Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1867-10-25
The Mysterious Robbery.


Office in--strcct. London, lady was
announced and shown in. She was dressed
in black aud deeply veilcd. l perceived
she was nervous and excited, and kindly
requested her to he seated. As soon as
my attendant had gone out. she threw
aside one corner of her veil and glanced
around the room. understood her, and
said:
1--WE are alone madam, and there is no
one within hearing
This is what | desire. sir-fOr what
have to say to you l wish to be held i'll the
ssr;ctcst confidence.
.:Procecd, madam"
"Your name is"
"Andrcw Sargent, at your service"
| "You have been named to mo as the
best detective officer in London
II have been too highly complimentcd d
then madam"
"Perhaps not; hut like molesty." she
said, and then seemed to hesitate.
"Please state your case madam" said
I, land be assured that no improper use
shall be made of any fact you may disclose.
ut is in many respects rather sngu.
lar case" she proceeded, with some show
of cml arrassment. land am afraid you
will laugh at my supersttious conclusions;
but if you can find any earthly way to ac-
count lor what has happened, and is still
happening. you will greatly relieve my
mind, and serve the ends of Justice"
'.Of course l can promise nothing till
know the facts, except that l will do my
best to serve YOU" returned l.
"Well," she rcjoined. throwing aside
her veil and revealing the rather hand
some face of lady who had seen some
forty years, the facts YOU shall have
whether you laugh at my superstitons or
not; thou gh. if you laugh. remember it
must no, be till you have accounted for
every thing in anatural manner"
This mysterious preliminary, confess.
excited nv curiosity in no small degree.
and was all attention to the lady as she rrO-
cee,led as follows:
IL must say word or two of the past,
Mr.. Sargent. and will he as brief as
possible. Fifteen years ago married a
gentleman hy the name of Conway. who
proved to be kind, indnlgcnt husband
and we lived happily together till he died
some two years s!nce-or rather, l should
say, there was hut one impcdiment to oui
happiness. the utter dislike, hatred perhap,
would be the better term, Of myself by
his mother. She was proud, naughty
impcrious woman, who claimed decent
from some ancient nChlcman. and never
could bear me. simply because. as she said
| had no blood and no ancestry. Ny hus
band was Il gentleman, having no profcs
sion. and following no business. He own
ed II comfortable house i'll the city, whicl
he mace over to me while living. and il
which still reside. lie had besides, ;
handsome life annuity, only part of whicl
he spent, turning the balance into COLDER
gnineas, which he every year deposited il
am iron safe, in secret vault in the cellar
first putting them into leather hags. ;
hundred in each, and numbering them
Just before he died he called me to hin
and said:
"IIenrietta, my dear wife. fear l an
about to leave you. but thank God, shal
: not leave you pcnniless You know thu
safe in the vault of which you have on,
key and l the other-the only two keys il
the world which will open 1t. Remcmbe
this and guard them with care; for if yo,
were to lose them, even the maker of til,
lock could not supply you with another
and the safe would have to he broken. ],
that safe are now ninety nine bags o
guineas. each bag containing one hundred
making the sum total of nine thousand
aud nine hundred guincas, which witt
prudence, will be suflicien: for contingen
cies during your natural life; and as w
have no children, need not look beyont
that, My mother has enough for herscl
so that you can keep the whole for yoa
own usa, and it is my wish that You do no
invest it. for fear it may be lost. 1t is SAFE
where it is, and You will not need any nc
cumalating interest
when my husband died." proceede,
Mrs. Conway, "his mother came to me
and said she was well aware her son ha,
not spent more than half his annuity 70