Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1861-03-01
ness-for it was as dark as Egypt when

Es thathef past business noufs, snouiC
say but who are you?'
ssNo one that would harm you" re
turned the voice, which imagined wa:
rather feminine for burglars.
'Nor no one that can!' I replied
rather emphatically, by way of warn
ing, as | tightened my grip upon the
hammer, and proceeded to the door.
pushed back the bolt, and slowly open.
ing the door, discovered the stranger
already upon the steps.
"What do you want?" abruptly in.
II will tell you" answered the same
IIsstsnsii vuire, ycu dare cpeu door
wide enough for me to enter"
sCome in" said l, resolutely, throw
Ing the door ajar, and proceeding to
light a candle. Having succeeded, ]
turned to examine the visitor. He was
a small aid neatly dressed gentleman,
with a heavy Raglan around his shoul-
ders, and a blue navy cap drawn sus-
piciously over his eyes As I advanced
toward him he seemed to hesitate a mo-
rhent, then raised the cap from his fore
head, and looked me curiously in the
face. | did not drop the candle, but l
acknowledge to little nervousness as I
hurredly placed the light upon table,
and silently proceeded to invest myself
with two Or three very necessary arti-
cles Of clothing. AS the Lord liveth,
my visitor was a lady, and the same for
whom had opened the'llttle box about
u month before! Having completed
my hasty toilette, [ attempted to STAN
mer out an apology for my rudeness,
but I utterly failed. The fact is, 1 was
coniounded.
Smiling at my discontinue, she said:
"Disguise is useless; | presume you
recognize me?''
Il belieye told you, madam, should
not soon forget your face. In what way
can [ serve your
by doing half an hours work before
daylight to morrow, and receiving five
hundred dollars for your labor; was the
reply o| :; :. ou,,n..r ror,, - .,;d T j.
quiringly, " that commands so munifcent
IL compensation.
1T is a labor common to your calling,
returned the lady The price IS not so
much for the labor as the condition IN
der which it must be performed -
''And what is the condition. I in
quired.
THAT you will submit to being CON
veyed from ana returned to your own
door bliniiolded"
Ideas OF marder, burglary, and almost
every other kind Of vil!a.ny, hurriedly
presented themselves in succession as
politely bowed and said:
i mus, unde.s and something more
Of he character Of the employment as
well as the conditions, to accept your
Offer
Will not five hundred dollars answer
in lieu Of an explanatio tion?'' she inquired.
No, nor Eve thousand"
She pattel her foot nervousIy on ihe
iocT could see she had placed en-
tireIy toe low an estimate on my honesty,
and fell some qualification in being
able 70 crnvlrrc her Of the fact
"Wel then if it is absolutely nece:-
s.ry ior 'na 10 explain, she replied, II
mas ec. gou that you are required to
pick the ioci Ct vault, and
You have gone quite far enough,
madam, with the explanation, | inter
L am not 1t your service" "
As said,' she continued, lyon are
required to pick the lock Of vault and
rescue from death man who has been
confined there for three days"
TO whoHi docs the vault belong?" I
inquired.
My husband, was the somewhat re-
luctant reply.
"Then why's much secrecy, or, rather,
how came a man confined in such a
place?"
Il secreted him there to escape the
observation of my husband. He sus-
pected as much, and closed the door
upon him. Presuming he had left the
vault and quilted the house by the back
door, I did not dream until to day that
he was confined there Certain suspic-
ious acts of my husband this afternoon
convinced me that the man is there, be-
yond human hearing, and will be starved
to death by my barbarous husband un-
less Immediately rescued For three
days he has not left the house I
drugged him not less than an hour ago,
and he is now so completely stupifed
that the lock may be. picked without his
interference Ihave searched his pock-
cts, but cannot find the key: hence my
application to you. Now you know all;
will you accompany me?'
"To the end of the world, madam, on
such an errand.'
Then prepare yourself; there is a cab
waiting at the door
was a little surprised, for ] had not
heard the sound of wheels. Hastily
drawing on coat, and providing myself
with the requisite i'm pIements, | was
soon at the door There, sure enough,
was the cab; with the driver in his seat,
ready for the mysterious journey. I en-
tered the vehicle, followed by the lady.
AS soon as | was seated, she produced 4
heavy handkerchief, which, by the faint
light of an adjacent street lamp, she
carefully bound round my eyes. The
lady seated herself beside me, and the
cab started In haitian hour the vehicle
stopped-in what part Of the city | am
entirely ignorant, as it was driven in
anything but g direct course from the
point OF starting.
Examining my .bandage, to see that
my vision was completely obscured, the
lady handed me the bundle of tools, with
which L was provided; then taking me
by the arm led ne through gate into
a house which l know was of brick, and
after taking me along a passage-way
which could not have been less than fifty
feet in length, and down fight Of stairs
into what was evidently an underground
basement, stopped beside a vault; and