Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-01-28

! 80 that ne one could lesSs and thus w
knew that all had been searched.
could do no more then upon the
premises. Tho New Orleans merchant
whose name was Lafont, concluded to
keep on to New York, but obtained from
me q promise that I would leave no stone
unturned to find his money.
Two days after this. q planter from
j Kentucky stopped with me, and on the
very night of his stay his trunk was rob-
bed of eight thousand dollars, while an
other man, on the same night, lost nearly
} four thousand On the next day, when
this became known. forty.seven of my best
boarders left me. They would stay no
longer where they were liable to lose ev-
erything, and where. moreover, they were
in constant danger Ct being suspected Of
crime.
II began to grow desperate. There
was q thief quartered upon mean ex.
} pert and mysterious thief-and / deter.
mined to find him if it lay within the
bounds of human possibility. If I did
not, my patrons would all leave me, and
my growing business would be ruined
That very afternoon tho stage from Oswe-
go brought a wealthy family who were
on their way to the Mississippi. I gave
them the same rooms Mr.. Lafont had oc.
cupied, and then determined to keep a
watch upon them through the night. ]
said nothing to any one Of my purpose,
but when. the guests had all retired, |
took up my position where no n would
oe likely to see me, but yet where / could
see Inc doer OF the apartment in question.
mere was no light burning in this upper
nail, put the starlight from the two large
WINDOWS wonld enable me to detect the
presence OF any one within my range Of
vision.
~ was very near midnight when I
LOOK my post. 1lle CLOCK struck one
lhen two--and yet no 2pund had | heard.
Pesilaps tAae tlaaes ha8 gone; or, maybe.
~ %sas#slxaa aax again 70 soon.
M1nI z " ~nofs pas3e and I wasaes
coming tifed q my watch, when heard
Z movement as OF Q door being opened
se4y soi'iy, ahu ~ n lew moments more |
saw a oark ngufe giide scross the hail.
: : siisn1' snort persoh' ana III le
mas AZURE. l iooNeu more Sharply. and
Inal'y sa1isned myssl that 70 vas Clara
Aaloh. ! supposeu sue lnust pc alter
soule.n'ag iol nef latner. bat nc Sne
nloseu uirecsiy 70 Tue aoof OF the travel
efS Gua'aosf' ana paced ner ear 70 the
KY noie. anu ~ Tue enu q q minute siie
s',a9a oacA a. sne nag come. I.
'ssan W ps shsesesseo What could
saat Young girl pc dong out there at
such q Hne! but l had not long for re
iiectlon. very. soou the sound OF the
carefully opened door came again, and in
a lew SECONDS another OBJECT presented
ltseli. II was tall and dark, and moved
with a catlike. noiseless tread, and from
. single ray or light which shot out be-
tore It knew that it must bear a dark
lantern. Who could it be Surely not
pr. Adams, for he went away before
noon. but 1 had enough to do to watch
the persons movements. Hell knew it
was a man-siooped down to the lock Of
the door, and ere long he had it open.-
lie entered the room beyond-the room
where my new guest slept-without hav.
ing as yet made a sound which I could
hear since passing his own door. l de-
termlnea 10 wait until he cam out, and
tnen coniront'hlm.
The minutes passed on-twenty Of
them at ieast-and finally the man re
appeared. he closed the door carefully
oenind alIn, ana then started across the
nan. ne was half way over L
ieapea forward and grasped him by the
collar. lie uttered q grating curse, and
win 9 power which | was not prepared