The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-03-16
STRANGER THAN FICTION.
Al such May he Chased This Tale OF
Plain, Unvarnished
Facts.

l FACt9s
In all the 90 years of his married life
Mr.. Greenup had never forgotten to look
after the valuable portable property of
the family before retiring to res: at
night. ~
1t was his invaria BILE custom to lock
up the jewelry, gold and silver ware,
and other tempting articles of like ma
ture, in cunninglydevised closet of
his own invention, let into the wall of
the dining-room so skillfully that the
most experienced burglar would never
| suspect its presence.
Then, having concealed in some
what similar way whatever money he
happened to have about him, Mr.. Green
ups unyarying habit was to examine
the fastenings of the doors and VIM
dows, place sheet of zinc or tin under
the rug at the foot of the stairway lead
ing up to the sleeping apartments-th
mission of this sheet of metal being to
emit loud noise when stepped on
after which he always went to bed.
For the proper understanding of this
narrative it is necessary to emphasize
the fact that these precautions had
never been omitted, no matter how late
the hour. To observe them had become
second nature with Mr.. Greenup.
One night last week, however, when
on the point of making his usual rounds,
he was disturbed by the loud ringing of
| the door bell.
On going in person to answer it he
found boy with telegram.
The telegram was to the effect that
an elderly aunt OF his wife's was on her
way to visit the family, and would be
at the station at six o'clock the next
morning. Would he please meet her
there?
To comply with this request it would
! be necessary for him to set the alarm
clock for five a. IN.
mo, boy. there's no answer"
He closed and locked the door, and
with the telegram in his hand went up
stairs to reassure his uneasy wife and
to set the alarm clock.
Then he undressed and went to bed
Five minutes later, when OH the point
CT falling to sleep, he remembered with
sensation like sudden jolt that he
had forgotten to secure the family val
uables and examine the doors and win
dows.
First time in 20 years. he said to
himself as he prepared to get up again.
Then he lay back and reflected.
Twenty years! And in all that ime
there has never been any attempt to
break into this house. l have spent-let
inc seat least ten minutes every night
locking things up. Twenty times 365-
that's easy-is 1900. Ten times that fig
ure is $4,000. Great Scott! Ihave spent
$4,000 minutes-that's over 1900 hours.
or 12o working days of ten hours each
in doing something that has proved to
be absolutely useless. And / haven't
allowed anything for leap years. Per-
haps I've been away from home enough
| nights to make up for that. Four solid
months thrown away! And never bur-
glar! If one wanted TO get in he'd dc
it anyhow. Does it seem likely that the
one night in 1900 when l miss locking
things up is to be the one night that
some burglar is going to select for rob-
bling this house? Hardly. I'll run my
chances OF it, anyway"
And he went to sleep.
The night sped away.
No sound disturbed the peaceful
slumbers of Mr.. Greenup.
Until five a. IN.
Then the alarm clock aroused him.
Intent only on dressing in hurry,
attending to the furnace, and arousing
the kitchen girl to the necessity of hav-
ing cup of hot coffee for Aunt Pencil.
ope at 6:30, and, forgetting all about
his reflections and computations of a
few hours before, he fastened down
stairs.
Then the recollection of his willful
negligence, his indolent calculation OF
chances, came upon him with rush.
The air Of the rooms seemed somehow
different. Hastily he lighted the gas
and looked about him. He saw-noth.
ing unusual. The house had not been
entered.
All, no!
With feeling akin to sorrow the
narrator admits it. Fact is stranger
than fiction, and when reinforced by an
overwhelming array of figures it would
be madness to fly in the face of it with
the trumped-up story of burglary
that had only one chance in 1900 OF
taking place.-Chicago Tribune.
A Glue Cement.
IhiS is unriYaled for cementinn M