Middletown transcript., 1898-02-19

said the judge, placidly. "You'ye
been too agitated, to nervous"
"We'll have to have it blown open, p
said Mr.. Lapham, Shut just to show
how it is--''
And be did try it, with ostentatious
precisions, in full confidence that the
lock would continue its obstinacy, but
when he remarked, "ThereI'' and gave
a hard pull, open flew the door of the
safe and its contents were on public ex-
hibition.
ST declared" exclaimed Mr.. Lap
ham, springing to his feet. ''Remark-
ablel"
"There's the will" said Judge Wick
ham, calmly, as he sent long arm in
and pulled out a paper lying in full
view.
The eyes of Jacob Lapham were
frantically searching the interior of
the big iron safe for something which
they did not seem to find.
"That is all. All correct" continued
Judge Wickham. "Deacon Morris
and / are executors. Everything goes
to Madeleinel I'll take possession at
once. That is, I'll leave her in full
possession"
'Give me that paper!n roared Jacob
Lapham. "It isn't the willp'
"Yes, it isl' replied the judge. 81
know the signatures. I saw it put
there. I was here. It's all right,
jacob" D.
"There's another will The safe
has been robbedl Money missingI Pap
ers missingl Pm robbed"
sit isn't your safe, Jacob; it is Miss
Lane's safe. If there is ano ther will,
produce it.'
"Leave the housel Pm in control
here! Get outl Pm in possessionI
81 think not" answered Judge
Wickham. "Your authority has ceased.
Miss Lane is in possession. She is ab-
solute, unquestionable owner. You
and Steve must gol''
II was of little use to storm, but of
course there was storm, and it was
all the worse because Of the bewilder-
ing conduct of that safe. 1t contain.
ed no other will, and when Judge
Wickham shut it up it almost seemed
to wink at him. The Judge did not
storm, but he was firm, and SO was
Madeleine, and she, too, was calm, al
though she remarked:
''If Stephen were gentleman he
would not wish to remain. knowing
as he does, how utterly detest him.
After what you have said and done,
Mr.. Lapham, you must go at once. All
that belongs to you has been put into
your own room.o
"Come upstairs" Steve," said his
father; and as soon as they were in
Steve's room, he added: "Wickham is
going out 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, where
be 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, Jeff2s asked Judge
Wickham. ''Am not I to know the
new combinationP Can't you explain
it to me2"
"Simplest thing in the world" said
JEFF. ''Lots of people remember their
safe combinations that way. The rid
die was no riddle at all.'
s.Independence, Fourth of July, and
the days of the weekP How was itp"
I must say it's riddle to me-"
"Why," said JEFF, ''don't you see itP
The year. 1776. The days, Z. Divide
so-17-7-76. to get your three num-
bers. Twist the knob the usual way.
That did it,"
"How it it now?" asked the lawyer.
s'All independence and freedom"
said jeff. SIT is 17-21-76, and that's
what'll puzzle old Jacob when he
comes down stairs. But it's a good
thing to know how to set and reset a
lock-"
jeff was in another part of the house
when the Laphams we're puzzled, but
he knew how it was. Even the lock
seemed to enjoy it as they tried to
make it once more remember its old
numbers.
s'It's an awful riddle. Steve." groan-
ed old Jacob; shut we can't get in"
That, alas for then, lament 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 of
Mrs. Madeleine Meredith's fingers.
81 feel SO safe now." she said; "and
it is what mother would have wished. +"
''Madeleine's,n he answered her,
'.there are some combinations of which
only God knows the secret. This is
one of them, and it is locked forever"
-McCIure's Monthly.
Jenkins-"T wonder how it happens that
Miss Kidd is ALWAYS ont wnen I nall2D