The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-05-26

he seemed 10 hesitate u moment, then
he raised the cap from his forehead and
looked me curiously in the face. / did
not drop the candle, but acknowledge to
little nervousness as hurriedly placed
the light upon the table, and silently
proceeded to invest myself with two or
three very necessary articles of clothing.
AS the Lord liveth, my visitor was
lady, and the same for whom / had
opened the little box about a month be-
fore! Having completed my hasty
toilet / attempted to stammer an apollo
gy for my rudeness, but utterly failed.
The fact is was confounded.
Smiling at my discontinue, shesaid:
"Disguise is useless; l presume you
recognize me?"
81 believe 1 told you, madam, l
should not soon forget your face. In
what way can l serve you?"
"By doing half an hours work before
daylight tomorrow, and receiving five
hundred dollars for your labor" was the
reply.
at is not ordinary work." said I, in
quiringly, "that commands 50 munf-
cent Il compensation"
1T is labor common to your calling,"
returned the lady. "The price is not
so much for the labor, as the condition
under which it must be performed"
"What is the condition ?" inquired
"That you will submit to being con-
veyed from and returned to your own
door blind-folded."
Ideas of murder, burglary, and almost
every other crime to villainy, hurriedly
presented themselves in succession, as
| politely bowed, and said: Z" / must un-
derstand something more of the charac-
ter of the employment, as well as the
conditions, to accept your offer"
"Will not five hundred dollars an
swer in lieu of an explanation ?" she in
: quired.
: "No, nor five thOusandw
She patted her foot nervously on the
: floor. / could see she had placed entire
ly too low an estimate ON my honesty
and / felt some qualification in being
able to convince her of the fact.
: "Well, then, if it is absolutely neces.
sary for me to explain" she replied, 81
must tell you that you are required to
pick the lock of II vault, and"
| "You have gone quite far enough,
t madam, with the explanation" / in.
g terrupted l am not at your service .
I" As said," she continued, "you are
<, required to pick the lock of vault, ant
D., rescue from death man who hi,
been confined there for three days"
: "To whom does the vault belongs"
D inquired.
4 "My husband" was the somewhat re
luctant reply.
: "Then why so much secrecy? o.
/ rather, how came man confined in sucl
: a place."
81 sccrctcd him there to escape tn,
D observation of my husband. He sus
Z pected as much, and closed the door upor
3, him. Presuming he had left the vault
Il and quilted the house by the back door
D | did not dream, until to-day, that he
was confined there. Certain suspicious
/. acts of my husband this afternoon con-
I vince me that the man is there, beyond
1 human hearing, and will be starved tC
death by my barbarous husband unless
[ Immediately rescued. For three day,
he has not left the house. / druggeC
I him less than an hour ago, and he is now
so completely stupitied that the lock cal
: be picked without his interference.
:, have searched his pockets, but could no
find the key; hence my application tt
5 you. Now you know all; will you &C
: company me""
: "To the end of the world, madam, OF
such an errand."
I "Then prepare yourself; there is q
1 cab waiting at the door,
q, / was little surprised, for had not
heard the sound of wheels. Hastily
; drawing on n coat, and providing my
self with the required implements,
I was soon at the door. There, sure
r enough, was the cab, with the driver in
D his scat, ready for the mysterious jour
: ney. / entered the vehicle, followed by
the lady. As soon as | was seated sh,
4 produced heavy handkerchief, which
) by the faint light of an adjacent stree
V lamp, she carefully bound round my
4 eyes. The lady seated herself beside
) me, and the cab started. In half NJ
t hour the vehicle stopped, in what par
= of the city am entirely ignorant, as i
t was evidently driven in anything but ;
f direct course from the point of starting
Examining the bandage, to see tina
: my vision was completely obscured, thu
G lady handed me the bundle of tools will
t which l was provided; then taking M
by the arm led me through Il gate int,
2 house which | knew was of brick, anC
c after taking me along Il passage-wa,
which could not have been less than fifty
4 feet in length, and down flight of stair
into what was evidently an underground
: basement, stopped beside vault, anC
; removed the handkerchief from N,
eyes.
/, "Here is the vault, open it," said she
:, springing the door of dark lantern
+ and throwing beam of light upon th'
: lock.
e | seized n bunch of skeleton keys, ant
v after Il few trials, which the lady seemed
to watch with the most painful anxiety
l. sprang the bolt. The door swung upon
its hinges, and my companion, telling M
q not 10 close it, as it was self-locking
=, sr,,,,, into tba voult | did not follow