The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-02-06
The Smile Of a
Child
BY EDITH v. ROSS

I'll By EDITH v. 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 wife and several small children
and found It difficult to. keep them IN
food and clothing.
One day Jim was summoned to q
eentleman's house for the purpose OF
picking the lock Of q silverware and
Jewel safe. 1t was an elegant home,
and when Jim walked on the hand
some thick rugs he thought Of the
bare floors In bis own home and could
not be reconciled to this man having
90 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 din.
cult one and. having arranged q COM
bination, gave It to the lady Of the
house and went bis 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 deplorable. Jim
thought what difference 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
its 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 one night in fit
Of desperation he determined to get
into the safe. One small diamond-it
would scarcely be missed would make
a great difference in his home.
At midnight, when not light ap-
peared in the rich mans house, Jim
raised window with a Jimmy and,
the kitchen, made bis 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
70 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 child's
RIB. A gas jet was burning low, and
ne turned it slightly on.
For a moment it seemed to him that
his own dear little Jim was sleeping
n that crib. At amy rate boy just
ike Jim was there, his two chubby
.rms outside the covers. Jim studied
,or 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 II he did
FIN could keep him quiet. He turned
Up the light and was working on the
mob when, gtancing at the crib, he
Jaw that the child's eyes were open
md fixed on him. When Jim looked
It him his face broke into smile.
That ended Jim's attempt at bur-
,lary. Within few seconds what he
needed would be within his grasp, but
ne couldn't take it past that innocent
smile He left the safe and, advanc-
ng to the boy, bent down and kissed
aim. The little chap seized his finger
and held it in his little fist. Jim gent
v loosened the clasp and, giving the
boy another kiss, left the room. He
was about to go downstairs when he
heard a mans voice say:
"Stand! I've got the drop on you"
Jim obeyed. A man IN dressing
gown came out Of room and, keeping
Jim covered, marched him downstairs
into the dining room, where he COM
him to throw the plumber he
had taken OH the dining room table.
II haven't any plumber" said Jim,
though l could have taken the con-
tents Of your safe. know the combi-
nation.'
"Know the combination! How did
you get it?'
I'm the man who opened your safe
for you not long ago"
you that man! I 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
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