The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-10-24


A fainting, bleeding, Quivering heart
Twas like hungry IRE. that searched
Through every tender, vital part.
HGx wildly sh, ~ that aching s,;l heart!
1t claimed, but bitter ashes mark
The pathway Of that careless word.
N. 0. Morning Star.
UNRAvELING A CIPHER.
h0irrg. Mrw.'
THERE it was, in italics, half way
down the "persOnal' column of the
Herald, conspicuous only for its singu-
lar and most aggravating combination
Of letters and figures. the sole clue to
the whereabouts of the gem had been
after for over u week, scarcely resting,
eating or sleeping in my anxiety to Sc
cure the reward offered in heavy
burglary case-and something else.
That something else." All! my
heart sank within me as flung aside
the enigmatical puzzle before me, and
leaning back in my chair gave myself
up to the gloomy reveries of the past.
Edna Dayton-how loved her! How
fair and beautiful as u summers idyl
had been the week in which had met
her, had loved her and had been told
that nly affection was returned! How
we'll remember the bitter parting-a
hopeless one it seemed to me-when l
learned my fate from her fathers lips
and passed down the brown stone steps
of the Dayton mansion, wondering if
the inclination of mOneyed men toward
stone residences was not caused by the
existence of similar hard material in
that part of the human anatomy known
as the heart.
l Twas a poor man, he said, and the
profession of detective was q preca-
rious one. His daughter loved ME; he
only child and her wealth and position
demanded a match with some social
equal. He would not break her heart
by absolutely refusing to sanction our
engagement, but if within year 1
could secure fortune of S25, 600 and a
lucrative business, and Edna was still
of the same mind-well, he would con-
slider it.
Twenty-Five thousand dollars! grew
sick at the thought of the condition
imposed, upon which was to purchase
my future happiness. In the reception
of meager salary and utterly un-
known, where was l to raise this
amount? And what business capacity
had l, the son of parents who had given
me every luxury and neglected u prac-
teal education, until crash came that
left us homeless and in penury?
Day and night for over month l
broOded over my sorrows. and then
one day l was aroused into renewed
life by the reception of formal but
courteous note from Mr.. Dayton, re-
questing my immediate attendance ut
the mansion.
My feet winged as l fastened to the
house of my loved Edna. What did it
mean? Had he relentcd? Was Edna
sick, or did business await me at the
pleasure of my hard-hearted censor? l
was ushered into the library, where l
found the old gentleman in an intense
state of excitement, pacing the floor,
the window broken in, papers and box
es scattered about the apartment, and
safe in the corner broken open.
stared at him in amazement.
You seem agitated, Mr.. Dayton" 1
ventured to suggest.
"Agitated! agitated, sir! am wild.
Late last night, or early this morning,
burglars entered this apartment by
means of yonder window and broke
open the safe. When came down this
morning found affairs rs they arc now,
and nearly 100000 in money, bonds
and jewelry gone"
stared mutely. The immensely of
the robbery petrified me.
NO." he Numbered, coming to
full stop. 81 have no confidence in
police force which fails to protect
house from such an audacieus burglary
and expects one half of the booty for
it's return. Here is the room and yon-
der is list of the stolen property. l
believe you are honest, and leave the
entire affair in your own hands. Call
upon me for whatever money you re-
quirc in an attempt to recover the prop
erty or to detect the thieves. Hyou sue
coed within a month, will pay you
$4,000. If you fail, l will pay your
expenses for the month and place the
case in other hands. Are you sat-
isfied?,
gasped spasmodically. Thirty thou
sand dollars! A fOrtune-more, than
the price of my happiness! And then
the pride of my profession came to my
aid, and told him that should sue
coed.
l examined the apartment. The bur-
glary had been effected very simply,
apparently. Edward, the footman-a
tall, lank specimen of humanity-had
heard noise in the night in the libra
ry, but had paid no attention to it, as
Mr.. Dayton was in the habit of writing
very late, and he thought it was his
employer.
What puzzled me most was the
means of entrance and egress adopted
by the burglar or burglars. The library
was fully fifteen feet from the ground,
had bay-window, and, except the
broken pane of glass, there was not the
slightest sign to show how the window
had been gained. A ladder would have
done it, but no marks of ladder, NO
signs of footsteps exhibited themselves
in the damp ground. wet from recent
rains.
Twas sorely puzzed. examined the
servants one BY one, but could find no
clew to justify the slightest suspicion
of completely in the affair on their part.
The work had evidently been done by
scientific burglars, and they had worked
at their leisure.
l inquired into the antecedents of
Edward, the footman; but Mr.. Dayton
averred that he would allow no suspi-
cion to rest on 50 faithful a servant to
the family. l resolved to inquire more
about him, however; but found moth
ing against the man, and temporarily
dismissed him from my mind as having
no connection with the case.
You heard no noise on the night of
the robberyr' Inquired Of Mr.. Dayton.
'.None. I slept unusually sound that
night"
Invent away thoughtfully, for had
found in the library an empty bottle
which, from the scent, I knew to have
contained chloroforsn and had M