Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1903-02-13
NN1 HENEVER 1 get a new job
\vAVj that Seems like a co1d nina -

oDocINeu OclDy, L lulLtSuldlc-
ly begin to look around for the draw
backs"
Kicking Bill, as USUAL remarked
his friend Eggleston. "By George, 1
believe you'd kick in heaven because
your wings were like a swans instead
of a ~peacock's. What in the world
have you got to grumble about now?"
ITS just like this" replied Selby.
You see, l have some very large col
lections to make every Saturday night,
which l have to keep in the house I'M
til Monday. l don't like the RESPONSE
Dility. It's wearing ON my nerves. l
haven't a peaceful moment while the
moneys in the house and scarcely got
a wink of sleep. There isn't q place l
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
sented 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 it, old man. answered
Eggleston, "but I'll charge you II 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 Dew
ron's. 1t was evident that the epithct
of "Kicking Bilr' which his friends had
long ago bestowed upon Selby was not
a Islander. According to him there was
not a suitable safe in the whole cstab-
lishment. One was too large, another
too small, a third not strong enough,
Il 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 u 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
cd, and in the end carried his point.
The safe was installed in the library,
which adjoined Selby's bedroom. Like
n 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 n 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. IT the floor in the hall
creaked he imagined that some one
was stealing into the library, and a
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 H.
brary. No dynamiters had been ut
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, n pull and
It's 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 II, and how?
He reported the matter to the police,
and detectives were sent to the house.
AS Is their wont. they Immediately sus-
pccted the servants. Impossible! They
even II they were dishonest. how could
they have gotten into the safe. espc-
cially as the key had never left his
possession for n single instant. and the
dealer had assured him that there we're
no duplicates.
What-but no. It could not be. Yet
Eggleston had insisted rather deter.
mlnedly upon his taking that particular
safe. No, he would not believe 1t OF
his friend. Still, such breaches of
friendship were not unheard OF. Could
Il be that Eggleston and the clerk were
I'm collusion, and that Eggleston had