look!"

She pointed to a bunch of keys, one of which was inserted in the lock of
the middle small drawer, with a half dozen others dangling from the metal
ring. It will be understood that while the door of the safe was opened by
means of a usual combination of numbers, the interior was guarded by only
a tiny lock and key. This was more convenient, for, when the massive door
was drawn back, the little wooden drawers, even with a combination, would
not avail long against a burglar.

"They have taken the money!" gasped the widow.

"Let us see."

As Alvin spoke, he turned the key. The lock clicked and he drew out the
drawer. There lay the big sealed envelope with the two thousand five
hundred dollars intact within, while the stamps and cash receipts of the
day were neatly piled on the shelf beneath.

The astonishing truth was that the criminal had been interrupted at the
critical moment when he had succeeded in fitting a key to the lock. Had
Mike Murphy been the fraction of a minute later in bursting upon the
scene, he would have been too late. The robber would have carried off
nearly three thousand dollars.

"That's what I call the greatest luck that ever happened," said Chester.

The discovery was as cheering as amazing. The large amount of money had
been saved by a hair's breadth. The woman clasped her hands in
thankfulness. Chester slowly shoved the steel door shut.

"Now try the combination," he said to Mrs. Friestone. "Chester and I will
turn our backs while you do so."

"And why will you do that?"

"So that we shall not learn the secret. If anything like this happens
again, you cannot say we did it."

She saw the smile on his face and knew he spoke in jest.

"It may be the lock was broken in some way," suggested Chester.

But it worked perfectly. The knob was turned forward till the finger
pointed to a number, then back and then forward again to another numeral.
It moved as smoothly as if the delicate mechanism was oiled.

"Now open it," she said to the lads, her spirits rallying over her good
fortune. They shook their heads and Chester said:

"We might succeed, and that would be suspicious."

"Whether you noticed the combination or not, you surely did not know what
it was a little while ago. I acquit you of having any understanding with
the burglars."

"What's become of Mike?" asked Nora plaintively, speaking for the first
time. "I'm afraid something dreadful has happened to him."

"He is prob