The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-02-21
The Smile Of a
Child
By EDITH v. ROSS

BY EDITH ". ROSS
Jim Gorton was working for a safe
and lock company. He was very
poor and had not long been given en-
ployment-indeed, he was in debt. He
had a wife and several small children
and found it difficult to keep them in
food and clothing.
One day Jim was summoned to a
gentleman's house for the purpose of
picking the lock of a silverware and
jewel safe. It was an elegant home,
and when Jim walked on the hand
some thick rugs he thought Of the
bare floors in his own home and could
not be reconciled to this man having
so much and he having so little. He
was shown into a small room where a
safe was inserted into the wall. The
combination had been lost, and he was
directed to open the safe by picking
the lock. He found the job not a diff
cult n and, having arranged a COM
bination, gave it to the lady Of the
house and went his way.
Time came when the concern that
Jim was with determined to reduce
its working force, and he lost his Job.
His wife got sick, and the condition
of the family was d~eplorable. Jim
thought what a difference a little mon
ey would make to him and those he
saw suffering. He remembered the
wealth scattered about in the house
where he had fixed the lock and espe-
cially the gems and silver plate he
found in the safe he had opened.
Then came the temptation to get at
that safe, open it and take enough of
it's contents to relieve the frightful
condition of his family.
For awhile he resisted. He had a
boy. little Jim, the apple OF his eye,
and shuddered at the idea Of that boy
when he grew to manhood knowing
| that his father had been a criminal.
But he could not bear the strain of
his children crying for what he could
not give them, and n night in a fit
Of desperation he determined to get
into the safe. One small diamond-it
would scarcely be missed-would make
q great difference in his home.
At midnight, when not a light ap-
peared in the rich mans house, Jim
raised a window with a jimmy and,
entering the kitchen, made his way
softly upstairs. He remembered the
location of the room where he had
worked on the safe and went straight
to it, or, rather, to an adjoining room
that led into it. A light was burning
in the hall, which enabled him to see
his way. Softly turning the knob Of
the anteroom. he saw some one, a
nurse, sleeping soundly with her face
to the wall. He withdrew and tried
the door leading from the hall into
the safe room. 1t opened easily, and
he entered. BY the dim light that
came from without he saw a child's
crib. A gas jet was burning low, and
he turned it slightly on.
For a moment it seemed to him that
his own dear little Jim was sleeping
in that crib. At any rate a boy just
like Jim was there. his two chubby
arms outside the covers. Jim studied
for a moment what to do. He could
shut the door, turn up the gas and
within a minute open the safe, for
which he had the combination. The
boy might not awaken. and If he did
Jim could keep him quiet. He turned
up the light and was working on the
knob when. CHANGING at the crib, h.
saw that the child's eyes were open
and fixed on him. When Jim looked
at him his face broke into q smile.
That ended Jim's attempt at bur-
glary. Within a few seconds what he
needed would be within his grasp. but
he couldn't take it past that innocent
smile. He left the safe and, advanc-
ing to the boy, bent down and kissed
him. The little chap seized his finger
and held 1t in his little fist. Jim gent
~ loosened the clasp and, giving the
boy another kiss. left the room. He
was about to 60 downstairs when he
heard a mans voice say:
Stand! I've got the drop on you"
Jim obeyed. A man in a dressing
gown came out Of a room and, keeping
Jim covered, marched him downstairs
into the dining room, where he COM
manded him to throw the plumber he
had taken on the dining 0 table.
II haven't any plunder," said Jim.
though l could have taken the con-
tents Of your safe. know the comb
nation"
know the combination! How did
you get 1T"
I'm the mar who opened your safe
for you not long ago."
You that man! l thought your fea-
lures were familiar"
YES" said Jim, turning his pockets
inside out. Then he told the gentle
man his story, how he had been tempt
ed to come there and how he had been
saved from taking any plumber by the
smile Of an innocent child. III you
will come up to the safe ROOM" he
added, 'I'll show you that l had COM
IDleted the opening Of the SAFE"