The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-05-15
az can't; I do not believe she will ever

| >
come back"
"Never come b ,ck? never! Why, what
do you mean? Do you think she has run
z"
"No; not of her own accord. But |
think she has been spirited away. She
was too handsome to be out in the streets
alone i'm the evening. And Barbara has
been telling me such shocking things-of
murder and everything. Barbara says
she knows there are men in the city who
would not hesitate to carry her off and
kill her. She says she knows there are"
"Good gracious Barbara must have a
choice circle of acquaintance, certainly. 1t
is all nonsense. Barbara is a goose, and you
shouldn't listen to her /; she has made you
fairly nervous. 1t is absurd. Just think!
kidnapping and murder in quiet Christian
city like this Why, the idea is too pre-
posterous ?" Yet, as | walked down the
street after breakfast, could not hel my
thoughts reverting to the sad story OF
those two young and beautiful married
women in New York, who, it was said,
left their happy homes, where they were
loving and beloved, and in full daylight
went out into the streets to shop or pay
visits, and never returned; no tidings
ever came from them, the most vigilant
search failed to discover them, and con-
| lecture itself could form no clew to their
fate.
When returned at dinner-time found
matters still worse. She had not returned.
My poor landlady was almost in mysteries,
though she tried hard to control herself
and Barbara, who had no self-control,
was audible in her grief, and l began to
feel myself that the chances of her safe re-
turn were growing less and less.
"What is there L can do, Mrs. Honey
void ?n l said. "You may command my
services, if you will only tell me what you
think L had better do"
"Oh, thank you, thank you, General
Anchester l have been all round the
neighborhood myself this morning; but
if you would be willing to see the police.
men, and go to the city-hall and speak to
the town-crier (for such folks never mind
what woman says), and if you would
not think it too much trouble, just write
an advertisement for the papers, and offel
a reward for me-"
"Of course l will" u said, and set off
l did not spare myself; | visited all the
purlieus of the city; posted up notice;
in various directions; l wrote advertise
ments to appear in several of the loca
papers, doubling the reward Mrs. Honey
void had named; | interviewed the city
crier, and was interviewed by the police
men. One of the latter, 1 fancied, seemed
to take more interest than the rest. He
followed nae down stairs, and indicated {
wish for private interview, without the
knowledge of his chief.
81 think, general" he began, confiden
TALLY, "you said as how the party wa!
han'some!'
Yes" said, every handsome"
"And young, sir?-did you say young
No offense, l hope?"
"Yes," said; "yet no, not very
young. do not know her age, but sh'
is the mother Of twins"
"Ah!" said the policeman, speaking
slowly and deliberately; 81 see. guess
it is an awkward fix, rather. But I'm
with you, general III do what 1 can fo
you. seeing as how you look like gentle
man as wouldn't hesitate to do the gsner
Gus thing" Here he paused, but h,
looked at me so significantly that invol
UNFAIRLY handed him small bank-note a
a retainer.
"Thank We, sir; thank your honor,
he said, as the ready hand closed over tn,
bribe. "That's handsome of you, gen
eral, that is. and I'll do my best for you
that's so. But still, at the same time,
must say it looks kind of blue"
"Blue! how do you mean?'
Well, l mean Just this. If she is an,
"ucT6S TOuuu dUOllG ucIo. dlu Is W ~,
as we say, in course she'll come back t.
(I'll do my very bounden best for them
in course | wilD-but l doubt if she eve
turns up in this beat again. I've knowe
something of such thing in my time, an
guess if she turns up at all, you'll fin
she has gone to a distant market. Blu
I'll do my best"
And so, sad, weary, and discouraged,
returned home at night, only to lear
there were no tidings of the missing one
81 give her up now," said my weepin
landlady; 81 shall never see her again
She is lost forever! and those two poo
pretty little creatures"
By-the-way," | said, 81 wanted t
speak to you about them. If she neve
does return, what do you propose to
| with them?"
" Keep them," said the generous and in
pulsive little woman.
81 wanted to say, if she does not n
| turn, will, if you like, relieve you of on
; of them. My sister, who lives with mi
) and keeps my house, is very kind, tel
der-hearted woman. There are no chi
5 dren in the house, and she would, al
sure, be very kind to the poor little thins
What do you say?"
| "No, no ~ sobbed the poor woman; {
cannot part them. l am poor woman
+ it Is true, but not too poor to give them
!. home; and while l have bit and su
4 for myself they shall have one too. The
r poor mother left them here, and if 81
r ever does return she shall find them her
n And if she never returns, then"
: And she never did return, and no I'll
ings of her fate ever reached lis. If 81
!. was enticed away by artful blandishmen
> or kidnapped by cruel violence, we kne
}, not. But / honestly believe the latte
& Either way, it was her fatal beauty tn
K led to her destruction; for, as l have sa
n before, she was the most perfect creatul
q the most beautiful Maltese cat that / ev
n beheld in my life! 1 am sure she nev
deserted her two pretty little kittens
!. her own accord. And if-poor dun
thing-she was stolen and killed for h
q beautiful fur, still say, as | said at fir
r. she was "more sinned against than ST
n ming"
y "Requies-cat in pace. Wrappers Mag
zine for May.
10 The Position of a House.
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