The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1903-01-30
000 HENEVER I get a new Job
WNW that seems like a gold mlne,"

his friend Eggleston. "By George, 1
believe you'd kick in heaven because
your wings were like a swans Instead
of peacock's. What in the world
have you got to grumble about now?"
'It's just like this" replied Selby.
''You see, 1 have some very large col
lections to make every Saturday night,
which have to keep In the house I'M
til Monday. L don't like the RESPONSE
bility. It's wearing on my nerves.
haven't q peaceful moment while the
moneys Up the house and scarcely got
wink of sleep. There isn't a place 1
can put it and feel that it's secure"
WELL" suggested Eggleston, "my
advice is, first to take a nerve tonic,
and then to buy a safe"
That's what I'll have to do" as
scented the other, "buy a safe. The
expense is somewhat heavy, but 1 can't
stand the strain any longer. Look here.
Eggleston, suppose you meet me to-
morrow noon at Devron's and help me
to select one"
"Glad to do 1t, old man." answered
Eggleston, "but I'll charge you Il fee
not only for my professional knowl-
edge of strong boxes, but also for the
advice have given you tonight"
The next day the two met at Dew
rons. 1t was evident that the epithct
Of Kicking Bill' which his friends had
long ago bestowed upon Selby was not
SANDER. According to him there was
not a suitable safe in the whole estab-
lishment. One was too large, another
too small, third not strong enough,
fourth had too easy a combination.
After a couple of hours examination
of the whole stock and when the
weary salesman, having vainly extoll-
ed the merits OF his wares with all
his traders eloquence, at length de-
SPARED of making a sale, Eggleston
came to the rescue.
Come now, Selby, this is all non
sense. Here's one that fills the BILL
Selby protested; but Eggleston insist
ed, and in the end carried his point.
The safe was installed in the library,
which adjoined Selby's bedroom. Like
child with a new toy, he spent the
first few hours after its arrival play
ing with the combination until he could
almost work it with his eyes shut.
The first Saturday after his purchase
he brought home fat wad of green
backs, which he carefully deposited in
the inner compartment Of the safe,
locked the door, put the key In his
pocket, closed the outer door and twist
ed the combination back and forth for
five full minutes; then opened it again
compartment, and repeated the whole
process.
He went to bed that night with the
key to the inner door tied to his wrist.
Nevertheless, sleep was as difficult to
induce as ever. If the floor in the hall
creaked he imagined that some one
was stealing into the library, and q
thorough investigation had to be made.
But physical and mental exhaustion
finally won the upper hand.
When he awoke the next morning
his first act was to feel for the key.
1t had not been removed from his
wrist Next he FASTENED into the IL
brary. No dynamiters had been mt
work on the safe, which stood as If
gazing at him in silent disdain at his
anxiety. He quickly opened the outer
door, and, with trembling fingers, in
serted the key into the lock of the in
ner compartment A twist, pull and
its door was open. His heart leaped
violently to his throat. then dropped
exhausted and seemed to cease its
beating altogether. Only gaping, mock
ing, hopeless, awful emptiness met his
searching eyes. Not the slightest YES
| tige of the treasure remained.
But who had extracted it, and how
He reported the matter to the police
and detectives were sent to the house
AS is their wont, they Immediately Sis
pected the servants. Impossible. They
had been in the family for years. and
even if they were dishonest, how could
they have gotten into the safe, espe-
cially as the key had never left his
possession fer a single instant, and the
/ ucdieI udu dshufeu MN llil lueIe were
no duplicates
What-but no, it could not be! Yet
EgglestOn haS insisted rather deter
minedly upon BIS taking that particular
safe. No, he would not believe it OF
his friend. Still, such breaches of
friendship were not unheard Of. Could
1t be that Eggleston and the clerk were
in collision, and that Egglcston had
obtained a duplicate key? But how
could he have gotten into the house,