The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1899-02-04
STRANGER THAN FICTIGN.
A. Such May He Classed This Tale Of
Plain. Unvarnish.d
Facts.

In ali the 20 years of his married life
Mr.. Greenup had never forgotten to lock
after the valuable portable property of
the family before retiring to rest at
night.
1t WAS lis invariabie custom TO lock
up the ieweiry, gold and silver ware.
and other tempting articles of like ma
lure. in Il cunningly devised closet of
his own invention. let into the wall O,
the Gining-roOm 50 skillfully that the
most experienced burglar would never
suspect lis presence.
Then. having concealed in Il ONE
what similar way whatever money he
happened 10 have about him. Mr.. Green
up'> unvarying habit was to examine
the fastcning> of the doors and win
GowS. place a sheet OF zinc or tin under
the rug at the foot of the stairway lead
ing up 10 the sleeping apartments~thr
mission of this sheet of metal being TO
emit Il loud noise when stepped on
after which he always went to bed.
For the proper understanding of this
narrative it i necessary to emphasize
'hc fact that these precautions had
never been omitted. no matter how late
the hour. To observe them had become
second nature with Mr.. G%rccnup.
One night last week. however. when
Oh the point Of making his usual rounds.
he was disturbed by the loud ringing Of
the GnCr bell.
On going in person to answer it he
found Il boy with Il telegram.
The telegram was to the effect that
ar elderly aunt of his wife'> was on her
way to visit the family. and waulL he
al the station at six O'Clock the next
morning. Would he please meet her
there"
To comply with this request il would
be Necessary for him to st the alarm
clock fer five Il. IN.
No. boy. there's 40 answer.
lie closed and locked the door, and
with the telegram in his hand went up
stairs 10 reas>urc his uneasy wife and
to >tr the alarm clock.
Then he undrcS>cd and went To bed.
Five minutes later. when ON the poin:
CT falling 20 sleep. he remembered with
u sensation likr a sudden Jolt that he
had forgotten to secure the family val
uabIe> and examine the doors and win
dow>.
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 imc
there has never been any attempt 10
break into this house. have spent-le;
mesec-at least ten minutes every night
locking things up. Twenty times 365-
that's easy-i> 100. Ten times that fig
ure is $4,000. Great Scott. have spent
$4,000 minutes-that's over loo hours.
or.l20 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. Ii one wanted to get in he'd do
ii anyhow. Does it seem likely that the
one night in 1.sO0 when | miss locking
things up i to be the one night that
some burglar is going 10 select for rob
bling this house? Hardly. III run my
chances OF it, anyway"
And tie went TO sleep.
The night sped away.
No sound disturbed the peaceful
slumbrrS OF Mr.. Grccuup.
Until five a. III.
Their the alarm clock aroused him.
Intent Crly on dressing in Il hurry.
attending 20 the furnace, AMI arousiEg
til" kitchen girl to the ncccssityo of hay
ing a EMP of hot coffee for Aunt Pencil
opc at go. and, forgetting all about
his reflections and computations Of Il
few hour before. he hastencG down
stairs.
Then the recollection OF his willfui
negligence. his indolent calculation of
chances. came upon him with Il rush.
The air OF the rooms seemed somehow
different. Hastily he lighted the gas
and looked about him. lie saw-nuth-
ing unusual. The house had not been
entered.
Nh. no.
With Il fcciin" akin TO sorrow the
narrator admits it. Fact i 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 Il burglary
that had only one chance in 100 of
taking place.-Chicago Tribune.