Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-04-19

and stop when comes the second
time 10 the mark. Turn left. and stop
first time with IL Just past the mark.
Turn right as far as possible and
raise the I'D"
But though very carefully she followed
this, the box would not open. She tried
It again and again. She was sure she
was doing II right-yet the lid would not
raise.
1t was more absorbing and more baf-
fling than any puzzle and she worked
at It almost until Warren came The
lock was sprung or the combination was
wrong-she felt certain OF that.
Cash box GOMEZ" asked Warren
cheerfully. as he hung up his coat in the
hall.
Yes, dear. il came this afternoon"
Open 1t all right? Learn the combina-
tion?7
No. something's wrong. Tn afraid
the lock got sprung In coming"
Nonsense, the locks all right. Bring
II here
Helen brought in the box and the card.
He read the instructions, followed them
quickly, and in a second the box was
open.
There, what's the matter with THAR"
But. dear. how did You do IT, Work
II slowly now and let me see."
He closed the box. threw. off the COM
binstion and opened st again.
'oh. / see now. did do II right, but
! didn't hold the knob back when | tried
to raise the I'D. 1t didn't say that"
They thought you'd know that much.
Now try" locking It again.
Il took several unsuccessful efforts b.
fore she finally opened It. -.t.
There. that's III Now you've got II.
Now won't that be better than poldng
your money around In the bottom OF
drawersf But be sure and don't shut up
this card in the box. II you DO that
before you've memorized II you're gone.
IT'S very simple-you'd better memorize
1t now. then you're sure Of It,"
But Helen was never good at memoir
king, and though she repeated it to her
self several times she was not at all sure
that she knew IT,
The next day the first demand on the
cash box was for the laundry bill Helen
found she Rad entirely forgotten the COM
bination. But the card was there and she
opened 1t, though not without having to
try several times, for she was nervous
and hurried. And when she put back the
bills she put back the card OF instruc-
tons with them and locked the. box.
II was not until later that she realized
what she had done. oh. II only she could
remember the combination. She knew
the first number. ls, but anguish as she
would. she could not recall the other
two. For almost an hour she tried var.
ious numbers-but II was useless.
She shrank from the thought Of having
to admit to Warren that she had been
50 careless. Now that things had gone
so smoothly since his return, she dreaded
anything that might annoy or irritate
him.
And she shrank, too, from SO often
appearing at a disadvantage. Every fool
ish or incapable thing that she ever did
somehow he always knew it, and always
in way that made 1t seem worse than
1t really was. And yet IL she did any
thing exceptionally well, anything in
which she showed unusually good man |
agement or cspsbility, those things some
how never came before him.
Ever since she was married II had been
Ike this. Always she. had appeared to |
him in worse light than 10 any one
else. She never made blunder that she |
did not make II before him or that he |
did not Immediately know Of it. II
seemed almost like a curious fatality.
That evening she made no mention of 1
the box; she wanted to put It off as long 4
as she could. But she knew she would |
need some money the next day, so at
breakfast she asked tinidly:
Warren. do you remember that COM
Remainder II? or course not-I didn't
try. told you to do that"
Yes, / know-but it's so hard for me
to memorize things"
'H.eIl. you haven't lost the card of
have your
''No.-but IL shut it up in the box"
The devil you did. p Well, Of all fool
things. might have known IL BY
George, In some ways you have the least
sense Here. give me the box; I'll take Il
down to the office and keep 1t there. I'll
have il opened somehow"
oh. Warren, I'm sos sorry. I know
It was careless, but l was hurried and
must have gathered up the card with the
bills when ! put them hack
Huh. Hereafter YOU can keep your
money IN any outlandish place you want
to. l might have known no woman
would have sense enough to work a com
hlrra.irar. hlrr - IL L.