Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-01-22

the big iron safe for something which
they did not seem to find.
That is ALL All correct, continued
Judge Wickham. deacon Morri,
and 1 are executors. Everything goe;
to Madeleine! I'll take possession n
once. That is, I'll leave her in ful
possession
"Give me that paper" roared Jacol
Lapham. 1T isn'r the will
"Ies. it is" replied the Judge. 81
know the signatures. | saw it put
there. was here. It's all right
Jacob"
"'Ihere's another will! The safe
has been robbed, Money missing
Papers missing. I'm robbedr'
1T ism; your safe, Jacob; it is Miss
Lanes safe, Ii there is another will,
produce it,"
Leave the house! Tn in control
here! Get ont, I'm in possession!
81 think not answered Judge
Wickham. "Your authority has
ceased. Miss Lane is in possession.
She Is absolute. unquestionable owner.
You and Steve must go"
1t was of little use 10 storm, but oI
course there was Il storm. and it was
all the worse because of the bewiIder-
ing conduct of that safe. |, con
tanned no other WILL and when Judge
Wickham SHUT it up it almost seemed
to wink at him. The Judge did no,
Inf ha nnl
Madeleine, and she, too, was calm,
although she remarked:
'If Stephen were gentleman he
would not wish to remain, knowing,
as he does, how utterly L detest him.
After what you have said and done,
Mr.. Lapham. you must so at once
All that belongs to you has been put
into your own ROOM
''Come upstairs" Steve" said his
father; and as soon rs they We're III
Steve's room, he added: "Wickham
is going ont to find Morris. AS soon
as he is gone we will search that safe. -
"We'll clean it out, too,' said
Steve.
Hardly had they left the library,
however, before Jefferson Meredith
came in from the dining-room, wherc
he had passed most of his time during
the funeral services. and once more
he worried the lock of the safe little.
':Is it all right, Jeff?" asked Judge
Wickham. "Am not + to know the
new combinations? Can't you explain
it to me?'
simplest thing in the world,' said
jeff "Lots of people remember their
safe combinations that way. The rid
die was no riddle at all"
Independence. Fourth of July,
and the days of the week? How was
it? must say it's riddle to me-"
"Why," said jeff. "don't you see it?
The year, 1916. The days, Z. Dl-
vide so-17-7-76. to get your three
numbers. Twist the knob the usual
way. That did it.
"How is it now?' asked the lawyer.
"All independence and free lom,"
said jeff, 1T is 17-21-7G, and
that's what'll puzzle old Jacob when
he comes down stairs. But it's good
thing to know how to set and reset a
lock-"
jeff was in another part of the house
when the Laphams were puzzled, but
he knew how it was. Even the lock
seemed to enjoy it as they tried to
make it once more remember it's old
numbers
cts an awful riddle, Steve"
groaned old Jacob; 'but we can't get
in"
That, alas for them, meant that
their plot had failed, and that they
must get out.
Only few weeks later Jefferson
Meredith was slowly, thoughtfully
turning plain gold ring upon one oi
Mrs. Madeleine Meredith's fingers.
81 feel so safe now," she said; "and
il is what mother would have wished" {"
Madeleine" he answered her,
"there are some combinations of
which only God knows the secret.
This is one of them, and it is locked
forever. "--McC.'s $ Monthly.