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11
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THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: APRIL 5, 1908.
WHAT SHOULD IE DO?
A Problem" Study by Charles Morris Dutler
A $200.00 Free Cash Prize Mystery Story
T
,HE last day of the month ar-
rived. As the head book
keeper took his departure
from the office of the Cur
rier Publishing eomrrjiiy.
publishers of the Woman's
World, he placed upon the president's
desk a written statement of the
month's business. The president was
busy at the time conversing with the
advertising manager relative to noma
new business about to be placed In the
magazine. Instead of looking at the
report Immediately, as wai his usual
habit, he placed the package, consist
ing of a number of loose sheets, upon
a handy shelf In the vault at hand.
The safe, or Vault, was one of those
massive concerns built right Into the
walls of the bulldlnsa; a huge Iron
bound and fireproof room without ven
tilation, and supposed to be bur
glar as well as fireproof. The bur
glar proof safe was In one end of the
vault
The conversation with the advertis
ing manager took up quite a little
time, and finally the twain left the
room and adjourned to a nearby cafe
for dinner. It was quite dark . when
the president returned. He always
made It a point to closely scrutinize
the office reports at the end of each
month, to, as he explained It, "Start
with a clean- sheet" for the next
month. In the quiet of the evening
he turned on the lights In his private
office and, going to the safe in the
cashier's room, grabbed from their
resting place the pile of sheets. Soon
he was busy perusing the information
contained in them.
The time flew by quickly and before
he finished it was pretty near mid
night. Somehow or other the sheets
did not seem to balance. There
seemed to be a difference between the
bookkeeper's account of money re
ceived and money in hand in the safe.
The bookkeeper was known to be a
very careful and methodical ' man.
The publisher felt In his heart that
the books must have balanced or his
employe would have turned the report
over to him for inspection. So the
president again and again went
through the bundle to try and locate
the mistake.
After a long struggle, without man
aging to make head or tall out of the
mess, he was about to give up the
quest, when he was struck by a very
happy thought.
"Unconsciously," said he to him
self, "In going into the vault in the
dark I have undoubtedly left at least
one sheet of paper upon the shelf,
which will clear un this tangle!
What a fool I have been to not think
of that before!"
Instead of turning on the electric
light, which was suspended over the
huge Iron door, the "president, deem
ing himself sufficiently familiar with
the surroundings both outsldo and in
side the vault, groped his way into the
next room and the open doorway, and
felt around the shelf for the missing
sheet. The flrBt place he tried he
found nothing but a pile of ledgers.
Going In a little farther, he ran his
hand asalnst the corner of the petty
cash box.
"I am afald I shall have to strike a
match," ho said. Irritably, "but if the
patrolman sees me In here he will
think sure I am a robber and either
shoot at me or raise such a rumpus
that the whole building will be alive
with firemen and policemen in a
minute!" So he continued to grope.
Finally bis hand closed upon a piece
of paper, which he was sure was the
Eheet he was looking for.
Then he became aware of a
painful accident. In entering the
vault his coat had become entangled
In the lock of the door. Quickly the
door had swung to, and Just as he
was about to retrace his steps he
heard a faint snap, and he became con
scious that he was locked within the
vault!
The horror of the situation
dawned upon him! He was a prisoner
in the air-proof safe! In desperation
he threw himself against the door.
Then he tried to push the walls apart,
but to no avail. How long could he
live in the close atmosphere? ' It was
Saturday night. Though the air within !
rould be breathed over and over, could
It last until Monday morning? The
thought was folly. Long before the
arrival of the bookkeeper or cashier
the president knew that he would be
a dead man.
Terhaps an hour passed; to the man
in the vault it seemed an a sc. The
air was already stifling. The exertion,
mental and physical, that the presi
dent was undergoing brought out
great beads of sweat all over his body.
He pictured himself slowly suffocating
felt his hair turn gray. Imagined
his eyes bulging from their sockets.
Then merciful oblivion struck hlni.
He fell down, limp and helpless, upon
the granite floor.
At about the time the president
and the advertising manager were
dining together, not far off, In a less
pretentious place were also dining two
very different characters. The place
was the back room of a disreputable
saloon; and the two men were of the
class called "cracksmen."
"The Job's easy enough, I tell you,
Bill," Bald one of the twain. "The
firm occupies the whole of a six-story
building. There is only one watchman
for the place, and there are six floors
to guard."
"Well," says Bill, as he took a sip
out of a bottle before him, "wot's to
be got out of it? You know I can't
risk getting caught for 15 cents!"
"The firm employs 200 or 300 peo
ple the year round. They must take
In stacks of dough every day to pay
them off and their other expenses.
Why, say, I know for a fact, Bill, they
give away in prizes every month more
money than we ever saw at one time.
They can't bank after 2 o'clock, and
I'll swear there is thousands In the
safe right now!" The talker seemed
to be more than half-educated. His
speech was refined and the sound of
his voice gentle for one of his trade.
"Well, Cull, wot you say goes, then,
I'm wld you!" "Cull" and "BUI" con
tinued to talk and plan for quite
a while. Finally they seperated, after
agreeing to meet again at a certain
time and place, which was at about
twelve, in the neighborhood of the
Woman's World office.
"Oh," pshaw!" said Bill, "there is a
light in one of the office rooms. I sup
pose dere's some darn fool bookkeeper
up there trying to balance his blasted
books for the month!" Bill was quite a
shrewd man in his way. His "calling
necessarily made him a very "wise"
philosopher.
"Hain't seen a form move up there
for an hour!" said "Cull," thought
fully "Wouldn't be surprised if the
darn fool went home and left it burn
ing It's right next door to the safe,
too. We'll have to get the light out
some way. Next time the watchman
goes into the basement, which should
be pretty quick now, we'll go right in
and upstairs, and see v. hat it's all
about."
They were as good as their word.
When the watchman disappeared into
the basement they boldly entered the
building and rapidly walked up the
stairway. Boldness is their great
forte. To sneak in would have given
them away. They peered through the
glass doorway into the president's
room, which was ajar
No ono was in sight. The light was
burning brightly, but there was noth
ing like a coat or hat In view to let
them know that a human being was
around. "Bill" and "Cull" very calmly
opened up the window leading to a
fire escape at the end of the hall in
the rear of the building and rapidly
climbed to the roof. Noiselessly they
went to the front of the building, and
while "Bill" waited, gun in hand,
"Cull" climbed down the front fire es
cape and soon found himself looking
into the president's room from the top
landing.
One must not think "Cull" did this
' part openly, or that "BUI" was stand
ing where he could be seen by passers
by on the street. "Cull" was exposed
to view for only about thirty seconds.
While a passing electric car was mov
ing down the street, with noise of
clanging bell and the din of grinding
wheels, which sounded hideous
through the quiet midnight air, he
made his play, then hid among the
scroll-worked landing behind the
standplpe. "Bill" was lying down upon
the roof In the shadow of the smoke
stack, from where he could peer over
the roof at his partner.
Cautiously "Cull" opened the win
dow and entered the room, turned out
the light and quickly made his escape
up the fire escape again. The watch
man made his customary rounds
again. He did not seem to think it
out of the ordinary that no light was
in the president's room. He thought,
perhaps, as It was a common occur
rence for the president to come and
go when he pleased, that the president
had finished his work and gone home.
Then he went down Into the basement
to eat his midnight dinner. He had
delayed doing so until after, as he
thought, all the tenants had retired.
."Cull" seemed to be pretty well
aware of the watchman's habits. As
soon as the guardian disappeared the
two boldly climbed down the rear fire
escape, and with a skeleton key
opened the office door and entered the
room containing the safe. It didn't
take them long to get to work upon
the vault.
The publisher was aroused from his
stupor by an unearthly noise, as it
seemed to him. His ears rang; a
grating, creeping sensation seemed to
split his ears. He thought death ap
proaching. But what he heard was
not the clatter of the hoof of the grim
destroyer, but the sound of the
cracksmen's drill as they laboriously
bored their way Into the interior of
the safe. The noise made was deafen
ing to the man In the vault.
The president did not realize what
was going on for quite a little time.
Before he realized it fully a very tiny
hole had been made In the door. The
air revived him. He knew what was
up. While breathing in the luxury of
fresh ozone he pounded upon the
panel.
For a moment the burglars were
nonplussed. Then they realized the
true situation of affairs. The man who
was responsible for leaving the light
burning had locked himself in the
safe! What should they do? They
were confronted with a problem such
as they had never experienced before.
To leave the man in there they knew
would mean his death. To rescue him
might mean capture to them.
"For God's sake give me air!" the
president finally hollered through the
pinhole.
As if by mutual consent the daring
burglars worked like beavers to en
large the aperture, and finally a hole
the size of the end of a pencil was
created. But the problem was still
to be solved to them, who was the man
In the vault? What would happen if
he was released? They were out for
money; would they succeed In getting
it? Finally, to a certain extent, the
problem was settled by the president
himself. He poked a tbin strip of
paper through the hole, upon which
was written not very Intelligently:
"Turn the handle over to three,
then to fifteen, then to sixty-five."
"Cull" laughed as he read the note
by the aid of his dark lantern. "Say,
'Bill,' this Is a heap better nor blow
ing the door open. It makes less
noise!"
"What are you going to do with
the man If you let him out?" queried
"Bill."
"That depends," said "Cull." non
chalantly. "It's an open-and-shut
fact, however, 'Bill,' that we have got
to let him out. Because If we don't
he will die. Then, suppose another
case. Suppose we had been seen get
nabbed and all that. It this man is
found dead in the sate, what's to hin
der the 'fly mugs' from swearing that
we put him In there and then bolted
the door?"
"That's so, 'Cull.' And then there's
another thing; If we don't open the
door, we don't get the money. But
do we get the money if we open It?"
"Don't know, 'Bill.' All I know Is,
we've got to open the door, no matter
what comes."
While the burlars were talking the
publisher was thinking. The thought
of getting out he heard the moving
of the knob of the combination work
ing made him a thinking man again.
What should he do when he got out?
He could picture In his mlnd'a eye
the scene which would confront him.
Would the burglars meet him at the
point of a revolver and bind and gag
him without giving him a chance to
speak? Or would they be so Innocent
as to allow him to touch an elec
tric alarm bell by the side of the vault,
which he knew exactly where to find.
Could he reach his revolver, which lay
in his desk, and so bar the way of es
cape of the burglars In case they tried
to escape the front way?
But what was the best thing to do?
Suppose he should be able to ston the
burglars from escaping, wouldn't that
be kind of a dirty trick, a mean re
ward to offer the men for rescuing
him fiorfi certain death? What is the
value of the money in the safe in
comparison with the value of his lite?
These things flashed through his mind
with the rapidity of lightning. The
publisher was in a dilemma. WHAT
SHOULD HE DO?
"Bill" and "Cull" were not very ex
pert In opening safes by simply using
the combination. But finally the door
swung open. As the releasing "click"
was heard, so also was heard the
Bound of footsteps upon the stairway.
The watchman was coming upstairs.
The president stepped out from the
vault.
What happened when the publisher
of the Woman's World found himself
a free man? Did he press the electric
button, grab his revolver and bar the
burglar's escape, call for the watch
man, or what? Here Is a problem
play, not unlike the deathless story of
Frank Stockton and his problem of
the "Lady or the Tiger?"
The sequel to this story, and It con
tains quite a big surprise, will be pub
lished In the WOMAN'S WORLD.
Wouldn't you like to read the author's
surprising solution of this problem?
The publishers of the WOMAN'S
WORLD also offer $200.00 in cash
prizes for the fifty-two besi sequels
or endings to this story. The prizes
will be as follows: First prize, for
best completion, $50.00; second prize,
$30.00; third prize, $25.00; fourth
prize, $10.00; seventh prize, $5.00;
forty-five prizes of $1.00 each for the
next best Bequels.
The names of the winners apd some
of the winning articles will be pub
lished in the WOMAN'S WORLD. The
prizes will be awarded by the author
of the story himself, Charles Morris
Butler, and everyone who deBlres may
compete. The prizes will not be
awarded on the basis of similarity to
the author's sequel. This contest
closes May 30. Send In your articles.
The awards are numerous, the contest
interesting, so you had better com
pete. Address replies to WOMAN'S
WORLD. Publisher's Contest. 48 W.
Monroe Street, Chicago. Apart from ,
the contest wo would like your sub
scription for WOMAN'S WORLD.
You can .then see what a splendid
magazine we are publishing. For 2 5
cents per year or 10 cents for a Ave
months' trial the WOMAN'S WORLD
is a literary bargain. See advertise
ment below.
7 Jfcw-X h-Am aX
Tl (V) TTWlnrnVN ' For the Largest
.ID JjLMJ VICjIX ii u) Magazine in the Wc
World
T
TTTTTTl
HE WOMAN'S WORLD has the largest circulation of any publication in the whole world
over two million' 2,000,000 subscribers and ten million readers. The reason? Woman's
World is the best magazine tor the price published costs only 25 cents for a whole year,
or 10 cents for 5 months' trial. Better reading by more famous authors than any 1.00 magazine published. Below are some of the contributors to Woman s World
only a few of them, but enough to give an idea of the character of writers for this great little low-priced magazine the magazine of quality and quantity-y-in
quantity of subscribers (over two million), and in the quantity of reading an abundance of the best. The cover design on the Woman's World is printed in
1 J r 1 TM . M 1 .1 1- C f
lour colors, l ne conmoutors mentioned on mis page comprise umy u icw oi
the well-knowa names, a guarantee of the high class reading which will appear in the
Woman's World. The Woman's World for the small sum of 25 cents is a mammoth
literarv bargain, containing an abundance of the best reading matter by the best writers
Forrest Crissey
Write the editorial in Wommi'i World:
Mr. 1 Orlseoy 1 the author of "The Country
Hoy," "Tue Making of an American School
Teacher," "The TsttUnrs of a Retired
Politician." and the series on country life
now appearing In Herper's Msgaslne. We
hare aefected Mr. Crlseey for thla Important
work because be la In such clos touch with
the people of thla country. Anyone who
reada the "Saturday Evening- Fot" will
acre with thla statement.
Roswell Field
The beat critic Bay, epeaktnf of Roawell
Field, that "he wrttea English aa pure and
charming aa Hawthorne'a." He la a brother
of the late Kugene Field, the famoua "Poet
sf tbe Children." Roe well Field a name
will appear In a number of early lasuea ef
the Woman' World. In the next leeu we
will publish quite a long atory from hla
'pen. entitled "Her First Leaeon in Criml
nolocy," atrong. tntenaely Interesting eir
ratlve of a striking adventure in a glrl'a
lift.
Elia W. Peattie
Ella W. Peattie's name la familiar to all
readers of the high-priced magaalne. Beery
atory ahe wrttea is tbe best. Her stories,
"At the Edge of Things" and "A Moaataln
Woman," were praised far and wide. Her
short serial story, "The O' Houlihan," now
running In the woman' World, I equally
sure te attract wide attention and comment.
Beside tbla serial Mrs. Peattie will alao
furnish other contribution to the W sterna's
World during tbe year. "A Tear Vase,"
another new atory by Mrs. Peattie, wrll ap
pear In the June Woman' WerM.
Opie Read
Probably Opto Read la the moat popular
writer lu America. Certainly be la one of
the moat delightful of American atory tell
ers, aa he has the rare faculty of blending
delirious humor with fascinating romsncs.
Mr. Read haa new original story in nearly
every Lane of the Woman'. World and ws
can promise our readers full eight of hi
(terias during the current year.
Margaret Sangster
Certainly no woman with a home can af
ford to miss the confidential counsel which
thla rare woman, Mr. Sangster, wise In the
secrets of the heart, gives every month in
the Woman' World to thla big family of
homemakera and housekeepers. Margaret E.
Sangater la possibly the moat celebrated
writer about affair of tbe home on thla con
tinent. Tbe till of bar regular department
in the Woman' World la "Mr. Sangster'
Horn Page."
General Charles King
This popular writer liaa been engaged to
write a new serial atory for the Woman's
World, which will start in an early twue,
possibly In the June or July Issue. It la a
atory which a number of careful critic hare
pronounced General Klng'a maaterpiece, and
u aure to delight the readera of tb
Woman's World.
Jane Addams
The idte' Heme Journal tn an editorial
In tbe March Issue nay that Jan Addams
of Chlcsgo la the greateat living American
woman. Mlaa Addama baa written an article
on her work for tbe Woman' World, which
will appear la an early lean.
Henry M. Hyde
"Marvel of Modern Scieoce and Mechan
ic" la the name of regular department la
the Woman' World which delights and In
terests every member of tee neaaeneld from
the boy or girl of eight to the grandmother
or grandfather of eighty. It I Dtaatrated
and conducted by Henry M. Hyde, eat tor
of the Technical World and aa either of
wide reputation. Here are tbe title of
few of the subject touched on tn this Inter
esting department: "How to Make Ink that
Shinee at Night." "To Make Magic Polish
ing Cloth." "How to quickly Exterminate
Noxloua Weede," "To Build a Home Made
Icebox," "How to Make Wsterproof Olue,"
"How to best Remove Ink Spot." The
department embrace tbe latest practical
scientific Information.
in the country. There is no other magazine, pnee considered, to be compared to it. It is the only low-priced
tiood magazine with any circulation to speak of in the whole country. Just think of it for only 25 cents per
year, the Woman's World will publish any number of stories that will appear later in book form and Bell for
from $1.00 to $1.50 each. We offer you hundreds of excellent short stories as high cJaas as any published in any
$1.00, $2.00 or $3.00 magazines; fully half a dozen short serials that later will make small fl.OU books three or
four large novels which later will make $1.50 books any number of special articles by world-famous celebri
ties articles not only by big people, but articles that are strikingly interesting; many helpful, entertaining
and instructive departments, also, by the best writers in their respective nelds; the best poems the
best short items and fillers, first-class illustrations, many of them in colors,
only 23 cents for a whole year. You will say how can we do it?
YDUE
I rpl jsss&rsa The Woman's World is printed on one
IniLLU t
Harriet Prescott Spofford
"A Way and Will" la tbe title of a
new atory from tbe pen of thb gifted writer,
which haa been written for the Woman's
World. It la the story of the life of a
little orphan girl adopted by a rich womau
who later loeea her wealth and who In return
la dependent upon tbe little heroin of the
atory. Nearly everyone who hae read the
manuscript cf this story has been compelled
to wle their eyes, though everything "come
out all right" la tb end.
Maud Ballington Booth
Putting Jane Addams first, tb editor of
the Ladles' Home Journal consider. Maud
Ballington Booth of the Volunteer Salvation
Army of America tb second greateat woman
in America. Uesirous to furnish Its readera
with tha beat from the greateat and moat
widely known, the Woman World, In addi
tion to having secured an original and ex
elusive article from Jane Addama, haa also
secured an article of great merit and inter
eat from Maud Halllngtoa Booth, which will
be published In the June or July Issue.
Edwin Balmer
Mr. Calmer 1 tb author of the brilliant
"Wlrelesa" torle which appeared In tbe
Saturday Evening Post. H Srst appeared
on the literary horlsoa a result ef tb
Srst "Collier Pria Ktory Contest." ."The
Relief," by Edwin Balmer, will appear In
the May Issue of the Woman' World. "The
Love Portion" In tbe June issue, ana other
etortee by tb urn author In later Issues,
Send 7&a
Frances A. Stetson
Needlework, with original tllustrstlona, la
conducted in the Wonau'i World by one of
the best. If not tb beat, authorities on tbla
subject lu America. Mrs. Stetson uepert
msnt In the Woman's World Is "Joy for
ever" te niuety per cent of the worn. read
era. Fancy work deeigua of all deecrtpttoua,
Including crocheting, knitting, embroidery,
etc., are illustrated and so carefully de
scribed, stitch by (tltrh, that they can all
be worked out with esse by any reader who
doea this work.
Elliott Flower
This writer la perhaps the only on who
ver enjoyed tbe distinction of having twelve
separate snort stories published in the Cen
tury alagsiln la on year. Mr. Flower
lory, "A Leap Year Lesson," which ep
pesred ia the April lea tie of tbe Women e
World, mad a great hit with oar readers,
and we are pleased to announce the carle
ubllcatlon of numerous other stories under
is signature, which I guarantee of being
'U worth while."
William Evans,
Chicago's Health Commissioner
Health papera by celebrated physician
will be contributed la nearly every issue.
rr. Evaaa. who la the Health Commissioner
for the City of Chicago, haa already con
tributed la tbe April issae on Rue article
on "Dirty Air la Death." and we hope to
have many other artirlea from Dr. Evans,
aa he I one of the most eminent and well
known author Hie on all "Hum Health
Subjects."
' Ella Wheeler Wilcox
A new lot of poem by 111 Wheeler
Wilcox, who haa been termed tbe "Poet of
Passion." hss been secured for the Woman's
World direct from Mrs. WUcos. who Is now
In Houolulu. These splendid poems will be
published exclusively ia tbe Woman' World
during th year.
(mi
em m vna n r n m namFmMF7mfr?rt
Wa AfA Tvc.tiVA tfiflf nnn( w rrpt vr.n tn rpad tViA Wnmfln'a W.rl.-1 fliaf vrmi xinll 1
' J' V Y V Vvw e.w QVw . v - - " -r If W V .41UV J VU V AAA (U C tl f f) f I) L40 I I il
ways want it. We are so very positive of this fact that if you do not care to subscribe now for -"j, . 3 ?
a full year at 25 cents, we will send you the magazine for FIVE FslOITTtlS FOR
DULY tO C EXITS, We do not send 6ample copies of Woman's World or continue
subscriptions after they expire.
the fastest 4-color presses in the
world a press that cost $50,000.00
and can print a quarter of a million completely folded copies in four colors a day. JN either
do we use coated paper, but a good clean sheet of what is called lo. JL book paper,
Ihese items of fast presswork and low priced paper enable us to furnish a year s sub
a .a . tss a a a -er wa m .
scnption to the woman s World lor only zo cents per year. Whereas, if it was
printed like the high priced magazines and on similar presses, we would be
obliged to ask $1.00 per year for the woman's World. Ihe Woman s World
is like a high priced book with cheap binding the content is there just
the 6ame, only one rs bound in doth or leather and costs $ 1.60, and tbe
other m imitation cloth or paper and coeta 25 cents.
THE CORK EUCJG
In the Mar issue will be commenced tbe opening chap
ters of a new novel "The Corn King," wbiob was written
(or the Woman's World by Forrest Crisaey. It is a love
story (all to the brim with charm and excitement, and
we believe when it is published in book form later that
it will be the "Book of the Year." The atory has to deal
with the history of a country boy's success on the Chi
cago Board of Trade, the mammoth "deals" and "cor
ners" he manipulates, his social succeea and his "heart
troubles." The tap-roots of the Corn King run
straight to the heart of the reader, leaving him breath
lees with excitement, apprehension and fascination.
Aa stated aboT
the contributors.
oarc are on a Ttw of tl
food thing about the Woman's World. Ws could caatnar.
at many others, Wat example: Peer otrotame, the great.
est wnver on ecanainsTian Lira in America, contribute
to woman worm; ao does eamaal m. lr, Biaaler
vvaierioo, major anuur vnmiu, irul a. Bhautua,
w. u. nesDti, manyn jonnaon, Julia Bottomely;
aucb aiwri, cuiKit pi me Tresaiagoa iime;
nowiia, ana many, man notn. Alao such
additional helpful and Instruct! rt depart
ment aa "The Capital and tha While A
House," "xiom uruseinajiet and h.
ions," "How to Decorate the Home,"
"millinery," eta., tie. Alao men In
urstuui ana uraeiy article oa
such aabjecta a Should Toastf
iriria marry cna men,- novraal
Baby Should Grow," The Ori-
a-in of Unci Bam." Th His
tory of th 8wln atachlu.
Th Male titmaip" "T
J?
and all tbls tor
A? (f I Ii in A
W ii. HIS
No.
Ka loitet .
H0O0
wry
WOMAN'S WORLD,
48 W. Monroe Street, Chicago
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