The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-12-10
A WRETCHED SAFE.


hatrack and smashing the globe Of the
hall lamp. This damage was SO much less
than the devastation she had expected that
she felt positive gratitude to the safe when
it was in position at last.
The safe set out at once to make its
presence felt. A spry young man was an
nounced by the maidservant
ssI'm from the burglar alarm com any, -
he said Better let US put a burglar
alarm to that safe Of yours. When you set
out to make your property secure, better
spend a little more money and be perfectly
sure of it. ,"
"Bahr' retorted the owner. cts a
safe, isn't it?''
Yes, - replied the burglar alarm man,
land so you don't want to be penny wise
and pound foolishf'
s'And it S a good safe, too, ism e its'' con-
tinued the man.
CHATS just it, - replied the burglar
alarm man earnestly. 1.-The better the
safe the more it interests good burglar
and the harder he will try to blow it open
with nitroglycerin. -
ssBahP' said the owner again, showing
the burglar alarm agent out.
A little while later the maidservant an
nounoed that the policeman would like to
see the gentleman. The gentleman told
her to bring him up.
s'Im on this beat, the policeman said
safe you've been getting, but as you have
it now, it's all in the dark. You'd ought
to leave light burning all night, SO as to
shine on it. Then I can look in the win
dow once in awhile and see that it's all
right.
s'Do you think the safe is likely to run
away?'' demanded the owner faoetiously.
The policeman nodded his head soberly
and reproachfully.
ssNhere there a safe there's something
worth putting in it, - he said, land where
there s something worth putting in a safe
there S burglars
Hang burglarsl'' retorted the man
scornfully. ''Isn't it a good safcg''
well, - replied the policeman mysteri-
ously, st was only for your own good that
I spoke about it. And he departed in
wrath.
The owner Of the safe thought for time
and then summoned the maidservant.
Chow did the policeman know about
the safe?'' he demanded.
''Sure, told him when I called him in
about the tramp was the reply.
The tramp
Yes, the tramp that was keeping about
the basement door and wouldn't go
away -
Dear mer' exclaimed the wife Of the
owner in alarm. "Can it really be true
that safe attracts burglarsf"
ftNonsenser' replied her husband stout
". ''Au these people just think that be-
cause safe man can pull my leg they can
pull it too. But they don't know what
the safe business is. p"
Nevertheless the wife staid 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 its
present quarters.
There is Thursday and there is every
other Thursday. This particular Thursday
was not Thursday, but every other Thurs
day, so that it was the new servants day
out. When the owner of the safe got
home, he found his wife sitting on the hall
stairs, staring in front of her, her face
stony with white despair.
81 We're robbed, - she moaned as her
husband entered.
Go wayr' he retorted airily.
Eyes, - she said, finding some relief in
tears, "when I went to the safe to get the
silver for dinner I found that the door
wouldn't open. Thieves have robbed the
safe and changed the com bination so that
we wouldn't find out about it until too
late to catch themr'
Come off - rejoined her husband.
cit is So she continued Indignantly.
~ told you how it would be If you let ev-
erybody know how to open it, -
1.-The real trouble is that you dom t know
how to open it yourself, - remarked the
husband as he led way to the safe
He twisted the knob about the required
number of times and then pulled at the
door. 1t remained shut. Rather more
seriously he began again and checked off
the mum bers one by one. His wife stood
by in tragic silence. Still the door re-
manned shut
Its out Of order" he said family.
s'Where' s the nearest telephone9'
IL l. A.
nanded to know why they had sent him
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 ex-
pert examined the knob and gave it as his
opinion that the lock had been tempered
with He worked at it for couple Of
hours and then got it open. As the wife
had expected, the safe was practically
empty.
II told you how it would be when you
got it, - she sobbed. eve never were rob
bed until you got that safe. -
The husband said nothing, but rushed
out for the police. Policemen in uniform
and detectives in plain clothes hurried to
the house and began to stare with vprin-
killed. brows at the safe. While they were
so engaged the maidservant cana in from
her night out. She looked upon the scene
with amazement. Then the light dawned
on her.
Have they robbed the safef' she ex-
claimed gleefulIy. Greatly and truly?''
'fOh, Mary" sobbed the mistress,
ssthey' We stolen all my silverp'
WHAT shouted Mary in sudden alarm,
and she rushed for the closet
ssWhat is its'' demanded her mistress,
selling her in sudden hope.
he silvorf' exclaimed Mary
''Wbere did you put iU9''
"Where but on the back shelf Of the
closetl" And Mary broke away to search
her hiding place. There the silver reposed
IN safety.
Mary carried it out carefully and looked
over each piece affectionately. Then she