The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1879-02-25
IADY,S WONDERFUL
NERVE.
Do Qutncey's Story of "The
Avenger" Surpassed.

MIS-. I>adOre MiudIeton, very
beautiful woman, and one Of the
acknowledged leaders Of fashion in
Mobile, can certainly boast Ut the pos
session of rs much nerve and true
moral courage as are often vouch,a!ed
TO any of her sex.
On the evening OF September ~
she was in her boudoir putting away
some articles of jewelry. when she
noticed that the peculiar position 81
library lamp. that was burning upon
"a chair in the hack part Of the room,
had thrown upon the hoor, almost
directly ut her feet, the shadow Of
man who was crouching under
brUad topped ornamented table in the
centre OF the room. She also remarked
that the open hand Of the shadow had
but two fingers. and remembered that
several desperate burglaries had
recently been committed in the neigh
borhood, supposi,iously by a negro
desps ra.'o who WIS notorious as hav-
ing lost two fingers Of his right hand.
Mr.. Middleton WAS absent from the
city. and, beside herself in the house.
there was but single mail servant.
Instead oi fainting with fear ar shrek
ing for help the brave lady seated
herself at the table underneath which
the mi,creant was concealed, AMI rang
for the servant.
Hand me writing materials.
Bridget" said she. with perfect calm
uees. IL want you to take note this
instant to Mr.. Fosf;ir, the jeweller.
aud have him send you hack with my
diamond necklace and car-droPs which
l lett there for repairs several days
ago Bring them with YOU, no mat
ter IL fully repaired or i.1t. They are
by twenty-fold The most valuable
articles of jewelry that l po>ssss. and
,lo not wish Ia pass another night
wiihou, having them in my bureau
drawer
The nate was ut once written and
DISPATCHED, but instead of being in
the tenor that she had >igEified ION
pnrpn-e for the concealed robber To
overhear. for she had no jewelry I'M
der repair, il Vas h;wty note To- the
jewellery. an intimate friend. in which
she >ucciDctly stated her terrible posi-
tim, and urged him To hasten to her
relief, with the requisite police assis-
;ance. Immediately on receipt Of the
mis-ive.
The agonies which that refined and
delicate woman underwent when left
alone in the house. with the CONSCIOUS
ness of the presence Of that desperate
robber. perhaps assassin ~ we'll.
crcuched under the very table upon
which she leaned, and perhaps
touched by her very skirts, can only
he left 90 the readers imagination !;
but her iron nerve sustained her
through the ordeal.
She yawned, hummed an operate
air. turned over the leaves ut novel,
and in other WAYS luiied the iurker
inioa sense Of perfect security and
tSlettditN, Iutt "attSu "SttSu WIN
u wildly beating heart. and her eyes
fastened upon the hands Of her ormolu
clock with a greedy. feyerish gaze.
At last, however, came the prayer
for relief There was a ring ut the
,loor-bell, and she strollel carelessly
into the hall and down the stairs and
opened il. The ruse had been sue
cess. She no; only admitted Bridget,
but also Mr.. Forfar and three stall
wart policemen. The latter passed
s,ealthily up stairs and into the
boudoir, where they suddenly bounced
upon the concealed burglar so un-
expected;y as to secure HIM with
hardly struggle.
The prisoner proved to be a negro
criminal. named Chapman, but mostly
known as Two Fingered jeff, who
was in great request about that time
for several robberies committed in the
neighborhood shor; time before, and
he Is now serving twenty years
sentence i'm the Alabama state prison.