The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-05-16
LOCKED In AVAULT.
The Unpleasant Result of n Young Hus-
bands Vanity.

The Unpleasant Result of Young Hus-
bands Vanity.
In Chicago some years ago an actor
and actress-h and wife-who
had grown tired of hotel living, and who
were booked for stay of several weeks
in that city, resolved co take suite of
furnished rooms and get their meals
when and where their inclinations might
direct. They arrived IN Chicago on
Sunday, and, after some tiresome search
lug, found on Dearborn street what they
sought.
Evidently the building had been in
tended originally for office uses, as in the
bedroom was large safe or vault of the
most massive construction. Instead of
being used to hold securities of priceless
duty of receiving clothing. The heavy
steel door, some five inches thick, was
supplied with a combination lock.
This was novelty to the wife, who as
in the safe, began a superficial study of
the mechanism. She could not, of course
make out much about it, and her lord
and master offered, in his superior wis
dom, to explain it.
All you have to do, he said, is to think
of word. shut the door, then spell the
word on this dial; turn the handle, and
then no one can open it WHO doesn't
know the combination. Now, step in
for 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 as he thought,
gayly stepped into the vault.
'It will be awiully dark and stutfy in
here with the door closed" she ex-
claimed
"Don't be afraid dear I'll let you out
again before you have time to think"
He turned the handle, worked the COM
bination to "open," worked it back
again, pulled at the door, but there was
no sign of its yielding. Frantically he
again ran the indicator over the letters
making the word, but still the door
would not bulge. He shouted encour-
agingly to his wife, but it was evident
that she could not hear him.
"Was she already dead for want of
airs" was the first awful thought, but
he remembered that the vault was at
| least six feet square, and even if per-
fectly 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 could find lock-
| smith and even then it might take more
hours to open that dreadful door. His
| darling might be dead He would be
her slayer Perhaps the law would call
it murder
These thoughts flashed through his
mind in less time than it takes to read
them. After shouting some reassuring
words he rushed up to the landlady's
room on the floor above, and breath
lessly and almost unintelligibly told
something of the trouble.
| you're the second fool who's got into
a mess meddling with that safe," was
the old woman's comforting comment.
Never mind that ~ he cried. "Can
you get her out before she dies %
eyes, l can. don't have things about
| l don't understand and if l did find
them wouldn't meddle with Them
"Never mind that, my good woman
only come and open the door"
"It's easy to see you amt been long
married." was her grumbing comment,
as she waddled after him down the
stairs. She gave few turns to the
handle and threw the door open. The
wife was discovered in dead faint, but
evidently still alive.
A good many dollars spent in doctors
fees and a present to the landlady to
some extent repaired the damages Of the
husbands experiment, but nothing
could repair his eternally damaged repu-
tation for knowing it all.
| A day or two after the occurrence he
said to the landlady How is it the door
wouldn't open on the combination
used ?"
because, she answered. "you must
release the lock from one ombination
before you can set it on another. You
men don't know everything, though you
| generally think you do"