The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-09-04
Miscellamp.
FOILED By A WOkAN.
ALKAF FROM THE DIARY or AN OLD pRrscTy
"Madame, it is my duty to arrest you"
UYou dare not I"

"Madame. it is my duty to arrest you"
"You dare notp
The lips were white with passion rather tnan
fear, and the lady stood before me like honeea
at bay. Even then / could not help but note the
splendid beauty Of this grand lady: TAI! and
elender, eyes black and fashing-slmost lucid
now, the spectacle she presented, standing mere
in the middle of the apartment, was more the ap-
pesrance of queen than hunted criminal.
81 must" T replied. ~ do not doubt your in.
nocence; looking in your face. it j. strange that
any one could couple it with guilt But am
constrained to do my duty, madame, however
inimical it may be to my feelings"
"Will YOU allow we to change my dress 7" she
said, in tone almost pleasant The hard lines
around the mouth relaxed and passionate glow
on the face gave way TO pleasant SMILE
"Certainly, win wait for you here"
81 wish also to send a messenger for a friend !;
will you allow him to pass?"
"Certainly."
This was my first interview with Eugenia
Cormile. l had seen her here for months, the
leader OF our gayest and most fashionable socie-
ty. In her splendid mansion she dispensed the
most profuse and elegant hospitality.
Spanish lady--a widow she had represented
herself-and had been here almost year. No
one ever suspected her of being aught than what
she seemed, until one day was ordered to ar
rest her as murderess.
1t was now alleged, said Mr.. F., that this
young beauty was no other than the woman who
had poisoned her husband in Havana, and fled
with all his wealth. An immense reward was
offered for her apprehension, and the circum-
stances that had come to our knowledge, pointed
her out beyond all doubt as the person we were
in search Of Yet had the person who recogniz.
ed her the evening at the theatre advised us to
be careful lest she would escape us. laughed at
the idea. Mr.. l. aid myself were surely suffi-
cient to arrest lady. We were old enough in
the ways of cunning to defeat any such attempt
When the lady left me, l stepped to the window
and said to Mr. l., who was waiting at the door /:
"Tho lady desires to send messenger for
friend suffer him to- pass
Almost at the same instant the door of the
apartment the lady entered opened and youth
apparently mulatto boy-came out and pass
ed hurriedly through the room into the hail. and
from thence INTO the street 1t was, no doubt, the
messenger, l thought, and picked up a book
and commenced reading. Nearly an hour pass.
cd, and still the lady did not make her appear
ance, nor did the boy return The friend she
had sent for must live at some distance, 1
thought, or the lady is unusually careful about
her toilet; and so another hour went by. AT
last l grew impatient, and Knocked at the door.
"Madame, can wait no longer"
There was no reply. l knocked repeatedly,
and at last determined to force an entrance
Strange fears harrassed me /; began to suspect,
l knew not Whist. It took but moment to
drive in the door, and once in the apartment the
mystery was revealed. The robes of the lady
lay upon the floor, and scattered over the room
were suits of boys wearing apparel, similar to
that worn by the mulatto. On table was a
cosmetic that would stain the skin to light del
icate brown.
mac foil cd tor ntxy. %6o 1o5. loI
ed in the disguise of messenger. 1 should have
detected the ruse; l felt Inundated, and de-
termined to redress my error. l knew she would
not remain in the city an instant longer than she
could get away. | hurried to her bankers, but
found she had drawn the amount due her an
hour before.
"Who presented the check 2" 1 asked the
clerk.
"a mulatto boy 1t was made payable to the
bearer"
There was yet chance. The French steamer
left within an hour; it was possible she would
seek that means OF escape. jumped into cab,
and arrived there ten minutes before she left the
wharf,-just in time to assist an aged, decrepit
gentleman into the cabin. There were few pas.
sengers; none OF them answered the description
OF the person l sought. l stood on tho wharf
watching the receding vessel until it disappear
ed. l was in the act of turning away, when a
hickman approached me with the remark:
"Mr. F. did you see that old man on board |;
he had long white beard, and hair that fell on
his shoulders"
eyes"
"Well, sir, there is something curious about
him"
"Why? ?"
"Why, sir, when he got into my carriage he
was mulatto boy, and when he got out he was
an old mani"
will not repeat the expression used then
1t was neither refined or polite-for knew the
vessel would be far out at sea before she could
be oyertaken. I was foiled by woman. Nor
could l help rejoicing, now that the chase was
over that she hadescaped.
Innocent or guilty, there was a charm about
her no one could resist. The spell of her won.
drous beauty effected all who approached her
1t fingers in my memory yet; and could not
have the sin OF her blood upon my conscience
Nelo Orleans Pcayune.