Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1866-06-16
SATURDAY MORNING, JUNE 16, 1866.

L
| IL is to be performed" a.
| "And what is the condition." enquired.
THAT you will submit to being conveyed
| from and 70 your own door blindfolded."
| Ideas of murder, burglary, and almost
every other crime, hurriedly presented them
selves to my vision, AMI l politely bowed
and said .!s
81 must understand something more of
the character of the employment, as well as
the conditions, to accept your offer"
"Will not five hundred dollars answer in
lieu of explanationa" she enquired.
"No-nor five thousand"
| She patted her foot nervously ON the
! floor. could see she had placed entirely
too low an estimate on my honesty, and
felt some qualification in being able to con-
vince her Of the fact.
"Well, then, if it is absolutely necessary
for me TO EXPLAIN" she replied, II must tell
you that you are required to pick the lock
! of vault, and"
"You have gone quite far enough madam,
with the explanation" II interrupted; 81
interrupted II am not at your service"
"As said" she continued, 'you are re-
quired to pick the lock oc vault, and
rescue from death a man who has been
confined there for three days"
"To whom does the vault belongl" en-
quired.
my husband" was the somewhat reluc-
tant reply.
"Thcn why so much secrecy2 or rather
! how came a man confined in such q place2"
~ secreted him there, to escape the OBJ
servation of my husband. We suspected as
much, and closed the door upon him. Pre-
suming he had left the vault, and Quilted
the house by the back door, l did not
dream, until to- day, that he was confined
| there. Certain suspicious acts of my hus-
band this afternoon convince me that the
man is there, beyond human hearing, and
will be starved to death by my barbarous
husband, unless Immediately rescued. For
three days he has not left the house. l
drugged him less than an hour ago, and he
is now so stupifed that the lock may be
picked without his interference. l have
searched his pockets, but could not find the
| key hence my application to you. Now
you know all; will you accompany mel"
ITO the end of the world, ON such an
errand."
"Then prepare yourself; there is cab
waiting at the door,"
l was little surprised, for 1 had not
heard the sound of Wheels Hastily draw
ing on coat, and providing myself with
the required implements, was soon at the
door There, sure enough, was the cab,
with the driver in his seat, ready for the
mysterious journey. / entered the vehicle,
followed by the lady. AS soon as was
seated, she produced 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 half an hour it
stopped; in what part of the city am en-
49, H., "a 81
thing but direct course from the point
of starting.
Examining the 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 me through a passsge-way which could
not have been less than fifty feet in length,
and down flight of stairs into what was
evidently an underground basement, stopped
beside q vault, and removed the handker-
chief from my eyes.
"Hcre is the vault; open it," said she,
springing the door of a dark lantern, and
throwing beam of light upon the lock.
seized bunch of skeleton keys, and
after few trials, which the lady seemed to
watch with the most painful anxiety, sprang
j the bolt. The door swung upon its hinges
and my companion telling me not to close
it, as it was self-locking, sprang into the
vault. did not follow. heard the mur
mur of low voices within, and the next mo
ment the lady reappeared, and leaning upor
her arm man, with face so pale and hag
2 gard that started a. the sight How hi
6 must have suffered during the three Ions
E days of his confinement!
l "Remain here" she said, handing me tn
t lantern II will be back in a moment"
| Tha fvpn ell ulu oooap1aH
| heard them enter a room Immediately abov
t where l was standing. In less than minut
the lady returned.
9 "Shal close it, MADAME 2" said /, placin
s my hand upon the door of the vault.
r mo mol" she exclaimed, hastily seizin
my arm 1T awaits another occupant r'
n MADAM, you certainly do not inten
e to-
"Are you ready" she interrupted impt
q tiently, holding the handkerchief to my eye
The thought flashed cross my mind ths
~ she intended to push me into the vault, an
% bury me and my secret together. She SCENE
TO read the suspicion, and continued: I'D
q not be alarmed. You are not the man ~
could not mistake the truth or the fea
o full meaning of the remark, and 1 shuddere
10 as bent my head to the handkerchief NJ
T. eyes were carefully bandaged as before, an
was led to the cab, and then driven hon
D. by more circutous route, if possible, tina
=. the one by which we came. Arriving
~ front of the house, the handkerchief was r
10 moved, and stepped from the vehicle.
purse of five hundred dollars was placed
,g my hand, and in moment the cab and i
n mysterious occupant had turned the corn
x. and were out of sight.
I'D entered the shop, and the purse of go
w was the only evidence could summon
ue my bewilderment, that all that had ju
Is. doLe and witnessed was not dream.
70 A month after that, / saw the lady al
IN y: the gentleman taken from the vault walki
~ = leisurely along Montgomery street. do n
: know, but believe the sleeping husba
awoke within the vault, and lis bones
na there to this day The wife is still re
"o dent of San Francisco.
he A new and very good imitation OF