Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1903-01-31
w hat .ss%: IKE s.. se,s NEW %a T."
~ - ohcaryad Calhv at ip,,,,aJfn 70


observed Selby, II Immediate
ly begin to look around for the draw
backs"
! Kicking Bill, as usual" remarked
his friend Eggleston. by George,
believe you'd kick in heaven because
your wings were like swans Instead
of peacock's. What in the world
have you got to grumble about now 2"
/ Its just like this replied Selby.
"You see, l have some very large col
iections 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 a peaceful moment while the
moneys In the house and scarcely got
a wink of sleep. There isn't a place |
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"
/ "Thats what I'll have to do" as
sented the other, buy a safe. The
expense is somewhat heavy, but 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 a fee
not only for my professional knowl-
edge Of strong boxes, but also for the
advice l have given you tonight"
The next day the two met at Dev-
ron's. 1t was evident that the epithet
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, a third not strong enough,
u fourth had too easy n 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 sale, Eggleston
came to the rescue.
"Come now, Selby, this Is all non
sense. Here's one that fills the BILL
kot1Dy pIOltSISd. DuL l1SSlCSiOI ISL
ed, and in the end carried his point.
The safe was installed in the library
which adjoined Selby's bedroom. Like
q child with a new toy, he spent the
first few hours after it's 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 a 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
to make sure he had locked the inner
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 n
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 pct besn removed from his
wrist. Next he FASTENED into the IL
brary. No dynamiters had been Mt
work on the safe, which stood as ii
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 leapcd
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 extra acted 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 IL they were dishonest, how could
Lhey HdNe gotten INTO the saIe, eSpe-
cially as the key had never left lis
possession for single instant, and the
dealer had asEured him that there we're
no duplicates
What-but no, it could not be. Yet
Eggleston ha6 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