suddenly slapped
his forehead and exclaimed:
Great Scott! Why haven't looked
through the safe for missing sheetP
Ten to one Weeks forgot to number
themm
He turned over the pages of the bal
ance in his hand and, sure enough. the
numerical mark of designation in the
upper left-hand corner was wanting.
In all likelihood one page, or perhaps
two, had slipped into some remote COR
ner of the safe.
The safe was a large one, partially
receding into the wall, and containing
all the papers, documents. and several
days receipts in cash and drafts of the
firm.
The bookkeeper in his efforts to un
earth the lost page of the cash balance,
was obliged to intrude his entire body
into the safe. Fearful lest the candle
be held should attract attention from
the street, showing out as it did in
glaring relief against the black recess
of the safe, before entering he drew the
door slightly ajar.
AS he stepped in the tail of his coat
probably caught on an angle of the
huge riveted hinges of the lock. The
massive gate swung to as if it had
weighed no more than single pound
and the bookkeeper was prisoner.
He heard resonant click, that was
all, and his candle went out.
There is nothing especially remark
able about the incident-tragic as it
certainly must have been to the I'M
fortunate wretch inside. Many mon
have been imprisoned in safes before.
But this reflection would hardly soothe
the agony of that horrible moment.
The bookkeeper at the outset lost
his presence of mind. He fought like
Gagged demon, after first exerting
almost super-human strength against
the four sides of the iron tomb. Then
his body gave out, and without for an
| instant losing consciousness he found
| himself sitting in a partially upright
posture unable to stir hand or foot.
At that instant, when hours seemed
to have elapsed the drum of his ear,
now abnormally sensitive, was almost
split into fragments. A frightful mo-
notonous clangor rent the interior O.
the safe.
The bookkeeper used to say after
ward that a seconds deviation of char
acteristic thought and he would have
gone mad.
Stronger minds in parallel situa
ton would have collapsed. But +;
weaker personality clings more strong
ly to hope. Only weak individualtie'
while in the act of drowning catch a
straws. AS the bookkeeper felt him
self gradually growing faint from wan
of air, his revived hope led him tt
deliberately crash his fist into th'
woodwork with which the interior o
the safe was fitted, in secretaire fashion
one drawer being built above another
AS may have been conjectured, tn
noise which smote the bookkeeper's ca
was that of drill. Although keenl,
distin nguished from the inside, the soun'
was practically smothered on the out
side of the vault.
At one end of the drill was cavit.
rapidly growing larger in one of tn
steel panels. At this other end was
heavy, warty fist, part of the anatom..
of Pete, the industrious mechanic.
Pete held the drill while his frient
Jerry pounded it in.
Pretty soon the two burglars becam
aware that terrible commotion wa
going on within the safe. 1t nearl
drove them into fits. They were Gel
tainly very much startled.
Jerry was for throwing up the jot
but his companion rejected the pre-