these safes. But I shall find it."

Viola's determination to open the safe had been arrived at soon after
the funeral, when it was found that, as far as could be ascertained, her
father had left no will. A stickler for system, in its many branches
and ramifications, and insisting for minute detail on the part of his
subordinates, Horace Carwell did what many a better and worse man has
done--put off the making of his will. And that made it necessary for
the surrogate to appoint an administrator, who, in this case, Viola
renouncing her natural rights, was Miss Mary Carwell.

"I'd rather you acted than I," Viola had said, though she, being of age
and the direct heir, could well and legally have served.

Miss Carwell had agreed to act. Then it became necessary to find out
certain facts, and when they were not disclosed by a perusal of the
papers of the dead man found in his office and in the safe deposit box
at the bank, recourse was had to the private safe. LeGrand Blossom knew
nothing of what was in the strong box-not even being entrusted with the
combination.

"There! It's open!" announced the expert at length, and he turned the
handle and swung back the door.

"Thank you," said Viola. Then, as she looked within the safe, she
exclaimed:

"Oh, there is an inner compartment, and that's locked, too!"

"Only with a key. That will give no trouble at all," said the man. He
proved it by opening it with the third key he tried from a bunch of many
he took from his valise.

That was all there was for him to do, save to set the combination with a
simpler system, which he did, giving Viola the numbers.

"Was it as easy as you thought?" she asked, when the expert was about to
leave.

"Not quite--no. The combination was a double one. That is, in two parts.
First the one had to be disposed of, and then the other worked."

"Why was that?"

"Well, it is on the same principle as the safe deposit boxes in a bank.
The depositor has one key, and the bank the other. The box cannot be
opened by either party alone. Both keys must be used. That insures that
no one person alone can get into the box. It was the same way with this
safe. The combination was in two parts."

"And did my father set it that way?"

"He must have done so, or had some one arrange the combination for him."

"Then he--he must have shared the combination with some one else!" There
was fright in Viola's eyes, and a catch in her voice.

"Yes," assented the