Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1891-04-18
DUTY VS.. GRATITUDE.

lhey llNed IN Fourth
"ard tenement and each had a couple
y children 70 support, besides their
wives, who, albite, were not acouaint.
ed with noble art frequently practic.
ed by charwomen.
Jerry and Pete We're hard workers.
they worked far into the night. and
occasionally the thin nlists OF dawn
had begun TO break on the narrow
city payements before their labors
would cease. Nobody would say that
THEIRS was not a hard-earned pillow.
sometimes they did not toll in vain.
II depended largely upon the police.
1t was a chilly night in November
that this horny-headed pair planned
the burglary Of a certain safe in the
establishment of furniture concern
on the West-side. On the evening
m question 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 know everything is all
right. An error Of several hundred
dollars has been carried over from
each daily footing but where the
error begins or ends 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, de.
termined 10 locate the deficit il he
didn't get wink Of sleepthat night.
| Bookkeepers, il must be remember
ed, have singulArlY sensitive organisms
susceptible TO the slightest atom q
anything which reflects upon thei,
/ problty or skill
Al hali-past 5 lac returned and com
gnenced anew his critical calculations
| lie worked precisely two hours, at thu
end Of which time he suddenly slapped
his forehead and exclaimed;
Great Scott WHY haven't locke
/ through the safe for a missing sheet
Ten 10 one Weeks forgot 70 humble
| themli
lie turned overiho pages Of the bal
aucc in his hand and, sure enough, tn
! numerical marks OF designation in tn
upper lai.hand corner was wanting
| III an likelihood one page, or pcrhap
two, had slipped into some remot
| corner OF the safe.
The safe was large one, PARTIAL!
rocedins into the wall, and containin
al the papers. documents, and sever
al days receipts III cash and drafts q
the firm
The bookkeepcr in his efforts TO IN
earth the lost p ggc oithecnsh balance
was obliged to lntrude his entire bod
into the safe. Fearful lest the candi
ht held should attract attention fror
the street. showing out rs it did j
glaring relief against the black recesse
81 the safe, before entering he drew IN
door slightly njar.
As he stepped in the tail Of his Goa
probably caught on an angle OF th
huge rivctel hinges OF the lock Til
massive gate swung to rs i II In
weighed no moro than a single poun
and the bookkeeper was a prisoner.
lie heard a resonant click, that wa
an. aud his candle went out.
There is nothing especially remarl
. able about the incident -tragic ms
certainly must have been 10 the III
: fortunate wretch inside. Many me
! have been imprisoned in safes befor
But this reflection would hardl
soothe the agony OF that horrib
moment.
Tho bookkceper ~ the outset lo'
! Ills presence OF mind He fought III
= 4 Gagged demon, after the first eXertii
j almost superhuman strength again
, the four sides of the iron tomb. The
: his body gave out. and without Tor
! instant losing consciousness he four
himself sitting in partially uprigl
! posttlrp unable to stir hand or foo
AZ that instant, when hours SCENE
! tohave elapsed, the drum OF hls ca
r now ahnormally sensitive, was almo
; split into fragments. A fright
! monotonous clangor rent the intern
E OF the safe. -,
8 m, book keeper used to say. ate
+. vntt hat n seconds deviation
|, elm rustic thought and he won
, have one mad.
t stronger minds in a parallel STU
J. tion would have collapsed. But
r wcokrr personality clings more strol
h iy 10 hope. Only weak individualiti
{ while in the act Of drowning catch
. strnws. AS the bookkeeper hims
e gradually growing faint from want
G air his revived hope led him to del
$ erntely crash his fist into the voc
i work with which the interior. OF I
+ safe was fitted, in secretaire tashic
s onn drawer being built above anoth
e IA may have been coniectnred' {
h noise which smote the bookkeepe
q Nm was that Of drill. Althon
|. teenly distinguished from the lnsl'
l. The sound was practically smother
{. ~ the outside OF the vault
II Ar one end OF the drill was cav
Il ,onidlv growing larger IN one OF !
d starl nnnels. At this other end was
lt beayv. warty fist, part OF the ana
i my 81 Pete, the industrious mecaal
l. bate held the drill while his IRE
- 1 sf in