Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-12-17

AND It's good safe, too, isn't II? =
continued the man.
That's just it" replied the burglar
alarm man earnestly. The better the
safe the more it interests a good burg
lar, and the harder he will try to blow
it open with nitro-glycerine."
BAH said the owner again, show
ing the burglar alarm agent out.
Next there came district messsen-
ger boy.
THE boss wants TO know" he said,
will he have your house watched by
special policeman"
What for?" demanded the proprie
tor of the safe.
To drive away the tramps, said the
boy. "Tramps will grab the safe the
first thing"
Go way!' said the owner, scornful-
ly.
A little while later the maid servant
announced that the policeman would
like to see the gentleman. The gentle
man told her to bring him up
I'm on this beat" the policeman
said by way of introduction. That's
a nice safe you've been getting, but
as you have it now, it's all in the dark
You'd ought to leave a light burning
ali night, so as to shine on it. Then
l can look in the window once in a
while and see that its all right"
DO you think the safe is likely to
run aWay?" demanded the owner, face
tiOusly.
The policeman nodded his head
sOEerly and reproachfully.
Where there's a safe there's some
thing worth putting in it, he said,
land where there's something worth
putting in a safe there's burglars"
Hang burglars!' retorted the man
scOrnfulIy. Isn't it a good safe?'
well" replied the policeman, mys-
teriously, 1T was only for your own
gOod that l spoke about it, And he
departed in wrath
The owner of the safe thought for a
time and then summoned the maid
How did the policeman know about
the safer he demanded.
Sure, |. told him when | called him
if about the tramp" was the reply.
The tramp?''
Yes, the tramp that was keeping
about the basement door and wouldn't
go away
Dear mel" exclaimed the wife, of the
owner, in alarm. Can it really be true
that safe attracts burglars?"
"Nonsenser' replied her husband,
stoUtly. "All these people just think
that because a safe man can pull my
leg they can pull it, too. But they
don't know what the safe business is"
Nevertheless, the wife stayed awake
all night listening for the grinding Of
the burglars tools upon the steel sides
of the safe. That was the first days
work of the safe. But it was nothing
to the harm it did on the second day
of its stay in it's present quarters.
There is Thursday, and there is
every other, Thursday. This particular
Thursday was not Thursday, but every
other Thursday, so that it was the new
servants day out When the owner
of the safe got home he found his
Wl1G SlIlIlIS O1l UIIc lItuIl SUd1I ., oCciI
in front of her, her face stony with
white despair
We're robbed" she mOaned, as her
husband entered.
Go wan!" he retOrted airily.
Yes" she said, finding some relief
in tears, when | went to the safe to
get the silver for dinner, found that
I1,,B+
robbed the safe, and changed the COM
biratiOn so that we wouldn't find out
about it until too, late to catch them"
Come off, rejoined her husband.
ct is So" she continued, Indignantly
81 told you how it would be if you let
everybody know how to open it"
The real trouble is that you don't
know how to open it yourself" re-
marked the husband, as he led the
way to the safe.
He twisted the knob about the re-
quired number of times and then pulled
at the door. 1t remained shut. Rather
more seriously he began again and
checked off the numbers one by one
His wife stood by in tragic silence.
Still the door remained shut
It's out of order" he said. family
"Where's the nearest telephone?"
He telephOned to the safe people and
| demanded to know why they had sent
him a, safe that got out of order the
first day. They replied that their safes
never got out of order and sent over
an expert. The expert examined the
knob and gave it as his opinion that
the lock had been tempered with He
worked at il for a couple of hours and
! then got it open. AS the wife had ex-
pected the safe was practically empty.
| Il told you how it would be when
| you got it." she sobbed I'VE never
were robbed until you got that, safe. y
| The husband said nothing, but rush
ed out for the police. Policemen in
uniform and detectives in plain clothes
hurried to the house and began to
stare with wrinkIed brows at the safe.
| While they were so engaged the maid
| servant came in from her night out.
She looked upon the scene with amaze
ment Then the light dawned on her.
Have they robbed the safer" she
exclaimed, gleefully. Really and
truly?"
oh Mary" sobbed her mistress,
! They've stolen all my silver!'
What" shouted Mary, in sudden
alarm, and she rushed for the closet.
What is it?"l demanded her mistress,
Selling her in sudden hope.
|