Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-01-16

some shape or other any more than my neigh
bors. l have not been altogether exempt
| from it so far, as you may know"
"Well, yes, sir, that is true" said Mrs.
Ford, casting down her eyes, and slightly
shaking her head.
There was brief silence after this, as if
both were unwilling to proceed.
Both were on their guard, and each was
waiting for the other to make an advance, in
order to be more sure of the ground under
his or her feet for fear of making false
step.
"It is-let me see-how many years since
last we met ?" continued Stanley, at length,
finding that his companion was waiting for
him to speak.
"How many years? Dear me, sir, good
many-let me see, it was in 18-, was it not,
that you first came to --?" mentioning
small town in New York.
81 believe it was. Well, that makes it near
ly eight years ago, does it not?"
$50 it does, sir. You came twice that win
ter, if you recollect. I last saw you in March
of the next year"
"That is true. You have good memory,
I see."
"Ah! you are right there, Mr. Stanley.
My memory is very good perfectly accurate,
in fact on most subjects There are very few
things that I forget"
"That is fortunate" said Stanley, clearing
his throat in slightly embarrassed manner,
"because-I am going to call on your memo
ry now, to furnish me with certain facts, con-
nected with past events, if you will be kind
enough to let me detain you so long. You
were not especially busy when l came in, |
hope?"
"Oh! dear, no, sir-not at all. This is
quite leisure day, mparatively speaking;
though it is not often that I can boast of
SUCH"
81 am glad to hear it. Well, then, Mrs.
Ford, you remember, of course, that in the
November of 1S- 1 came to your establish
ment-"
"My husbands establishment" interrupted
Mrs. Ford.
II beg your pardon-Monsieur Leroy's es-
tablshment- bringing with me lady whom [
placed under your care"
. "Under our united care" said Mrs. Ford.
"And that lady, Mr.. Stanley, was your es-
teemed wife,"
"Was my wife," said Stanley. 81 left her
with you, under the conviction that with your
husband and yourself she would find COM
Portable home, and such treatment. as would
prove most beneficial to her health"
"Mrs. Stanley's health being very much
impaired" said Mrs. Ford.
Exactly. Her health, as you say, was
much impaired +; in addition to extreme bod
lily weakness, her mental condition was, as
you recollect, quite lamentable one"
"Very much so, indeed" said Mrs. Ford.
"Well, sir, as you say, you left your amlable,
but suffering lady under the joint charge of
my husband and myself, and we did every
thing in our power to alleviate her distressing
condition, and restore her faculties to their
original vigor."
81 have no reason to believe the contrary;
your efforts, however, proved unavailing,"
said Stanley.
Unfortunately, yes Mrs. Stanley's mind
was too far gone to admit Of restoration; on
the contrary, she grew gradually worse, in
spite of the best medical attendance, and all
the care and attention that could be bestowed
upon her."
"Aud now" said Stanley, "will you pass on
to the time when she left your establishment,
and relate, as circumstantially as possible,
everything connected with that EVENT."
Mrs. Ford, who had hitherto sat with down.
cast gaze, answering his remarks in slow,
monotonous tone, now suddenly raised her
eyes and fixed searching look on his face.
"Mr. Stanley" she said with slight, Pc
culiar smile, "will you tell me what object
you have in subjecting me to this crossexami-
nation?"
"Certainly," said Stanley with frank air.
"My object is simply this-to assure myself of
certain facts, which already accept as true
and undeniable, but which, for my own salts
faction, I desire to have once more plainly inn
pressed upon my mind"
"Those facts" said Mrs. Ford, after brief
pause, "are scarcely of a nature to be forgot
ten yet, sir if you desire it, have no OBJ
lection to recapitulate them.
"Your wife was brought to Monsieur Le-
roy's private asylum, or establishment for the
cure of insane persons, in the month of No.
vember, 1S-, as has already been stated.
"She remained in that establishment, under
strict guardianship and watchful care, un-
til December s., period of rather more
than two years.
"On the 10Th of December, Mrs. Stanley
suddenly and mysteriously disappeared, leav-
ing not the slightest clue by which we might
succeed in tracing her.
"My husband, Monsieur Leroy, instituted
the strictest search, but all efforts to discover
the fugitive proved entirely useless.
eve examined every member of the estab-
lishment-those who had no connection with
the patients as we'll as those who had-in re-
gard to the matter, but failed to prove that
any of them had aided or abetted her flight,
or even had the least knowledge of her inten-
ton to try and escape.
"Monsier Leroy wrote to apprise you of
these facts, and desired to receive instructions
from you how to proceed in the matter. These
Instructions were furnished by you, and strict