North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-06-20

vanced toward him he seemedWo hesitate a
moment, then raised the cap from his fore
head, and looked me curiously in the face,
| did not drop the candle, but acknowledg
to little nervousness as / hurriedly placed
the light upon the table, and silently pro-
ceeded 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 month before. Having com
pleted my hasty toilet, | attempted to
stammer an apology for my rudeness but
utterly failed. The fact is | was too much
contounded.
Smiling at my discontinue, she said:
disguise is useless lpresume you rec
ognize me 2"
81 believe | told you, madam, | should
not soon forget Your face. In what way
can | serve you %
"By doing half an hours work before
daylight tomorrow, and receiving five hun
dred dollars for your labor" was the reply.
at is not ordinary work. said Iinqur-
ingly, "that commands so magnificent a
compensation"
SIT is a labor common to your calling"
returned the lady. ''The price is not so
much for the labor, as the condition under
which it much be performed" --.
"And what is the condition." / asked
"Tbat you will submit to being conveyed
from and returned TO your door blindfold-
ed" "'
Ideas of murder, burglary. and almost
every other crime to vilainy, hurriedly
ylesented themselves in succession, as i
bowed and said "- '.
"a must understand something more of
the character of the employment as we'll
as the condition, to accept your offer"
"Will not five hundred dollars answer in
lieu of an explanation ~ she asked
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 facts.
"Well, then, if it is absolutely necessa-
ry for me to explain" she replied, 81
must tell you that You are required to pick
the lock of vault, and rescue from death
man who las been confined for three
days." ... .., a ~. .a -.r.
ITO whom does the vault belong ?" /
inquired. ... ..r. .i.
MY husband" was the somewhat re-
luctant reply.
Then why so much seclesy, or rather
how came man confined in such spot ?"
II secreted him there to escape the OBJ
servation of my husband. He suspected
such, and closed the door upon him. Pre-
suming he had left the vault and quilted
the house by the back door, did not dream
until to-day that he was confined there
Certain suspicious acts of my husband this
afternoon, convince me that the man is
there, beyond human hearing, and will be
starved to death bv my barbarous husband,
unless Immediately rescued. For three
days he has not left the house. I drugged
him less than an horr ago, and he is now
so completely stupefed..that the lock NAV
picked without his Inference. | have
searched his pockets, hence my application
to you. Now you know all; will you ac-
company me p
"To the end Of the world, madam, on
such an errand." ....
''Then prepare yourself, there is a cab
waiting at the door" ....
I was little surprised. for had not
heard the sound of wheels. Hastily put
ting coat, and providing myself with the
required implements, [ was soon at the
door. There was the cab, with the driver
in his seat, ready forthe mysterious jour
ney. | entered the vehicle, followed by
the lady. As soon as | was seated, she
prodnced heavy handkerchief which, by
the faint light of an adjoining street lamp,
she bound round my eyes. The lady
seated herself beside me and the cab.
started. In half an hour the cab stopped =.
in what part of the city am entirely ig-
norant, as it was evidently driven in any
thing but a direct course from the point of
starting. uaa .'-r ".' .a.s.
Examining the bandage to see that my
vision was completely obscured, the lady
handed me the bundle of TOOLS with which
1 was provided, then taking me by the
arm led me through gate into a house
which knew was of brick, and after ta-
king me along a passage way which could
not have been less than fifty feet in length
and down a flight of stairs into which was
evidently an underground basement
stopped beside vault, aud removed the
from my oyes. ..-.. ,...
"Here IS the vault-open it," said she,
Swinging the door of a dark lantern, and
throwing a beam of light upon the lock. q
I seized bunch of skeleton keys, and
after few trials, which the lady seemed
to watch with the most painful anxiety,
spraug 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. I did not follow. | heard
the murmur of low voices within, and the
next moment the lady reappeared, and
leaning upon her arm a man, with face so
khck oSartod M tho csuht -